Maize seedling phenotypic variations under different treatments, including 3 cm seeding depth + 0 mg/L serotonin (5-HT) application (CK(+)), 20 cm seeding depth + 0 mg/L 5-HT application (CK(-)), 20 cm seeding depth + 1.0 mg/L 5-HT application (T1), 20 cm seeding depth + 1.5 mg/L 5-HT application (T2), 20 cm seeding depth + 2.0 mg/L 5-HT application (T3), 20 cm seeding depth + 2.5 mg/L 5-HT application (T4), and 20 cm seeding depth + 3.0 mg/L 5-HT application (T5). (A) Seedling emergence rate. (B) Seedling length. (C) Seedling weight. Different lowercase letters among treatments within single maize line indicate significant differences at p < 0.05.