BREEDING SHORT-TO-FULL SEASON MULTIPLE STRESS TOLERANT CORN

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: TERMINATED
• Funding Source: HATCH
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 1008940
• Project No.: TEX0-1-8611
• Project Start Date: Jan 11, 2016
• Project End Date: Dec 4, 2020

Project Director
Xu, W.

Recipient Organization
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
750 AGRONOMY RD STE 2701
COLLEGE STATION,TX 77843-0001

Performing Department
Lubbock-TAMU Agr Res Cntr

Non Technical Summary
Corn is the most important summer crop in the U.S. and second only to cotton in gross income in Texas. Drought, heat, aflatoxins, corn earworm and spider mite are major constraints for corn production in Texas and many parts of the world. Frequent drought and heat stress causes significant yield loss and destabilizes crop production. The Texas High Plains has one million acres of irrigated corn and produces the majority of grain and silage corn in Texas. The huge livestock and dairy industries in this region post a high demand for corn grain and silage production in the state. Irrigation is the largest input factor in feasible and sustained corn production within the Texas High Plains. Drought stress is prone in the rain-fed regions of the state. Currently, predominant corn hybrids grown in the Texas have a relative maturity of 115 days. Although these hybrids can yield 300 bu/ac, the declining Ogallala Aquifer water level and increasing pumping restrictions by the ground-water districts for crop production cannot sustain the current yield level. Thus, drought-tolerant hybrids are critical to sustain corn production in Texas, and shorter-season corn is one genetic approach to meet the forecasted reduction of irrigation. Breeding corn for drought tolerance and overall adaptation to Texas environments is the core objective of this project.Aflatoxin contamination of corn, caused by A. flavus, is a chronic problem in the southern states where a hot and dry environment favors aflatoxin production (Payne, 1992). A recent association study has confirmed previously reported QTLs and identified new makers associated to aflatoxin (Warburton et al., 2013, 2014). Insects can exacerbate aflatoxin levels in corn. The natural population of corn earworm (CEW) is high and very active in Texas and southern states due to widespread host plants (cotton, corn, sorghum, and spring weeds), mild winters, and 5-6 generations per year. The insect causes a significant loss in yield and grain quality and a great increase in aflatoxin contamination. In collaboration with Drs. Ni and Brewer, we infested corn plants with larvae of CEW and fall army worm and confirmed insect resistance in our inbred lines (Farias et al., 2014; Ni et al. 2012, 2014a, and 2014b). W In addition, spider mites can cause serious damage to corn plants in the High Plains. Periods of hot dry weather favor rapid mite population increase in conjunction with accumulation of aflatoxins in corn grains. Therefore, we believe that to effectively reduce aflatoxin risk in corn, we should improve drought and heat tolerance, and insect resistance in addition to incorporating direct kernel resistance into Texas corn germplasm.Development of a multiple stress-tolerant crop via selection of native genes, incorporation of transgenes, or both, requires efficient selection tools. Effective selection depends on accurate evaluation of the traits. Drought tolerance in crop plants is a complex trait. Its evaluation depends on the timing, intensity, and duration of drought stress. Our corn breeding program has focused on exploring native genes, established a drought tolerance screening protocol in the field in West Texas, and developed a number of drought tolerant corn lines and hybrids. Drought resistant corn genotypes show short anthesis-silking interval (Byrne et al., 1995), and maintain higher leaf water and leaf turgor potential due to deeper root systems. We determined that root characters and hydraulic lift (a process of water movement from relatively moist to dry soil layers using plant root systems as a conduit) play an important role in hybrid drought tolerance (Wan et al; 2000). Understanding genetic and physiological mechanisms of drought tolerance and establishing molecular breeding procedures for target traits (drought and heat tolerance, aflatoxin and others) can help the public and private breeders using our germplasm to move the traits/genes quickly into elite germplasm. Discovering the traits contributing to drought tolerance in these lines and hybrids and understanding the physiological and molecular basis of these traits is the second goal of this project. A number of our lines have been licensed to seed companies.Significant progress has been made by the Texas A&M AgriLife Research-Lubbock corn breeding program. Our inbred lines are currently used as a parent in commercial hybrids in the U.S and have been generating royalties since 2012. Two companies are currently utilizing our lines and hybrids in their commercial hybrids and paying royalty to Texas A&M AgriLife. In 2014 we signed new Material Evaluation Agreements with three seed companies for evaluating our new lines and hybrids for commercialization.The unique characteristics of the lines and germplasm developed from our breeding program include that they are derived from crosses between the exotic germplasm (tropical, subtropical, and wild species) and U.S. temperate corn. Tropical germplasm and wild species represent vast gene pools for continued corn improvement. Our program has been an active cooperator in the USDA-ARS Germplasm Enhancement of Maize (GEM) project. The GEM breeding crosses were made between the best tropical populations identified by the Latin American Maize Project and elite temperate lines. These crosses harbor superior genes for improving pest resistance and broadening the genetic basis of commercial hybrids (Xu et al., 2003) and serve as an important source of germplasm for our breeding program.Our team has managed and conducted the state silage corn performance tests in the Texas High Plains (Etter and Halfway) since 2007 and has produced high quality comparison data. These tests have helped seed companies bring the best hybrids to Texas and assisted consultants and producers in choosing the best hybrids. Working closely with the seed industry and producers is paramount for transferring the technologies developed by our program.

