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 plotswere coordinated through Raleigh in2007.

8,300 were planted at 5 NC State yield trial locations.

400+ plots were grown for GLS diseaseratings 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 possibleinclude: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-ARSUniversity of DelawareUniversity of Tennessee.Without them, there would be no program.

ENTRY DERIVATION YLD H2O % EP Source Tester2410-003/99 7258-03-10-03-B 172.818.5 89.4 SCR Gp3 N14 T1751-016/02 7451-27-75-16-B 174.020.7 92.8 DK888 N11 T8

751-027/02 7451-27-75-27-B 173.620.3 89.1 DK888 N11 T8

791-009/02 7451-27-778-09-B 175.819.1 92.5 DK888 N11 T8Check mean 176.518.3 93.6

CV 12.8 6.5 10.4 22 Env.

751-027/02 7451-27-75-27-B 183.319.4 94.2 DK888 N11 T2

751-037/02 7451-27-75-37-B 178.218.5 95.9 DK888 N11 T2

Check mean 177.917.5 90.0

CV 12.0 6.9 18.2 8 Env.

T1 = LH132.LH195; T2 = LH244.LH245; T8 = FR992.FR1064

ENTRY YLD H2O % EP Source 2410-003/99 172.8 18.5 89.4 SCRGp3 N14751-016/02 174.0 20.7 92.8 DK888 N11751-027/02 173.6 20.3 89.1 DK888 N11 791-009/02 175.8 19.1 92.5 DK888 N11 Check mean 176.5 18.3 93.6

CV 12.8 6.5 10.422 Env.751-027/02 183.3 19.4 94.2 DK888 N11 751-037/02 178.2 18.5 95.9 DK888 N11 Check mean 177.9 17.5 90.0

CV 12.0 6.9 18.28 Env.

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 18CML274 x LH132.LH51 7.3 0.36 14CML341 x LH132.LH51 7.3 0.35 18CML343 x LH132.LH51 7.7 0.37 10CML373 x LH132.LH51 7.2 0.37 10NC296A x LH132.LH51 7.4 0.38 0889291 x LH132.LH51 7.7 0.43 04LH132 x LH51 6.7 0.36 14Mean 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.