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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » Corn Insects and Crop Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #134340
Title: INTRA- AND INTERPOPULATION VARIABILITY OF STARCHES FROM EXOTIC CORN LINES AND THEIR DERIVATIVES

Author
item JI, Y - ISU
item SEETHARAMAN, K - ISU
item Pollak, Linda
item Duvick, Susan
item JANE, J - ISU
item WHITE, P - ISU

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2002
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The objectives of this research were to evaluate the intra- and interpopulation variability in thermal properties of starches from exotic corn lines and their derivatives when grown 1) during three successive years in the same location; and 2) in both temperate and tropical environments. Six novel corn lines (two exotic lines and four derived from breeding crosses developed by crossing exotic genotypes with Corn Belt lines) were selected in this research because these lines had starches with significantly different (and potentially useful) thermal properties than those found in starch from normal Corn Belt corn. Three successive generations (S3, S4 and S5) of selected lines were self-pollinated and grown in same environment near Ames, Iowa. To evaluate the effect of environment, the S5 generation also was self-pollinated and grown in the winter nursery in Puerto Rico. Thermal properties of starches from at least ten single kernels from each line were analyzed by using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). After subsequent generations, the differences in gelatinization properties between selected kernels within each progeny line narrowed, suggesting increased homogeneity of starch structural properties within each line. Unusual thermal properties were fixed in some progeny lines. Environmental factors also affected the thermal properties of starch, and a significant interaction between environment and genotype was observed. These results suggest that introgression of adapted germplasm with useful genes from exotic corn would increase the available genetic variability and produce value-added traits.