Animal Health Component

0%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

25%

Applied

50%

Developmental

25%

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
202	1510	1081	100%

Knowledge Area
202 - Plant Genetic Resources;

Subject Of Investigation
1510 - Corn;

Field Of Science
1081 - Breeding;

Keywords

corn

maize

drought tolerance

aflatoxin

germplasm enhancement

insect resistance

food safety

Goals / Objectives
In the next five years, we plan to continue our efforts to breed multiple-stress tolerant corn by conducting experiments in multiple locations in Texas. Specific objectives include:(1) Develop short- to full-season corn germplasm with multiple stress tolerance (primarily drought, heat, corn earworm, and aflatoxin) for feed, food, and/or silage; and(2) Identify traits and genes associated with adaptation, drought tolerance and heat tolerance.

Project Methods
We will accomplish these goals by using conventional and molecular breeding methods and by working closely with a multi-disciplinary team. We will maintain a strong collaboration with seed companies and corn producers to facilitate the technology transfer.Approach for Objective 1: The breeding populations for developing inbred lines will be created from the crosses of the elite temperate lines with tropical or subtropical germplasm and with the wild species teosinte. Breeding crosses will also be obtained from the USDA GEM project. Before and during line development, the source germplasm (lines, crosses, and populations) will be screened and selected for drought and heat tolerance, pest resistance, yield potential, and/or adaptation to Texas environments. Texas is located in the transition zone between temperate and tropical corn. This unique geographical position simplifies the gene introgression from tropical to temperate germplasm and vice versa. Pedigree selection and backcrossing will be the major breeding methods for inbred line development. The double-haploid method (Geiger and Gordillo 2009) will be integrated into our program. We have licensed a highly efficient haploid inducer.Advanced breeding lines will be crossed with public lines and licensed industry testers to produce testcrosses for yield and combining ability. Use of industry lines will help the seed industry to use our products and also allow us to include the transgenic traits in the testcrosses. The inbred lines and testcrosses will be evaluated for drought and heat tolerance, insect resistance, yield (grain or silage), and overall agronomic performance in multiple locations in Texas and other states.Drought and heat tolerance evaluation will be conducted primarily in field conditions. We have established two fields with subsurface drip irrigation at Lubbock and Halfway. These systems can supply a uniform amount of water and assist in controlling the progress of drought stress. Usually we will have three water treatments in the same field: full-irrigation, vegetative- and reproductive drought stress. Selection criteria will include plant recovery, stay-green, anthesis-silking interval, percent barren plants, seed set, grain mold, yield and other ratings. Heat tolerance will be based on leaf firing and tassel blasting in the plants grown under well-irrigated conditions in Lubbock and Halfway, TX when the air temperatures are 100oF or higher.Grain yield trials will be conducted in Lubbock, Halfway, Bushland, Corpus Christi, College Station, Ganado, Uvalde, and Weslaco. Silage yield trials will be conducted in the Texas High Plains. We will also continue to manage and conduct state silage corn performance trials at Bushland and Halfway to provide producers with timely and unbiased performance data for choosing suitable hybrids. We have the necessary field equipment such as plot planter, a four-row John Deer 4435 combine equipped a Harvest Master twin-plot high capacity GrainGage weighing system and a John Deere 5200 small-plot silage chopper equipped with a Hagie silage plot weighing system.Aflatoxin will be assayed on grains from inoculated plots. Inoculation will be done in Lubbock and Corpus Christi, TX by injecting A. flavus conidia solution into ears 10 days after silking or by distributing corn kernels colonized by a high aflatoxin-producing isolate of A. flavus between rows of each plot when the first hybrids are at mid-milk stage to provide uniform aerial inoculum for infection. Data will be recorded on a series of agronomic traits. Ten inoculated ears per plot will be hand-harvested, rated for grain mold by visually estimating an average percentage of moldy kernels, and scored for insect feeding as described by Widstrom (1967). Ears will be shelled for grain yield and moisture. Grain samples will be collected, ground, and assayed for Aflatoxin B1. Additional field trials will be conducted through the Southeastern Regional Aflatoxin Testing (SERAT) network (Tifton, GA; Mississippi State, MS; Raleigh, NC; College Station and Weslaco, TX).Heavy natural CEW populations occur in Lubbock, TX from May to August. Screening for CEW resistance will be done under natural infestation by following the procedure described previously (Xu et al., 2003). Husk coverage rating will be visually scored at the soft dough stage using a 0 to 5 scale (Wiseman and Isenhour, 1990). Additional field evaluation will be conducted by Dr. Xinzhi Ni in the field in Tifton, GA.Approach for Objective 2: The ultimate goal is to understand the genetic and physiological mechanisms of drought and heat tolerance and to explore new laboratory tools for selecting drought and heat tolerance. We have generated a double-haploid line population for mapping drought tolerance genes. In collaboration with Drs. Junping Chen and Hongbin Zhang, we are identifying genes and metabolites that may express differentially under well-watered and drought conditions. In collaboration with the key maize aflatoxin researchers (Drs. Warburton, Williams, and Murray), we are identifying new QTLs and SNP markers and confirming previously reported QTLs associated with aflatoxin resistance. As a Co-PI of the USDA-NIFA funded project, we are conducting both field and laboratory experiments to (1) phenotypically, genetically, and ecologically characterize genomic loci limiting the adaptation of tropical maize to temperate environments to enhance breeding speed and progress; and 2) increase knowledge about the genetic basis of response to artificial selection that is fundamental to plant breeding and has allowed for the widespread adaptation and improvement of crop species (Teixeira et al., 2014). Working with a group of corn breeders and geneticists in the United States, we started a project called G2F to fully understand the genotype by phenotype interaction. The PI is actively involved in this project.

