Location: Plant Science Research
Project Number: 6070-21220-016-009-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Aug 1, 2015
End Date: Jul 31, 2020
Objective:
The objective of the cooperative research between North Carolina State University and the USDA Agricultural Research Service is to evaluate germplasm from the Germplasm Enhancement of Maize (GEM) project for yield and resistance to Gray Leaf Spot (GLS).
Approach:
North Carolina State University will plant yield and disease trials supplied by the USDA-ARS Plant Science Research Unit (PSRU) and other collaborating breeding programs. The goal of the GEM project is to increase the diversity of the germplasm used in commercial maize breeding programs in the US, and to this end new semi-exotic germplasm must have adequate yield potential and disease resistance before it will be considered by breeders. The yield and disease trials will be planted at four and three NSCU/NCDA research stations, respectively, with germplasm entries provided by the GEM project; between 800 and 1000 entries per year for the yield trials, and between 200 and 400 entries per year for the disease trials. Trials will be planted with two replications at each location, and data will be collected for standard agronomic traits (e.g., plant height, ear height, disease susceptibility, and lodging) and plot weight and grain moisture at harvest. Data and germplasm will be shared between ARS, North Carolina State University, and other collaborating members of the GEM program.
