NC State and GEM
GEM (Germplasm Enhancement of Maize) has
had a 50%-tropical program at NC State since
1995.
Private programs cross their elite lines to superior,
but unadapted, tropical sources. Families are
developed at NC State, tested cooperatively,
and winners are released to the public via
NCRPIS at Ames.
16,300 yield and disease plots
were coordinated through Raleigh in
2007.
8,300 were planted at 5 NC State
yield trial locations.
400+ plots were grown for GLS disease
ratings at two NC State locations
and one Pioneer location (Andrews,
NC).
Over 300 nursery rows were devoted to Allelic
Diversity, involving accessions outside the core
breeding materials utilized by GEM and most
plant breeding organizations.
These represent new F1 hybrids from about 75
accessions, thanks to Jim Deutsch of Syngenta
and Randy Holley of Pioneer. PHB47 and
PHZ51 were used as ex-PVP parents.
Backcrosses to the ex-PVP lines were made this
summer. About 100 new accessions were sent to
Deutsch and Holley this fall to make new F1s.
The cooperators who make this work possible
include:
Hoegemeyer (Nebraska)
Mycogen (Indiana)
Monsanto - (Georgia, South Carolina)
PANNAR (Indiana)
Pioneer - (Georgia, Indiana, NC, Tenn., W.N.)
Syngenta (Missouri, Texas, W.N.)
Tifton, Georgia - USDA-ARS
University of Delaware
University of Tennessee.
Without them, there would be no program.
ENTRY
DERIVATION
Tester
2410-003/99 7258-03-10-03-B
T1
751-016/02 7451-27-75-16-B
YLD
751-027/02 7451-27-75-27-B
H2O
% EP Source
172.8 18.5
89.4
SCR Gp3 N14
174.0 20.7
92.8
DK888 N11 T8
173.6 20.3
89.1
DK888 N11 T8
791-009/02 7451-27-778-09-B 175.8 19.1
92.5
DK888 N11 T8
Check mean
93.6
176.5 18.3
CV
6.5
10.4
751-027/02 7451-27-75-27-B
183.3 19.4
94.2
DK888 N11 T2
751-037/02 7451-27-75-37-B
178.2 18.5
95.9
DK888 N11 T2
Check mean
177.9 17.5
90.0
T1
CV = LH132.LH195;
12.8
22 Env.
T2 = LH244.LH245;
= FR992.FR1064
12.0 6.9 T8
18.2
8 Env.
ENTRY
2410-003/99
N14
751-016/02
751-027/02
YLD
172.8
H2O
18.5
% EP Source
89.4 SCRGp3
174.0
173.6
20.7
20.3
92.8 DK888 N11
89.1 DK888 N11
791-009/02
Check mean
CV
751-027/02
751-037/02
Check mean
175.8
176.5
12.8
183.3
178.2
177.9
19.1
18.3
6.5
19.4
18.5
17.5
92.5 DK888 N11
93.6
10.4
22 Env.
94.2 DK888 N11
95.9 DK888 N11
90.0
We have been testing all-tropical lines from
several sources.
Trials conducted over multiple years and
locations in NC suggest that
CML lines 108, 157Q, 274, 341, 343,
and 373;
89291 from IITA;
and NC296, 296A, and 346 perform well.
CML343 appears to have the most promise.
Entry
t/ha SE Env.
CML108 x LH132.LH51
7.2 0.35 18†
CML157Q x LH132.LH51 7.2 0.35 18
CML274 x LH132.LH51
7.3 0.36 14
CML341 x LH132.LH51
7.3 0.35 18
CML343 x LH132.LH51
7.7 0.37 10
CML373 x LH132.LH51
7.2 0.37 10
NC296A x LH132.LH51
7.4 0.38 08
89291 x LH132.LH51
7.7 0.43 04
LH132 x LH51
6.7 0.36 14
Mean of Checks
7.6
† Number of environments represented by the data.
The most important events in the program at
Raleigh involve new research personnel.
Matt Krakowsky has joined us from Tifton, GA;
he will be leading the GEM efforts in Raleigh.
In addition, Matt has been able to hire a highly
competent M.S. plant pathologist, Dale Dowden.
Dale has had 30 years experience working with
corn in the Southeast, mostly with DeKalb in
North Carolina and Georgia.
I will continue to work with Matt for the
next several years, but Matt will be in
charge of GEM yield trials, allelic
diversity, screening of new tropical
lines, choices of breeding crosses, and
choices of testers, among other things
(like budgets!).
Matt will be asking some of you to make
new breeding crosses with lines like
CML343. Please help him.
Matt may also be asking for new
testers. We are in the process of
switching from FR615.FR697 to
LH283.LH287 as a standard NSS
tester.
We have tried to switch our main SS
tester from FR992.FR1064 to either
LH132.FR1064 or LH244.LH245;
there is still room for improvement.
We have tried 4 new testers from
Pioneer:
SS1.SS2
SS3.SS4
NSS1.NSS2
NSS3.NSS4
Of these, SS1.SS2 and NSS3.NSS4
appear best.
We need to test PHSS1.SS2 and
LH132.FR1064 more thoroughly in
next winter’s Florida nursery.
Both FR992.FR1064 and
LH244.LH245 have adaptation
problems in Florida.
Any new SS alternatives also will
need testing there.