Progress 01/11/16 to 12/04/20

Outputs
Target Audience:Seed industry, corn producers, Ag consultants, policy makers for improving rural life and food production. Research products and information were made available to the audience through professional and technical publications in journals,internet, and special publications; and through presentations at society meetings, field days, and workshops. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Students working on this project receive training and research experience in corn genetics and breeding for drought and heat tolerence, insectresistance, germplasm enhancement, and water management. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?New products and findings were shown at field days; disseminated through technical publications, refererred journal papers,and websites; and presented at regional and professional meetings. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Working with a Texas seed company, our corn inbred line has been used as a parent to develop three new stress-tolerant and aflatoxin resistant hybrids in 2020 and these hybrids are used in commercial corn production in the Texas and southern U.S. This is after the commercialization of our first generation of drought tolerant and aflatoxin resistant corn in in 2012. These hybrids can significantly reduce the economic losses from the preharvest aflatoxin contamination and contribute the water conservation. Collaborating with Drs. Gary Odvody, Tom Isakeit, and Jordan bell, we identified the factors contributing to the widespread occurrence of fumonisin in Texas High Plains and provided solutions (including new fumonisin-resistant lines and hybrids) to reduce the risk of fumonisin contamination in the future. Developed new heat/drought tolerant short-season corn that can help to sustain corn production in the water-limited High Plains. Developed new corn lines and hybrids such as Hi-A and strong natural resistance to fall armyworm, that can provide high anthocyanin and antioxidants and control the insects that causes billions of dollars damages to worldwide corn production.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Meiping Zhang, Yanru Cui, Yun-Hua Liu, Wenwei Xu, Sing-Hoi Sze, Seth Murray, Shizhong Xu, Hong-Bin Zhang. 2020. Accurate prediction of maize grain yield using its contributing genes for gene-based breeding. Genomics 112:225-236.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Sushil Thapa, Qingwu Xue, Thomas Marek, Wenwei Xu, Dana Porter, Kirk E. Jessup. 2020. Corn production under restricted irrigation in the Texas High Plains. Agronomy Journal 112:1190-1200.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Bridget A McFarland, Naser AlKhalifah, Martin Bohn, Jessica Bubert, Edward S Buckler, Ignacio Ciampitti, Jode Edwards, David Ertl, Joseph L Gage, Celeste M Falcon, Sherry Flint-Garcia, Michael A Gore, Christopher Graham, Candice N Hirsch, James B Holland, Elizabeth Hood, David Hooker, Diego Jarquin, Shawn M Kaeppler, Joseph Knoll, Greg Kruger, Nick Lauter, Elizabeth C Lee, Dayane C Lima, Aaron Lorenz, Jonathan P Lynch, John McKay, Nathan D Miller, Stephen P Moose, Seth C Murray, Rebecca Nelson, Christina Poudyal, Torbert Rocheford, Oscar Rodriguez, Maria Cinta Romay, James C Schnable, Patrick S Schnable, Brian Scully, Rajandeep Sekhon, Kevin Silverstein, Maninder Singh, Margaret Smith, Edgar P Spalding, Nathan Springer, Kurt Thelen, Peter Thomison, Mitchell Tuinstra, Jason Wallace, Ramona Walls, David Wills, Randall J Wisser, Wenwei Xu, Cheng-Ting Yeh, Natalia De Leon. 2020. Maize genomes to fields (G2F): 20142017 field seasons: genotype, phenotype, climatic, soil, and inbred ear image datasets. BMC Research Notes, 13(1): 1-6.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Celeste M Falcon, Shawn M Kaeppler, Edgar P Spalding, Nathan D Miller, Nicholas Haase, Naser AlKhalifah, Martin Bohn, Edward S Buckler, Darwin A Campbell, Ignacio Ciampitti, Lisa Coffey, Jode Edwards, David Ertl, Sherry Flint?Garcia, Michael A Gore, Christopher Graham, Candice N Hirsch, James B Holland, Diego Jarqu�n, Joseph Knoll, Nick Lauter, Carolyn J Lawrence?Dill, Elizabeth C Lee, Aaron Lorenz, Jonathan P Lynch, Seth C Murray, Rebecca Nelson, M Cinta Romay, Torbert Rocheford, Patrick S Schnable, Brian Scully, Margaret Smith, Nathan Springer, Mitchell R Tuinstra, Renee Walton, Teclemariam Weldekidan, Randall J Wisser, Wenwei Xu, Natalia de Leon. 2020. Relative utility of agronomic, phenological, and morphological traits for assessing genotype?by?environment interaction in maize inbreds. Crop Science 60:62-81.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Meiping Zhang, Yun-Hua Liu, Wenwei Xu, C Wayne Smith, Seth C Murray, Hong-Bin Zhang. 2020. Analysis of the genes controlling three quantitative traits in three diverse plant species reveals the molecular basis of quantitative traits. Scientific Reports. 10(1)1-14.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Sushil Thapa, Qingwu Xue, Thomas H Marek, Wenwei Xu, Dana Porter, Kirk E Jessup. 2020. Corn production under restricted irrigation in the Texas High Plains. Agronomy Journal 112(2):1190-1200. Mapping Quantitative Trait Loci Associated With Resistance to Aflatoxin Accumulation in Maize Inbred Mp719. Frontiers in Microbiology. 11
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Erika D Womack, W Paul Williams, Gary L Windham, Wenwei Xu. 2020. Mapping Quantitative Trait Loci Associated With Resistance to Aflatoxin Accumulation in Maize Inbred Mp719. Frontiers in Microbiology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2020.00045.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Barbara A Methe, David Hiltbrand, Jeffrey Roach, Wenwei Xu, Stuart G Gordon, Brad W Goodner, Ann E Stapleton. 2020. Functional gene categories differentiate maize leaf drought-related microbial epiphytic communities. BioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/104331 (page 1-14).
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Wenwei Xu, Chad Clark, Morgan Molsbee, Trevor Johnson, Thomas Marek, Jourdan M. Bell, and Katrina Horn. 2020. 2020 State Silage Corn Performance Test on the Texas High Plains. Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension-Lubbock Center Technical Report No. 20-4. Pages 1-5.

