4065

Iowa State University researchers have developed a new haploid inducer for maize that is adapted to growing conditions in the Midwest.

Ready for release.

Inbred corn lines have two identical copies of their genome, and are valuable breeding resources since offspring are identical to their parent. Since offspring of hybrids are genetically segregating, hybrid seed needs to be generated from genetically stable, parental inbred lines. Development of traditional corn inbred lines starts from heterozygous plants and requires continued self-pollination, which takes five to eight generations before an inbred line is pure enough to be combined with another inbred line to create a hybrid. Doubled haploid (DH) technology can be used to produce pure, inbred corn lines in just two generations, since the initial “haploid” offspring contain only a single genome instead of two, which is then doubled in this DH procedure.  So-called inducer lines are used as pollinators in the DH approach.  However, inducer lines currently available for licensing are European in origin and are poorly adapted to growing conditions found in the US Corn Belt in the Midwest in that they can have poor germination rates, can be susceptible to wind (lodging), have poor seed set and are susceptible to mold.  To overcome the limitations of currently available inducer lines, ISU researchers have developed a haploid inducer for maize that is better adapted to the conditions found during a typical growing season in the Midwest. Midwest adapted inducers can benefit corn breeding companies, but may be particularly attractive to smaller companies in the US and abroad.

This technology is related to ISURF #4099: Haploid Inducing Genotype for Field and Specialty Corn and ISURF #5202:  C1-I haploid inducer

• Better suited for Midwest corn growing season

• Haploid induction rates comparable to European inducers

• Simple phenotypic seed color selection

Plant breeding

Tangible Material