Germplasm Enhancement of Maize (GEM) Project Overview M. Blanco USDA-ARS PIRU North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station - May 29, G ermplasm E nhancement of M aize

Germplasm Enhancement of Maize (GEM) Project A collaborative effort of public and private sector researchers to broaden and enhance the maize germplasm base. More than 60 collaborators. Two permanent breeding sites: Ames, IA for development of 25% tropical and temperate exotic Raleigh, NC for development of 50% tropical GEM is administered by the USDA-ARS Plant Introduction Research Unit (PIRU) located in Ames, IA; and the Plant Science Research Unit (PSRU) in Raleigh, NC Technical Steering Group (TSG) provides guidelines for research, germplasm, and methods.

G ermplasm Enhancement of Maize GEM Private Cooperators - 27 US and 9 Int’l companies GEM US Private Cooperators: AgReliant Genetics, LLC BASF Plant Science Breeding, L.L.C. Beck's Superior Hybrids, Inc. Benson Seed Research, LLC Brandy Wine Seed Farms, LLC Brodbeck Seeds FFR Cooperative Genetic Enterprises Int'l GDU Inc. Hoegemeyer Enterprises Identity Seed & Grain Co. Illinois Foundation Seeds, Inc. JFS and Associates, LTD MBS Genetics, LLC. Monsanto Company Mycogen Seeds National Starch and Chemical Co. PANNAR Seed Pioneer Hi-Bred Int., Inc. PRIME Farm Seeds, Inc. Professional Seed Research, Inc. G and S Crop Services Schillinger Seeds SEEDirect Syngenta Seeds, Inc. Terrell Seed Research Wyffels Hybrids GEM Int’l Private Cooperators: Semillas Tuniche, Ltda, Chile APEX-AGRI, France Hyland Seeds, Canada Maharlika Genetics, Mexico Nidera, Argentina Nugenplasm, LLC, Indonesia Prosemillas, Peru Seed Asia Co., Ltd. Thailand Sursem SA, Argentina

G ermplasm Enhancement of Maize GEM Public & International Cooperators - 17 Universities, 7 ARS units, 3 Int’l public, and 1 NGO GEM Public Cooperators: Cornell University Iowa State University Louisiana State University North Carolina State University North Dakota State University Ohio State University Texas A&M University Truman State University The University of Delaware The University of Illinois The University of Nebraska The University of Tennessee The University of Wisconsin USDA-ARS: 7 Research Units: CGBRU (GA) CHPRRU (MS) CICGRU (IA) PGRU (MO) PIRU (IA) PSRU (NC) SIMRU (MS) GEM Int’l Public Cooperators: Empresa Brasileira Pesquisa Agropecuaria (EMBRAPA), Brazil Instituto Nacional Tecnologia Agropecuaria (INTA), Argentina The University of Guelph, Canada GEM NGO Cooperator: Michael Fields Agricultural Institute (WI)

G ermplasm Enhancement of Maize Maize Importance & Germplasm Status 93 million acres in US planted in billion bushels harvested in 2007 (>$50 Billion value) Less than 5% of world germplasm diversity is being used Only two races (northern flint x southern dent) evolved to become “Corn Belt Dent” used in the US Between races of maize comprise the germplasm base

G ermplasm Enhancement of Maize GEM Objectives Manage and coordinate a multi-site cooperative program for germplasm evaluation, development, and information sharing Evaluate diverse maize germplasm for adaptation, yield, stress resistance, and key value-added traits (VAT’S) Develop and release enhanced germplasm with key traits Develop innovative means of managing and transferring information to the maize community

G ermplasm Enhancement of Maize GEM Priority Traits Abiotic Stress Tolerance: Drought, heat Stable yield production Reduced level of mycotoxin: Aflatoxin Fumonisin Disease resistance: Anthracnose, Gray leafspot (GLS), leaf blights, ear rots Insect Resistance: Corn rootworm (CRW), earworm, corn borer (multiple insect resistance) Value added grain and silage traits: Protein >13%, oil >5 %, starch >70% Amino acid profile; starch functional properties Ethanol conversion potential of grain and stover Silage yield and nutritional quality

G ermplasm Enhancement of Maize Races of Maize Definition: “A group of related individuals with enough characteristics in common to permit their recognition as a group.” “A group of related individuals with a significant number of genes in common, major races having a smaller number in common than sub-races.” (Anderson and Cutler, 1942)

G ermplasm Enhancement of Maize Countries belonging to the Latin American Maize Project (LAMP) * Mexico Paraguay Peru United States (temperate/tropical) Uruguay (temperate) Venezuela Argentina (temperate) Bolivia Brazil Columbia Chile (temperate) Guatemala * LAMP began in Funded by Pioneer Hi-Bred Int., Inc. >12,000 germplasm accessions evaluated.