Progress 10/01/18 to 09/30/19

Outputs
Target Audience:Seed industry, corn producers, Ag consultants, policy makers for improving rural life and food production. Research products and information were made available to the audience through professional and technical publications in journals,internet, and special publications; and through presentations at society meetings, field days, and workshops. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project currently has two Ph.D. students, one post-doc research associate, and four undergraduate research assistants. They receive training and research experience in corn genetics and breeding for drought and heat tolerence, insectresistance, germplasm enhancement, and water management. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?New products and findings were shown at field days; disseminated through technical publications, refererred journal papers,and websites; and presented at regional and professional meetings. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Characterize and release inbred lines with unique traits, transfer the technologies developed from this project to seedindustry, collaborate with scientists in public and private sectors to find genetic and management solutions that limit corn production in Texas and the Southern states.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Our drought and aflatoxin resistant inbred lines and their hybrids have been licensed to seed companies and used in commercial production in the southern U.S. and other countries. These hybrids have excellent yield and low aflatoxin. Since the commercialization, the aflatoxin contamination in producer's fields has been much lower as reported by Texas State Chemist's Office. In 2019, we disclosed filed IP disclosures for 14 new inbred lines. These lines are being evaluated for potential commercialization in the United States and Argentina. Our new heat/drought tolerant short-season corn inbred and hybrids (95-105 days) are licensed to seed companies. These new products provide a new option for sustainable and profitable corn production with limited irrigation. Our team has managed and conducted the state silage corn performance tests in the Texas High Plains and has produced high quality comparison data. These tests have helped seed companies to bring the best hybrids in Texas and assisted the consultants and producers in choosing the best hybrids. We provide employment and training opportunities for eight undergraduate students, the future players in agriculture.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Baozhen Hao; Qingwu Xue; Thomas H Marek; Kirk E Jessup; Jacob D. Becker; Xiaobo Hou; Wenwei Xu; Edsel D. Bynum; Brent W Bean; Paul D. Colaizzi; Terry A Howell.2019. Grain Yield, Evapotranspiration, and Water Use Efficiency of Maize Hybrids Differing in Drought Tolerance. Irrigation Science 37:25-34.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Murray, S.C., K. Mayfield, J. Pekar, P. Brown, A. Lorenz, T. Isakeit, G. Odvody, W. Xu, J. Betran. 2019. Tx741, Tx775, Tx777, Tx779, Tx780 and Tx782 inbred maize lines for yield and southern US stress adaptation. Journal of Plant Registration (doi:10.3198/jpr2017.07.0044crp).
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Meiping Zhang, Yanru Cui, Yun-Hua Liu, Wenwei Xu, Sing-Hoi Sze, Seth Murray, Shizhong Xu, and Hong-Bin Zhang. 2019. Accurate prediction of maize grain yield using its contributing genes for gene-based breeding. Genomics https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ygeno.2019.02.001.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Pekar J.J, Murray SC, Isakeit TS, Scully B, Guo B, Knoll JE, Ni X, Abbas HK, Williams WP, and Xu, W. 2019. Evaluation of elite maize inbred lines for reduced Aspergillus flavus infection, aflatoxin accumulation, and agronomic traits. Crop Sci. 59:25622571.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Jin Zhao, Qingwu Xue, Baozhen Hao, Thomas H. Marek, Kirk E. Jessup, Wenwei Xu, Brent W. Bean and Paul D. Colaizzi. 2019. Yield determination of maize hybrids under limited irrigation. Journal of Crop Improvement 33 (3): https://doi.org/10.1080/15427528.2019.1606129.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Randall J. Wisser, Zhou Fang, James B. Holland, Juliana E. C. Teixeira, John Dougherty, Teclemariam Weldekidan, Natalia de Leon, Sherry Flint-Garcia, Nick Lauter, Seth C. Murray, Wenwei Xu, and Arnel Hallauer. 2019. Genomic Basis for Short-Term Evolution of Environmental Adaptation in Maize. Genetics 213:1-16.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: J. Spencer Smith, W. Paul Williams, Gary L. Windham, Wenwei Xu, Marilyn L. Warburton, Dinakar Bhattramakki. 2019. Identification of quantitative trait loci contributing resistance to aflatoxin accumulation in maize inbred Mp715. Molecular Breeding 2019:39-91. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11032-019-0997-0.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Wenwei Xu, Mathew Jones, Cody Vavra, Thomas Marek, and Jourdan M. Bell. 2019. 2019. State Silage Corn Performance Test on the Texas High Plains. Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension-Lubbock Center Technical Report No.19-4. Pages 1-6.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Cody J. Vavra, Brendan Kelly, Matt Jones, Thomas Marek, Wenwei Xu. 2019 Development and Characterization of hardy cob corn inbred lines. ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meeting. Nov.10-13, 2019. San Antonio, Tx
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Celeste M. Falcon, Shawn M. Kaeppler, Edgar P. Spalding, Nathan D. Miller, Nicholas Hasse, Naser AlKhaifah, Martin Bohn, Edward S. Buckler, Darwin A. Campbell, Ignacio Ciampitti, Lisa Coffey, Jode Edwards, David Ertl, Sherry Flint-Gacia, Michael A. Gore, Christopher Graham, Candice N. Hirsch, James B. Holland, Diego Jarqu�n, Joseph Knoll, Nick Lauter, Carolyn J. Lawrence-Dill, Elizabeth C. Lee, Aaron Lorenz, Jonathan P. Lunch, Seth C. Murray, Rebecca Nelson, Cinta M. Romay, Torbert Rocheford, Patrick S. Schnable, Brian Scully, Margaret Smith, Nathan Springer, Mitch Tuinstra, Renee Walton, Teclemariam Weldekidan, Randall J. Wisser, Wenwei Xu, Nathalia de Leon. 2019. Relatve utility of agronomic, phenological, and morphological traits for assessing genotype-by-environment interaction in maize inbreds. Crop Sci. https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.20035.

