180 Results Found

Bioethanol production in the midwestern U.S. has largely focused on maize (Zea mays L.) grain for starch-based ethanol production. There has been growing interest in lignocellulosic biomass as a feedstock for biofuels. Because maize adapted to the tr...

A laboratory microcosm incubation was conducted to study the influence of mixed cowpea-maize residues on N2O emission and N mineralization in a tropical acrisol. The soils were incorporated with different ratios of cowpea:maize mixtures on weight bas...

Few studies have reported on the flowering time mechanism of tropical maize under short-day conditions. Drought, another important factor that affects flowering time, has been reported to delay the silking date in tropical maize. However, due to the...

A comprehensive study on maize flowering traits, focusing on the regulation of flowering time and the elucidation of molecular mechanisms underlying the genes controlling flowering, holds the potential to significantly enhance our understanding of th...

Common rust (CR), caused by Puccina sorghi, is a major foliar disease in maize that leads to quality deterioration and yield losses. To dissect the genetic architecture of CR resistance in maize, this study utilized the susceptible temperate inbred l...

Induced point mutations are important genetic resources for their ability to create hypo- and hypermorphic alleles that are useful for understanding gene functions and breeding. However, such mutant populations have only been developed for a few temp...

The development of maize varieties with increased concentration of Provitamin A (PVA) is an effective and affordable strategy to combat vitamin A deficiency in developing nations. However, the considerably high cost of carotene analysis poses a major...

Several maize breeding programs in India have developed numerous inbred lines but the lines have not been characterized using high-density molecular markers. Here, we studied the molecular diversity, population structure, and linkage disequilibrium (...

A major portion of maize is produced under rainfed conditions in the tropics with relatively poor yield because of the unpredictable and irregular distribution of seasonal rainfall, as well as a decline in pre-rainy season rainfall due to climate cha...

Exotic germplasm (i.e., germplasm beyond the breeder’s target area) has traditionally been used to broaden the genetic base of local (germplasm within the breeder’s target area) populations, but little has been done to assess gains that c...

Background/Objectives: Maize (Zea mays L.), a crop of worldwide importance, owes its adaptability to diverse environments to its genetic variation. However, tropical maize exhibits intrinsic photoperiod sensitivity, limiting its adaptability to tempe...

Lacking elite haploid inducers performing high haploid induction rate (HIR) and agronomic performance is one of fundamental factors hindering the rapid adoption of doubled haploid technology in maize hybrid breeding, especially under tropical savanna...

Knowledge of fall armyworm (FAW) (Spodoptera frugiperda J.E. Smith) rearing, infestation and development and precision screening protocols are preconditions for the successful introgression of resistance genes into farmer-preferred varieties. We aime...

Maize yield is affected by meteorological conditions and cultivation management. Sowing date adjustment is one of the most commonly used cultivation management methods for achieving a high maize yield in the tropical area of Southwest China. This stu...

Kernel number per row (KNR) is an essential component of maize (Zea mays L.) grain yield (GY), and understanding its genetic mechanism is crucial to improve GY. In this study, two F7 recombinant inbred line (RIL) populations were created using a temp...

Maize lethal necrosis (MLN), caused by co-infection of maize chlorotic mottle virus and sugarcane mosaic virus, can lead up to 100% yield loss. Identification and validation of genomic regions can facilitate marker assisted breeding for resistance to...

A successful microbial inoculant can increase root colonization and establish a positive interaction with native microorganisms to promote growth and productivity of cereal crops. Zinc (Zn) is an intensively reported deficient nutrient for maize and...

CIMMYT maize lines (CMLs), which represent the tropical maize germplasm, are freely available worldwide. All currently released 615 CMLs and fourteen temperate maize inbred lines were genotyped with 180 kompetitive allele-specific PCR single nucleoti...

Stenocarpella spp. causes stalk and ear rot in maize and overwinters in stubble during the off-season. Understanding the factors that guide saprophytic colonization is a crucial strategy for management. In this study, we analyzed the abiotic factors...

Although the beneficial effects of silicon on plant resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses are recognized, there is a lack of knowledge regarding its application in field conditions and its direct impact on physiological metabolism, root developme...

While many insects are in decline due to global warming, the effect of rising temperatures on crop insect pests is uncertain. A capacity to understand future changes in crop pest populations remains critical to ensure food security. Using temperature...

The oil content of maize kernels is essential to determine its nutritional and economic value. A multiparent population (MPP) consisting of five recombinant inbred line (RIL) subpopulations was developed to elucidate the genetic basis of the total oi...

Genomic selection (GS) can accelerate variety improvement when training set (TS) size and its relationship with the breeding set (BS) are optimized for prediction accuracies (PAs) of genomic prediction (GP) models. Sixteen GP algorithms were run on p...

Sustainable management strategies are needed to improve agronomic efficiency and cereal yield production under harsh abiotic climatic conditions such as in tropical Savannah. Under these environments, field-grown crops are usually exposed to drought...

Fall armyworm (FAW, Spodoptera frugiperda) is a polyphagous and migratory lepidopteran pest insect in field crops and is notoriously invasive worldwide. In large portions of the Americas, its populations are managed using transgenic maize or cotton v...