G ermplasm Enhancement of Maize Germplasm Selection, Evaluation, Development, & Release Germplasm Pool LAMP Accessions US Lines New Accessions Non-US Lines Make Breeding Crosses Evaluations: BC obs; YT, stress, VAT Line Development Release Adapted Lines Make Top Crosses

G ermplasm Enhancement of Maize GEM Protocol Accession x Private line 1 Winter 1 Plant S 1 ears to make S 2 – Select at 20% intensity Make S 2 topcross to elite tester inbred Yield test 55 S 2 topcrosses per population (derived from 30 populations) x 4 Locations = 1650 hybrids (Accession x Private line 1) x Private line 2 Summer 1 Winter 3 Self 300 plants (S 0 ) – mild selection Winter 2 Summer 3 Summer 2

G ermplasm Enhancement of Maize GEM Protocol – cont’d Make S 3 increase Release of germplasm & information (approx. 10 S 3 lines per year) to GEM cooperators. Public release approx. one year later Yield trial 400 S 3 topcrosses at 8 locations Trait Evaluation – VAT, Stress, disease, & insect Cross 200 S 3 ’s to two testers Summer 4 Summer 5 Winter 4 Winter 6

G ermplasm Enhancement of Maize GEM TR88 Combine

G ermplasm Enhancement of Maize GEM Releases by Country and Races Country# racestotal releases Argentina320 Barbados11 Brazil245 British Virgin Islands11 Chile17 Cuba218 Dominican Republican11 Guatemala17 Mexico225 Peru24 St. Croix22 Thailand140 Uruguay37 USA212 Totals24190

G ermplasm Enhancement of Maize GEM Germplasm Releases Year # Lines ReleasedInstitutionGermplasm Attributes 20011*USDA-ARS AmesResistance to 1st brood ECB (non-DIMBOA) 20022*Univ. of DelawareYield, resistance to anthracnose and GLS **NC State Univ.Yield, earlier flowering, GLS, Fusarium Resistance 20031*Ohio State Univ.Yield, Fusarium resistance 20031Univ. of DelawareVAT USDA-ARS AmesTemperate adaptation, GLS, VAT 20039*NC State Univ.Yield, VAT, GLS USDA-ARS AmesTemperate adaptation, yield, VAT 20042Texas A&M Univ.Stress tolerance, yield, CEW, grain mold resistance 20041Univ. of WisconsinSuperior nutritional quality/yield 20049NC State Univ.Yield, earlier flowering, VAT 20059USDA-ARS AmesTemperate adaptation, yield, VAT 20051Univ. of DelawareHigh protein NC State Univ.Yield, earlier flowering, VAT USDA-ARS AmesYield, VAT 20063NC State Univ.Yield, earlier flowering USDA-ARS AmesProtein, oil, high starch for ethanol NC State Univ.50% exotics; disease resistance 20071*Truman State Univ.Amylose maize VII line (GEMS-0067) USDA-ARS AmesTemperate adaptation, yield, VAT, waxy lines Total190 * Crop Science registered and ** 20 of these 29 lines were Crop Science registered.

G ermplasm Enhancement of Maize Evaluation of lines for aflatoxin accumulation at Mississippi State in 2007 PedigreeppbSignif ( _XL370A_S11_F254_9214_Blk21/00-#) B29 A ( _XL370A_S11_F2S4_3363-Blk03/00-sib)-135 A CUBA117:S B-B-B A /98_DKXL370AN11F2S383 A Mp 313E (Resistant)91 A CUBA117:S B-B-B B NC 300 (Resistant)189 B Mp 717 (Resistant)215 B AR16026:S B-B 234 B SC 212M (Susceptible)7206 F GA 209 (Susceptible)9652 F Mean (40 entries)1,066 CV13.4 Source: Paul Williams, USDA-ARS CHPRRU Indicates resistance to fumonisin also.

G ermplasm Enhancement of Maize Evaluation for Fusarium and Fumonisin at Raleigh, NC in 2007 Source: Jim Holland, USDA-ARS PSRU Pedigree% ear rotppm fumon. BR51675:N B-B-B GEMS MDI022:N B-B-B /98_DKXL370AN11F2S AR16026:S B-B /98_DKXL370AN11F2S GE440 (resistant) NC FR1064 (susceptible) MDI022:N B-B-B Average (76 entries) LSD Indicates resistance to aflatoxin also.

Fusarium Ear Rot Bill Dolezal, Pioneer Hi-Bred Int’l, Woodland, CA (2005) G ermplasm Enhancement of Maize Susceptible LineResistant Line GEMS-0002 Public Release

G ermplasm Enhancement of Maize GEMS-0003 Diplodia Bill Dolezal, Pioneer Hi-Bred Int’l, Johnston, IA (2006)

Aflatoxin of TAES experimental hybrids and check hybrids at Corpus Christi (CC), Beeville (BV) in Texas and in MS in 2005 and 2006 G ermplasm Enhancement of Maize EntryBV05CC05MS05CC06MS06 Mean (ppb)% of CK mean C2A554-1 x B C2A554-1 x LH C3A x B S2B73BC x NC CUBA117:S15)-1A-1 x Tx WQ22W x S1W Tx202 x CML S1W x CML P31B13 (CK1) Garst 8285 (CK2) Triumph 1416 (CK3) DKC66-80 (CK4) CK mean Mean CV% LSD Source: W. Xu, Texas A&M; and P. Williams, USDA-ARS CHPRRU

