# Maize smart-canopy architecture enhances yield at high densities

*PRI Rank #2 · Topics and Trends in Most Cited Crop Yield and Soil Fertility Papers, Class of 2026*

*Canonical URL: https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/crop-yield-and-soil-fertility/2026/rank-2*

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Rank | #2 |
| 18m citations | 86 |
| Journal | Nature |
| Year | 2024 |
| DOI | 10.1038/s41586-024-07669-6 |
| Corresponding authors | Jigang Li, Feng Tian |
| Institution | China Agricultural University, China |

**Ranking page:** [Topics and Trends in Most Cited Crop Yield and Soil Fertility Papers, Class of 2026](https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/crop-yield-and-soil-fertility/2026)

**Paper link:** [10.1038/s41586-024-07669-6](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07669-6)

## Topics

Maize · smart-canopy architecture · Plant density · yield enhancement · canopy structure · leaf angle · light interception · photosynthetic efficiency · plant architecture · density tolerance

## Cite this ranking

```
Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Crop Yield and Soil Fertility Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/crop-yield-and-soil-fertility/2026. Accessed 2026-07-21.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459
```