U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 Soybean/maize Germplasm, Pathology, and Genetics Research: Urbana, IL
 close



    Research

                    Research Projects
                                    Publications
                                    Collaborations
                                    News
                People

                    Staff Listing
                                    CareersSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home Midwest Area Urbana, Illinois Soybean/maize Germplasm, Pathology, and Genetics Research Research





- Sachs, Martin
- 2023
- Plant Genetic Resources, Genomics and Genetic Improvement (301)

Research Project: Management, Utilization, and Distribution of Maize Genetic Stocks and Associated Descriptive Information **Location:
                            Soybean/maize Germplasm, Pathology, and Genetics Research** 2023 Annual Report **Objectives**
                                

Objective 1: Conduct research to develop genetic resource maintenance, evaluation, or characterization methods and, in alignment with the overall NPGS Plan, then apply them to avoid backlogs in maize genetic stock and information management.
Objective 2: Acquire, distribute, and maintain the safety, genetic integrity, health, and viability of maize genetic stocks and associated descriptive information. **Approach**
                                

We will phenotype maize genetic stocks to ensure their identity and trueness-to-type. For newly acquired stocks for which molecular data are available, we will work with submitters to confirm the presence of molecular phenotypes within increased materials. Kernel and ear traits will be evaluated on the cob and after the seeds have been shelled. Seedling traits will be evaluated in sand benches and shortly after germination in the field. Adult plant traits will be evaluated in an observation field. If homozygous viable, mutant plants will be marked for increase and these can be self- or sib-pollinated to generate seeds homozygous for the mutant. Unique quality control processes will be developed for novel stock types and traits. These processes will be customized to address the challenges that emerge, including procedures to avoid backlogs. Lethal recessive traits must be maintained as heterozygotes and screened each generation to determine which F2 ears carry the mutant trait. We will use appropriate conservation tools to maintain our genetic stock collection. We also will maintain a database of information about our stocks with tools that ensure information is provided to the public. We will develop database tools, in conjunction with the MaizeGDB team, to help users submit requests and help us determine which seed sources to use to fulfill these requests. Each spring, we will use our database tools to determine which stocks in our core collection need to be regenerated and propagated due to supply or age of seed. In all cases, seeds are hand planted to assure purity and all pollinations are done by hand using traditional methods of maize. To propagate stocks, we use appropriate genetic controlled crossing techniques (e.g., self or sib pollinations, outcrosses; seedling, adult or pollen observations) depending on the nature of the stock (e.g., dominant vs. recessive mutants; lethal vs. homozygous viable mutants; male-sterile vs. barren stalk vs. fully fertile, etc). To prepare for harvest, we take crossing notes to prepare labels that will be attached to harvested ears. We hand-harvest the crop as individual ears to ensure the integrity of the individual stocks. The seeds are then dried on the ear. After drying, we score for kernel and ear traits, after which we shell seeds from each cob and place each ear’s seeds into individual coin-type envelopes with the ear’s pedigree and phenotype noted on the envelope. We conduct sand-bench seedling tests to determine the presence of seedling mutant traits. For adult traits, we hold seeds for observation in the next growing season. Once the quality of an ear carrying the trait of interest is assessed, the seeds from that ear are entered into our inventory database and the seeds are stored in their envelope under low humidity cold storage conditions. Samples of genetic stocks that haven’t previously been backed up into long-term storage will be sent to the NLGRP in Fort Collins, CO to ensure that all maize mutants in our collection are preserved. **Progress Report**
                                

To date, for 2023, 3,928 seed samples have been supplied in response to 129 requests. Approximately 4.0 acres of nursery were planted this Spring at the Crop Sciences Research & Education Center located at the University of Illinois. **Accomplishments**


Return to top


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov