ARS | Publication request: COMPARISON OF PHENOTYPIC AND MARKER-ASSISTED SELECTION FOR STALK STRENGTH AND EUROPEAN CORN BORER RESISTANCE IN MAIZE

Submitted to: Maize Genetics Conference Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: March 16, 2002
Publication Date: March 16, 2002
Citation: FLINT-GARCIA, S.A., DARRAH, L.L., MCMULLEN, M.D., HIBBARD, B.E. COMPARISON OF PHENOTYPIC AND MARKER-ASSISTED SELECTION FOR STALK STRENGTH AND EUROPEAN CORN BORER RESISTANCE IN MAIZE. MAIZE GENETICS CONFERENCE. 2002. ABSTRACT. P. 116.

Technical Abstract: Stalk lodging is breakage of the stalk at or below the ear, which may result in loss of the ear at harvest. An insect pest of maize that increases stalk lodging by stalk tunneling is the second-generation of the European corn borer (2-ECB) (Ostrinia nubilalis Hubner). Rind penetrometer resistance (RPR) has been used to measure stalk strength and improve germplasm with stalk lodging resistance. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) have previously been identified for both RPR and ECB damage. The objective of this study was to compare the efficiency of phenotypic selection (PS) vs. marker-assisted selection (MAS) for RPR and 2-ECB in several populations. Marker-assisted selection for high and low RPR was effective in all three populations. Phenotypic selection for both high and low RPR in Populations 1 and 2 was more effective than MAS. However, in Population 3, MAS for high RPR using QTL from Population 3 was more effective than PS, and using QTL from Population 4 was just as effective as PS in selecting for high RPR. Marker-assisted selection for resistance and susceptibility to 2-ECB in Population 3 was effective in the susceptible direction, but not in the resistant direction using QTL from Population 3. Marker-assisted selection using QTL from Population 4 was effective in both directions of selection. Marker-assisted selection was as effective as PS in selecting for both resistance and susceptibility to 2-ECB. These results demonstrate that MAS can be an effective selection tool for both RPR and 2-ECB. These results also validate the locations and effects of QTL identified for RPR and 2-ECB identified in earlier studies.