Progress 10/01/17 to 09/30/18

Outputs
Target Audience:Seed industry, corn producers, Ag consultants, policy makers for improving rural life and food production. Research products and information were made available to the audience through professional and technical publications in journals, internet, and special publications; and through presentations at society meetings, field days, and workshops. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project currently has two Ph.D. students, one post-doc research associate, and four undergraduate research assistants. They receive training and research experience in corn genetics and breeding for drought and heat tolerence, insect resistance, germplasm enhancement, and water management. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?New products and findings were shown at field days; disseminated through technical publications, refererred journal papers, and websites; and presented at regional and professional meetings. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Characterize and release inbred lines with unique traits, transfer the technologies developed from this project to seed industry, collaborate with scientists in public and private sectors to find genetic and management solutions that limit corn production in Texas and the Southern states.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Our drought and aflatoxin resistant inbred lines and their hybrids have been licensed to seed companies and used in commercial production in the southern U.S. since 2012, and are being tested for commercial production Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, China, Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand, and Uruguay. These hybrids have excellent yield and low aflatoxin. Since the commercialization, the aflatoxin contamination in producers fields has been much lower as reported by e Texas State Chemist's Office. These lines have generated significant royalty. Our new heat/drought tolerant short-season corn inbred and hybrids (95-105 days) are licensed to seed companies. These new products provide a new option for sustainable and profitable corn production with limited irrigation. Our team has managed and conducted the state silage corn performance tests in the Texas High Plains and has produced high quality comparison data. These tests have helped seed companies to bring the best hybrids in Texas and assisted the consultants and producers in choosing the best hybrids. We provide employment and training opportunities for eight undergraduate students, the future players in agriculture.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Hao, B., Q. Xue, T. Marek, K. Jessup, X. Hou, W..Xu, E. Bynum, B. Bean, P. Colaizzi, and T. Howell. 2019. Grain yield, evapotranspiration, and water use efficiency of maize hybrids differing in drought tolerance. Irrigation Science 37(1):25-34.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Xue, Q., T. H. Marek, W. Xu, and J. Bell. 2017. Irrigated corn production and management in the Texas High Plains. J. Contemporary Water Research & Education 162: 31-41.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Marilyn L. Warburton, Erika D. Womack, J. Spencer Smith, Juliet D. Tang, Adam Thrash, Wenwei Xu, Seth C. Murray, and W. Paul Williams. 2017. Genome-wide association and metabolic pathway analysis of corn earworm resistance in maize. The Plant Genome 11:170069 (http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.3835/plantgenome2017.08.0069.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Jin Zhao, Qingwu Xue, Kirk E. Jessup, Baozhen Hao, Xiaobo Hou, Thomas H. Marek, Wenwei Xu, Steven R. Evett, Susan A. OShaughnessy, David K. Brauer. 2018. Yield and water use of drought-tolerant maize hybrids in a semiarid environment. Field Crops Research 216:1-9.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Jin Zhao, Qingwu Xue, Kirk E. Jessup, Xiaobo Hou, Baozhen Hao, Thomas H. Marek, Wenwei Xu, Steven R. Evett, Susan A. OShaughnessy, David K. Brauer. 2018. Shoot and root traits in drought tolerant maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids. Journal of Integrative Agriculture 17(5):1093-1105.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Naser AlKhalifah, Darwin A. Campbel, &, Wenwei Xu, David Ert, Patrick S. Schnable, Natalia De Leon, Edgar P. Spalding, Jode Edwards, and Carolyn J. Lawrence?Dill. 2018. BMC Research Notes. 11:452-456 (https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-018-3508-1).
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Wenwei Xu, Cody Vavra, Thomas Marek, and Jourdan M. Bell. 2018. 2018 State Silage Corn Performance Test on the Texas High Plains. Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension-Lubbock Center Technical Report No.18-3. Pages 1-7.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Wenwei Xu. 2018. Progress and SWOT Analysis of the NCGA/AMCOE-Funded Corn Breeding project for aflatoxin-resistant corn in 2012-2017. Newport Beach Room at the Anaheim Marriott, Anaheim CA. February 25, 2018.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Wenwei Xu, Cody Vavra, Thomas Marek, and Gary Odvody. 2018. Development of corn inbred lines Resistant to Fusarium Ear Rots from a Caribbean x temperate Corn Breeding Population. ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meeting. Nov. 4-7, 2018. Baltimore, MD. ct. 22-25, Tampa, FL, USA.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: J.E. Woodward, M.L. Cartwright, and W. Xu. 2018. Fumonisin levels in corn from the Texas High Plains as influenced by harvest date and kernel damage. International Congress of Plant Pathology (ICPP) 2018: Plant Health in A Global Economy. July 29-August 3, 2018. Boston, MA.

Progress 10/01/16 to 09/30/17

Outputs
Target Audience:Seed industry, corn producers, Ag consultants, policy makers for improving rural life and food production. Research products and information were made available to the audiences through professional and technical publications in journals, internet, and special publications; and through presentations at society meetings, field days, and workshops. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project currently has two Ph.D. students, one M.S. student, one post-doc research associate, and six undergraduate research assistants. They receive training and research experience in corn genetics and breeding for drought and heat tolerance, insect resistance, germplasm enhancement, and water management. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?New products and findings were shown at field days; disseminated through technical publications, referred journal papers,and websites; and present at regional and professional meetings. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Characterize and release inbred lines with unique traits, transfer the technologies developed from this project to seed industry, collaborate with scientists in public and private sectors to find genetic and management solutions that limit corn production in Texas and the Southern states.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Our drought and aflatoxin resistant inbred lines and their hybrids have been licensed to seed companies and used in commercial production in the southern U.S. since 2012. These hybrids have excellent yield and low aflatoxin. Since the commercialization, the aflatoxin contamination in producers fields has been much lower as reported by e Texas State Chemist's Office. These lines have generated significant royalty. Our new heat/drought tolerant short-season corn inbred and hybrids (95-105 days) are licensed to seed companies. These new products provide a new option for sustainable and profitable corn production with limited irrigation. Our team has managed and conducted the state silage corn performance tests in the Texas High Plains and has produced high quality comparison data. These tests have helped seed companies to bring the best hybrids in Texas and assisted the consultants and producers in choosing the best hybrids. We provide employment and training opportunities for eight undergraduate students, the future players in agriculture.

