Progress 07/02/03 to 08/31/05
Outputs
4d Progress report. This report serves to document research conducted under a specific cooperative agreement between ARS and the North Dakota State University. Additional details of research can be found in the report of the parent CRIS project 3625-21000-047-00D, "Germplasm Enhancement of Maize Project (GEM)." This project relates to the primary objectives of the parent project which includes the development of enhanced populations and inbreds adapted to the northern Corn Belt-a region planted with maize hybrids having limited genetic diversity. This is the final report of the project that concluded on 8/31/05. We have defined EarlyGEM as the long-term and continuous effort to incorporate GEM elite germplasm into the northern Corn Belt (see Public Cooperator Report presentation Carena, 2002). NDSU has been an active cooperator with the GEM project since 2000 when we identified GEM lines for adaptation to the northern Corn Belt. The program began with the evaluation
of 152 GEM released lines from sets A, B, and C, for fifteen adaptation traits in 2001. The most adapted (based on earliness and agronomic data in Fargo, ND) and top yielding genotypes (based on central Corn Belt GEM trials) were selected and crossed to North Dakota inbred lines ND2000, and experimental ND99-16. Four GEM lines were identified for further backcrossing to develop earliness and adaptability for the northern Corn Belt. Stiff Stalk donors (CUBA117:S1520-388-1-B or GEM3 in our designation, CHIS775:S1911b-B-B or GEM13, CUBA117:S15-372-1 or GEM12, and AR16026:S17-66-1-B or GEM21) were selected. Following selection and discards for lateness, several populations were discarded. Sixty seeds from each BC1:S0 ear were planted in 2004 Fargo breeding nursery. We decided to make a second round of screening for additional BC1:S0 generations obtained with ND2000 as the recurrent parent. Therefore, additional 182 rows with early to intermediate maturity were screened. Rows were
screened for seedling vigor and checked for uniformity. Plants with below average agronomic characteristics were discarded. Ears were hand-harvested in October 2004 and shelling of individual BC1:S1 lines was performed in November 2004. GEM S1 selections were planted across three locations (Fargo, Prosper, and Casselton, ND) for early generation visual selection in 2005. These locations included breeding and disease nurseries. S1 selections are being advanced and S2 seed from top selected S1 selections will be crossed to LH176xLH177 private tester in the 2005-2006 winter nursery. In addition, AR16026:S17-66-1-B or GEM21 lines are being testcrossed to LH176 and a coded Bt commercial tester from Syngenta representing the Iodent heterotic group. First year trials will be conducted across ND locations in 2006. Field Days were held to communicate the use of GEM germplasm to broaden the germplasm base for the northern Corn Belt at several ND locations. The major accomplishment of this
project is that late-temperate and tropical derived maize germplasm are currently adapted to North Dakota based on the efforts involved in this project. This is the first research devoted to germplasm enhancement with tropical material in the northern Corn Belt.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
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Progress 10/01/03 to 09/30/04
Outputs
4. What were the most significant accomplishments this past year? D. Progress Report. This report serves to document research conducted under a specific cooperative agreement between ARS and the North Dakota State University. Additional details of research can be found in the report of the parent project 3625-21000-036-00D- ENHANCING AGRONOMIC AND VALUE-ADDED TRAITS OF CORN GERMPLASM. This project relates to the primary objectives of the parent project which includes the development of enhanced populations and inbreds adapted to the northern corn belt-a region planted with maize hybrids having limited genetic diversity. NDSU has been an active cooperator with the GEM project since 2000, and the objective was initially to evaluate and identify GEM lines for adaptation to the northern Corn Belt. The program began with the evaluation of 152 GEM released lines from sets A, B, and C, for fifteen adaptation traits in 2001. The most adapted (based on earliness and
agronomic data in Fargo, ND) and top yielding genotypes (based on central Corn Belt GEM trials) were selected and crossed to North Dakota inbred lines ND2000, and ND99- 16. As a result of previous year's research in ND, four GEM lines were identified for further backcrossing to develop earliness and adaptability for the northern Corn Belt. Stiff Stalk donors (CUBA117:S1520-388-1-B or GEM3 in our designation, CHIS775:S1911b-B-B or GEM13, CUBA117:S15-372-1 or GEM12, and AR16026:S17-66-1-B or GEM21) were selected. Sixty-two rows were planted in 2003 breeding nursery in order to produce BC1 populations. F1s were planted side by side with the recurrent parent (early adapted ND lines). We have discarded later-flowering plants and harvested each BC1 plant from each cross separately. ND99-16 crosses were discarded since their F1s were at least 5 days later than F1s involving ND2000. Other F1s were discarded based on agronomic deficiencies (poor stands, low seedling vigor under cold stress,
drought stress, lodging, insect and disease susceptibility, height, and relative maturity). GEM13 x ND2000 showed good adaptation based upon its height and flowering time (67 days after planting). However, F1 plants were not uniform and seedling vigor was below average. GEM12 was also discarded based on poor agronomic traits in the hybrids. The range of ears produced per population was 8-26. Sixty seeds from each BC1:S0 ear were planted in 2004 breeding nursery on May 7. We decided to make a second round of screening for additional BC1:S0 generations obtained with ND2000 as the recurrent parent. Therefore, 182 rows are being self-pollinated to obtain 8-10 ears from early and intermediate maturity plants per row. The target is to obtain 100 BC1:S1 ears per population. Rows were screened for seedling vigor, and checked for uniformity. The rows are currently in excellent condition for seed production. We will perform visual selection among backcrosses, and plants having below average
agronomic characteristics will be discarded. Ears will be hand-harvested in September 2004, and about 100 BC1:S1 lines will be crossed to LH176xLH177 private non-stiff stalk tester in the 2004-2005 winter nursery if funds are available. GEM topcrosses (< 90RM) will be evaluated for grain yield, grain moisture at harvest, root lodging, stalk lodging, test weight, and days to flowering at 6 ND environments. GEM trials will be arranged in simple lattice experimental designs. Target planting densities will be 30,000 plants/acre under dry land conditions, and 35,000 plants/acre under irrigated conditions. Based on the results of these trials we will develop later generation families from top breeding populations for evaluation as inbreds. Three ND locations will be used for visual selection including a disease nursery and early and late generation trials will be conducted at the same time to develop the first lines from the NDSU EarlyGEM project. Two Field Days were held in 2004 to
communicate the use of GEM germplasm to broaden the germplasm base for the northern Corn Belt-at Casselton and Minot, ND, on July 12, and July 14 respectively.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
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