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Title: EVALUATION OF MAIZE BACKCROSS LINES DERIVED FROM GAMAGRASS GERMPLASM

Author
item Maas, David
item DEWALD, CHESTER - RETIRED USDA
item Springer, Timothy

Submitted to: Agronomy Society of America, Crop Science Society of America, Soil Science Society of America Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/25/2003
Publication Date: 10/16/2003
Citation: Maas, D.L., Dewald, C.L., Springer, T.L. 2003. Evaluation of maize backcross lines derived from gamagrass germplasm [abstract]. Agronomy Society of America, Crop Science Society of America, Soil Science Society of America Meeting. CD-ROM CO1-Mass 409763 - poster.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Maize improvement requires hybridizations within the genus and occasionally between distantly related genera for genetic variation. An inter-generic cross between an eastern gamagrass hybrid [Tripsacum dactyloides (L.) L. x T. floridanum (Porter ex Vassey] and a popcorn (Zea mays L.) pollinator produced a single individual with a combined genome. This plant possesses 28 chromosomes; 18 received from gamagrass and 10 from maize. The original F1 hybrid was backcrossed four times with maize lines to produce an individual (BC4) possessing the nuclear genome of maize and extra nuclear genes from Tripsacum ssp. The BC4 line was further backcrossed with 12 separate inbred maize lines. Four advanced lines each of field corn, sweet corn and popcorn were produced for testing. All gamagrass derived maize lines were crossed with commercial inbred lines creating numerous hybrid seed lines. Replicated multi-state testing of the hybrid corn lines in Oklahoma, Indiana, Florida, Kansas, Texas, Nebraska and Missouri provided information on performance within several environments during 2002. Several of the hybrid lines out performed commercial varieties during the 2002 growing season in the Midwest. One hybrid line yielded 13550 kg/ha-1 compared to a commercial variety check line of 12200 kg/ha-1 at Texline, Texas. Harvest results showed a yield of 15090 kg/ha-1 for a separate hybrid in Garden City, Kansas vs. 10535 kg/ha-1 for the standard check.