Publications

• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Heather Manching, Michael Dumas, Teclemariam Weldekidan, David Wills, Nttalia de Leon, Sherry Flint-Garcia, Jim Holland, Nick Lauter, Seth Murray, Wenwei Xu, Randall J. Wisser. 2017. Investigating the genetics of selection response for flowering time in a multi-environment parallel Selection experiment. 2017Corn Breeding Research Meeting Abstract, Page 13. March 8-9, 2017. Union Station Hotel, St. Louis, MO.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Randall Wisser, Nick Lauter, Miriam Lopez, Teclemariam Weldekidan, D. Wills, Natalia de Leon, S. Flint-Garcia, J. Holland, S. Murray, and W. Xu. 2017. Use of an Ex-PVP hybrid context to interrogate 84 tropically-sourced introgressions encompassing a temperate-adapted locus in maize. Corn Breeding Research Meeting Abstract, Page 17. March 8-9, 2017. Union Station Hotel, St. Louis, MO.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Xue, Q., T. Marek, W. Xu, and J. Bell. 2017. Corn Management in the Texas High Plains. Proceedings of 2017 UCOWR/NIWR Annual Conference, June 13-15, Fort Collins, CO.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: 7. Zhao, J., Q. Xue, K. E. Jessup, T. Marek, W. Xu, J. M. Bell, and S. Thapa. 2017. Leaf Development and Growth in Maize Hybrids Differing in Drought Tolerance. ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meeting. Oct. 22-25, Tampa, FL, USA.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Joseph Gage, Diego Jarquin, Maria Romay, Aaron Lorenz, Edward Buckler, Shawn Kaeppler, Naser Alkhalifah, Martin Bohn, Darwin Campbell, Jode Edwards, David Ertl, Sherry Flint-Garcia, Jack Gardiner, Byron Good, Candice Hirsch, James Holland, David Hooker, Joseph Knoll, Judith Kolkman, Greg Kruger, Nick Lauter, Carolyn Lawrence-Dill, Elizabeth Lee, Jonathan Lynch, Seth Murray, Rebecca Nelson, Jane Petzoldt, Torbert Rocheford, James Schnable, Patrick Schnable, Brian Scully, Margaret Smith, Nathan Springer, Srikant Srinivasan, Renee Walton, Teclemariam Weldekidan, Randall Wisser, Wenwei Xu, Jianming Yu, and Natalia de Leon. 2017. Nature Communications 8:1-11 [DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01450-2].
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Jin Zhao, Qingwu Xue, Kirk E. Jessup, Baozhen Hao, Xiaobo Hou, Thomas H. Marek, Wenwei Xu, Steven R. Evett, Susan A. OShaughnessy, David K. Brauer. 2017. Yield and water use of drought-tolerant maize hybrids in a semiarid environment. Field Crops Research (accepted).
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Marilyn L. Warburton, Erika D. Womack, J. Spencer Smith, Juliet D. Tang, Adam Thrash, Wenwei Xu, Seth C. Murray, and W. Paul Williams. 2017. Genome-wide association and metabolic pathway analysis of corn earworm resistance in maize. The Plant Genome (accepted).
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Jin Zhao, Qingwu Xue, Kirk E. Jessup, Xiaobo Hou, Baozhen Hao, Thomas H. Marek, Wenwei Xu, Steven R. Evett, Susan A. OShaughnessy, David K. Brauer. 2017. Shoot and root traits in drought tolerant maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids. Journal of Integrative Agriculture (accepted).
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Xue, Q., T. H. Marek, W. Xu, and J. Bell. 2017. Irrigated corn production and management in the Texas High Plains. J. Contemporary Water Research & Education. (Accepted).
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Marilyn L. Warburton, John Derera, Dan Makumbi, Abebe Menkir, Rebecca Nelson, B.M. Prasanna, Afolabi Samson, Monica Schmidt, Kiran Sharma, Elliot Tembo, and Wenwei Xu. 2017. Genetic resistance to Aspergillus flavus and aflatoxin accumulation in maize. A white paper from the Opportunities for Reduction of Aflatoxin Contamination of Food at The Banbury Center, Lloyd Harbor, New York, July 9-12, 201
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Wenwei Xu, Cody Vavra, Amol Nankar, Thomas Marek, and Jourdan M. Bell. 2017. 2017 State Silage Corn Performance Test on the Texas High Plains. Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension-Lubbock Center Technical Report No.17-2. Pages 1-7.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Murray, S.C., K. Mayfield, J. Pekar, P. Brown, A. Lorenz, T. Isakeit, G. Odvody, W. Xu, J. Betran. 2017. Tx741, Tx775, Tx777, Tx779, Tx780 and Tx782 inbred maize lines for yield and southern US stress adaptation. Journal of Plant Registration (accepted).
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Submitted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Meiping Zhang, Yanru Cui, Yun-Hua Liu, Wenwei Xu, Sing-Hoi Sze, Shizhong Xu, and Hong-Bin Zhang. 2016. Gene-based Breeding, A New Method That Will Boost the Ability and Efficiency of Grain Yield Breeding in Maize. Nature Biotechnology (submitted)
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Submitted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Hao, B., Q. Xue, T. Marek, K. Jessup, X. Hou, W..Xu, E. Bynum, B. Bean, P. Colaizzi, and T. Howell. 2017. Grain yield, evapotranspiration, and water use efficiency of maize hybrids differing in drought tolerance. Irrigation Science (submitted).
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Daran Rudnick, Suat Irmak, Chittaranjan Ray, Joel Schneekloth, Meagan Schipanski, Isaya Kisekka, Alan Schlegel, Jonathan Aguilar, Danny Rogers, Donna Mitchell, Chuck West, Thomas Marek, Qingwu Xue, Wenwei Xu, and Dana Porter. 2017. Deficit Irrigation Management of Corn in the High Plains: A Review. Proceedings of the 29th Annual Central Plains Irrigation Conference, Burlington, Colorado, Feb. 21-22, 2017. Available from CPIA, 760 N. Thompson, Colby, Kansas.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Wenwei Xu. Breeding for drought tolerance in maize. 2017. Abiotic stress workshop at Plant and Animal Genome XXV Conference. San Diego, CA. January 14-18, 2017.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Cody Vavra, Amol Nankar, Brendan Kelly, and Wenwei Xu. 2017. A high-throughput method for measuring cob structure and the correlation of chemical composition with compression strength. 2017Corn Breeding Research Meeting Abstract, Page 10. March 8-9, 2017. Union Station Hotel, St. Louis, MO.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Cody Vavra, Amol Nankar, Brendan Kelly, Chris Rock, Thomas Marek, and Wenwei Xu. 2017. Characterization of cob structural integrity, image analysis, and biochemical composition of corn hybrids. Poster 148-511. ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meeting. Oct. 22-25, Tampa, FL, USA.

