Major genetic weakness threatens future corn breeding, study reveals
A new study led by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign scientists reveals critically low genetic variation in one of the country's primary breeding stocks for corn. The finding relates specifically to grain yield in intermediate-maturity hybrids, which dominate commercial production in the U.S. and represent nearly a third of the world's corn production. The researchers say it's a crisis…
A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has revealed a significant genetic weakness in one of the primary breeding stocks for corn in the United States. This weakness could potentially hinder the development of high-yielding corn hybrids, especially in the face of climate change projections for the U.S. Corn Belt. The study focuses on intermediate-maturity hybrids, which constitute nearly one-third of global corn production.
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