G ermplasm Enhancement of Maize Insect Resistance Corn Rootworm (CRW) - U. of Illinois and USDA-ARS (MO): Identified sources of resistance from GEM breeding crosses- UR13085, AR17056, and other sources Selection among GEM x GEM derived lines for CRW resistance Synthetics and mapping population being made & inheritance studies Double haploids (DH) being made Southern Insects - USDA-ARS units (GA and MS): Southwestern corn borer (MS) Corn earworm, weevil, stink bugs (GA) 1st year data for resistance of /98 to multiple insects (GA) Further improvement of GEMS-0001 (MS)

GEM x GEM Top Crosses G ermplasm Enhancement of Maize GEMS-0115 x GEMN-0097: 1 st place in 2007 & 2 nd place 2006 GEMS-0113 x GEMN-0097: 10 th place in 2007 & 3 rd place in 2006 HC33 x GEMN-0097: 2 nd place in 2007 & 10 th place in 2006 Exp Exp Exp reps6 reps5 reps PedigreeYieldMoistYMYieldMoistYMYieldMoistYM GEMS-0115 x GEMN GEMS-0113 x GEMN HC33 x GEMN Check Means CV LSD (p=0.05)

G ermplasm Enhancement of Maize GEMS-0115 (DKB844:S ) Country: Mexico Race: Tropical Hybrid Type: 25% Tropical Heterotic Group: Stiff Stalk Protein: 12.7% Oil: 4.0% Starch: 69.0% Density: Other Specialty Traits: Starch Properties Days to Anthesis: 64 Days to Silk: 65 Husk Tightness: 6 Husk Length: Cob Color: Red Cob Length: cm Tassel Angle: 60° Tassel Branches: 8 Plant Height: 153 cm Ear Height: 91 cm

G ermplasm Enhancement of Maize GEMS-0113 (CHIS775:S1911b ) Country: Mexico Race: Tuxpeño Type: 25% Tropical Heterotic Group: Stiff Stalk Protein: 15.8% Oil: 4.3% Starch: 64.9% Density: Other Specialty Traits: Starch Properties & Southern Leaf Blight Resistance Days to Anthesis: 60 Days to Silk: 64 Husk Tightness: 7 Husk Length: 7 Cob Color: Red Cob Length: cm Tassel Angle: 60 ° Tassel Branches: 13 Plant Height: 152 cm Ear Height: 91 cm

G ermplasm Enhancement of Maize GEM Website

G ermplasm Enhancement of Maize GEM Website – Important Key Features: GEM Cooperator List “What’s New” section Yield Trial & Lab VAT Data Public Cooperator Research Reports GEM Releases and Key Traits

G ermplasm Enhancement of Maize GEM Releases & Key Traits

G ermplasm Enhancement of Maize GRIN Website

G ermplasm Enhancement of Maize GRIN Website – Important Key Features: Genetic Resources Information Network Germplasm and valuable information for multiple species Accessions used by GEM are publicly available GEM Public Releases (83 releases to date) step 1: search GRIN step 2: accession area queries step 3: fill in “text search query” box with Zea GEM (83 releases)

G ermplasm Enhancement of Maize New Races for Allelic Diversity

G ermplasm Enhancement of Maize SUMMARY Effective exotic germplasm introgression requires extensive time, resources, the cooperation of multiple research institutions, and coordination of research efforts by multiple scientists of various disciplines to broaden the germplasm base The GEM collaborative network has released 190 lines derived from 24 races originating from 14 countries used in public and private research and breeding programs Released germplasm has provided new sources of resistance to abiotic stress, disease and insect pressures, reduced mycotoxin levels, and VAT’s for grain and silage (protein, AA, oil, starch, ethanol potential) Research generates new knowledge of breeding methods for exotic germplasm (SSD, DH, etc.) and selection procedures

G ermplasm Enhancement of Maize Future Challenges for GEM Develop and expand our acquisition of new genetic resources and make them available to the GEM network Develop non-destructive, high throughput assays to identify favorable key trait phenotypes and associated genetic information. Evaluate, develop, and release adapted lines from ~250 races from allelic diversity effort. Identify new cooperators to support these efforts, and research partnerships to study and utilize allelic diversity from these sources. Develop DH inbred lines from GEM germplasm using multiple haploid generating technologies. Explore success rate of DH’s among racial accessions, and chromosomal segment effects.

G ermplasm Enhancement of Maize Welcome: GEM Field Day (September 18, 2008, Ames, IA)

G ermplasm Enhancement of Maize Acknowledgements USDA-ARS PIRU, Ames, IA Mack Shen, IT Specialist Andy Smelser, Research Technician Fred Engstrom, Research Technician Candice Gardner, Research Leader Mark Millard, Maize Curator Sue Duvick, Lab Manager USDA-ARS PSRU, Raleigh, NC Matt Krakowsky, Southeast GEM Coordinator Dale Dowden, Research Technician David Marshall, Research Leader North Carolina State University Major Goodman, William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor GEM Public and Private Sector Cooperators

Maizing Questions ? G ermplasm Enhancement of Maize