Progress 01/11/16 to 09/30/16

Outputs
Target Audience:Seed industry, corn producers, Ag consultants, policy makers for improving rural life and food production. Research products and information were made available to the audiences through professional and technical publications injournals, internet, and special publications; and through presentations at society meetings, field days, and workshops. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project currently has two Ph.D. students, one M.S. student, one post-doc research associate, and six undergraduate research assistants. They receive training and research experience in corn genetics and breeding for drought and heat tolerance, insect resistance, germplasm enhancement, and water management. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?New products and findings were shown at field days; disseminated through technical publications, referred journal papers,and websites; and present at regional and professional meetings. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Characterize and release inbred lines with unique traits, transfer the technologies developed from this project to seed industry, collaborate with scientists in public and private sectors to find genetic and management solutions that limit corn production in Texas and the Southern states.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Our drought and aflatoxin resistant inbred lines and their hybrids have been licensed to seed companies and used in commercial production in the southern U.S. since 2012. These hybrids have excellent yield and low aflatoxin. These lines have generated significant royalty. Our new heat/drought tolerant short-season corn inbred and hybrids (95-105 days) are licensed to seed companies. These new products provide a new option for sustainable and profitable corn production with limited irrigation. Our team has managed and conducted the state silage corn performance tests in the Texas High Plains and has produced high quality comparison data. These tests have helped seed companies to bring the best hybrids in Texas and assisted the consultants and producers in choosing the best hybrids. We provide employment and training opportunities for eight undergraduate students, the future players in agriculture.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Hao, B. Q. Xue, T. H. Marek, K. E. Jessup, J. Becker, X. Hou, W. Xu, E. D. Bynum, and B. W. Bean, P. D. Colaizzi, and T. A. Howell 2015. Water use and grain yield in drought-tolerant corn in the Texas High Plains. Agronomy Journal 107: 1922-1930.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Hao, B. Q. Xue, T. H. Marek, K. E. Jessup, X. Hou, W. Xu, E. D. Bynum, and B. W. Bean. 2016. Radiation use efficiency, biomass production, and grain yield in two maize hybrids differing in drought tolerance. Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science 202:269-280.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Judy A. Tolk, Steven R. Evett, Wenwei Xu, Robert C. Schwartz. 2016. Constraints on water use efficiency of drought tolerant maize grown in a semi-arid environment. Field Crop Research 186:66-77.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Xuejun Dong, Wenwei Xu, Yongjiang Zhang, and Daniel Leskovar. 2016. Effect of irrigation timing on root zone soil temperature, root growth and yield in corn. Agronomy 6 (2), 34; doi:10.3390/agronomy6020034. 1-10.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Submitted Year Published: 2016 Citation: Barbara A Meth�; Kelvin Li; Stephen P Talley; Neha Gupta; Bryan Frank; Wenwei Xu; Stuart G Gordon; Bradley Goodner; Ann E Stapleton. 2016. Deep Sequencing of the Zea mays Phyllosphere Microbiome Across Field Sites with Nested Drought Treatments. PLOS ONE (submitted).
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Wenwei Xu, Amol Nankar, Thomas Marek, Jourdan M. Bell, and Dennis Pietsch. 2016. 2016 State Silage Corn Performance Test on the Texas High Plains. Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension-Lubbock Center Technical Report No.16-4. Pages 1-6.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Wenwei Xu, Zhizhai Liu, Thomas Marek, and Gary Odvody. 2016. Use of native genes to improve drought tolerance and insect resistance in corn. 2016 XXV International Congress of Entomology, Orlando, Florida, USA, September 25-30, 2016. doi: 10.1603/ICE.2016.95144.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Xinzhi Ni, Alisa Huffaker, Eric Schmelz, Wenwei Xu, W. Paul Williams. 2016. Developing new maize germplasm lines with insect and disease resistance and reduced aflatoxin contamination. doi: 10.1603/ICE.2016.94055.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Wenwei Xu, Seth Murray, Gary Odvody, Tom Isakeit, Matt Krakowsky, Xinzhi Ni, Paul Williams, Dewey Lee, and Brian Scully. 2016. Breeding aflatoxin resistant corn lines and hybrids through a coordinated breeding and testing effort in the Southern States. 2016 Corn Utilization and Technology Conference, June 6-8, 2016. St. Luois, MO. Page 8. http://www.corntechconf.org/topics.html.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Wahl, Nancy J.; Murray, Seth C.; Isakeit, Thomas; Krakowsky, Matthew D.; Windham, Gary L.; Williams, W. Paul; Guo, Baozhu; Scully, Brian T.; Ni, Xinzhi; Knoll, Joseph; Xu, Wenwei. 2016. Identification of Aflatoxin Resistance and High Yield Potential in Maize Hybrids in the Southeast Regional Aflatoxin Trials (SERAT). Page 225 in 58th Annual Maize Genetics Conference Abstract, March 17  March 20, 2016, Hyatt Regency, Jacksonville, Florida.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Manching, Heather K; Dumas, Michael; Sengupta, Subhajit; Ji, Yuan; de Leon, Natalia; FlintGarcia, Sherry; Holland, Jim; Lauter, Nicholas; Murray, Seth; Xu, Wenwei; Wisser, Randall J. 2016. Investigating the genetic basis of parallel response to selection for early flowering time in the TropicS. Poster 306. Page 231 in 58th Annual Maize Genetics Conference Abstract, March 17  March 20, 2016, Hyatt Regency, Jacksonville, Florida.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Zhao, J., Q. Xue, X. Hou, B. Hao, K.E. Jessup, T.H. Marek, W. Xu, S.R. Evett, and D.K. Brauer. 2016. Rooting Characters in Drought Tolerant Corn. ASA-CSSA-SSSA, 2016 International Annual Meetings, November 6-9, 2016, Phoenix, AZ.