The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, a pest of maize native to the Americas first reported in West and Central Africa in 2016, severely threatens maize production and food security in Sub-Saharan Africa. Native genetic resistance is one of...

This study was conducted to assess the effects of amending tropical sandy soils with biochar derived from agro-industrial wastes on the leaching and utilization of nitrogen (N) by maize. The experiment was conducted in pots in a greenhouse with two s...

Tassel weight (TW) is a crucial agronomic trait that significantly affects pollen supply and grain yield development in maize breeding. To improve maize yield and develop new varieties, a comprehensive understanding of the genetic mechanisms underlyi...

Organic amendments may improve the quality of acidic tropical agricultural soils with low organic carbon contents under conventional management (mineral fertilization and irrigation) in Southeast Asia. We investigated the effect of biochar, compost a...

Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the most crucial crops for global food security worldwide. For this reason, many efforts have been undertaken to address the efficient utilization of germplasm collections. In this study, 322 inbred lines were used to li...

The development of tropical maize populations with high heterosis potential is essential for sustaining genetic progress in hybrid breeding programs, yet accurate selection remains challenging due to genotype–phenotype interactions and inbreedi...

Dry spells in rainfed agriculture lead to a significant reduction in crop yield or to total loss. Supplemental irrigation (SI) with brackish water can reduce the negative impacts of dry spells on net CO2 assimilation in rainfed farming in semi-arid t...

Banded leaf and sheath blight (BLSB) in maize is a soil-borne fungal disease caused by Rhizoctonia solani Kühn, resulting in significant yield losses. Investigating the genes responsible for regulating resistance to BLSB is crucial for yield enh...

Doubled haploid (DH) technology accelerates maize breeding by generating completely homozygous lines within two generations, but its efficiency depends on reliable haploid identification markers. The Purple plant 1 (Pl-1) root pigmentation marker has...

Maize (Zea mays L.) production is constrained by drought and heat stresses. The combination of these two stresses is likely to be more detrimental. To breed for maize cultivars tolerant of these stresses, 162 tropical maize inbred lines were evaluate...

Breeding for heat stress tolerance became a priority in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), as projections are showing an increase in frequency, duration, and severity. In this study, 14 heat stress tolerant-donor lines (HSTDLs) sourced from CIMMYT-India (male...

Background: Integrating tropical and temperate maize germplasm represents a pivotal strategy for driving genetic innovation, with phenotypic plasticity serving as a critical indicator of successful integration. Methods: We analyzed 155 inbred lines a...

Breeding for nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is important to deal with food insecurity and its effect on grain quality, particularly protein. A total of 1679 hybrids were evaluated in 16 different trials for grain yield (GY), grain quality traits (prot...

Genotype, environmental temperature, and agronomic management of parents influence seed yield in three-way cross hybrid maize seed production. The objective of this research was to generate information on the seed production of six three-way cross hy...

Common rust (CR) caused by Puccina sorghi is one of the destructive fungal foliar diseases of maize and has been reported to cause moderate to high yield losses. Providing CR resistant germplasm has the potential to increase yields. To dissect the ge...

Nitrogen (N) fertilizer is commonly used to supply sufficient N for plant uptake, for which urea is one of the highly preferred synthetic N fertilizers due to its high N content. Unfortunately, N provided by urea is rapidly lost upon urea application...

Multiple cropping systems constitute an essential agricultural practice that will ensure food security within the increasing demand of basic cereals as a consequence of global population growth and climate change effects. In this regard, there is a n...

Spring maize area has emerged as a niche market in South Asia. Production of maize during this post-rainy season is often challenged due to heat stress. Therefore, incorporating heat stress resilience is an important trait for incorporation in maize...

Maize is consumed in different traditional diets as a source of macro- and micro-nutrients across Africa. Significant investment has thus been made to develop maize with high provitamin A content to complement other interventions for alleviating vita...

Chromosome doubling is an important step in the production of maize doubled haploid (DH) lines to induce fertility in the male and female reproductive organs of haploid plants. Chromosomal doubling is routinely accomplished by treating haploid seedli...

A hilly region in Sri Lanka was considered to be degraded by erosion driven by intensive tobacco production, but what are reliable indicators of erosion? In addition to determining soil chemical and physical traits, maize was cropped with Nitrogen, P...

Micronutrient deficiencies are pervasive in the diets of millions of people in developing countries, calling for effective mitigation measures. The development of biofortified cultivars through breeding holds promise for sustainable and affordable so...

Medium and small seed companies require information on maize parental seed production to make rational choices on what germplasm to introduce into their seed and breeding pipelines. The objective of this study was to generate public data on the appro...

Breeding maize with high contents of zinc, iron and provitamin A (PVA) could be effective in mitigating micronutrient deficiency in developing countries with a high reliance on maize-based diets. Information on the mode of inheritance of zinc, iron,...

Intensive land use with inappropriate land management is directly degrading South Asian uplands. A field trial was carried out on the uplands of Western Thailand with a 25% slope to examine the effect of land use management on soil loss for sustainab...