ARS | Publication request: SELECTION FOR METHIONINE AND TRYPTOPHAN CONTENT IN MAIZE

Submitted to: Maize Genetics Conference Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: March 13, 2003
Publication Date: March 13, 2003
Citation: DARRIGUES, A., SCOTT, M.P., LAMKEY, K.R. SELECTION FOR METHIONIAL AND TRYPTOPHAN CONTENT IN MAIZE. MAIZE GENETICS CONFERENCE ABSTRACTS. 2003. http://www.maizegdb.org/cgi-bin/displayrefrecord.cgi?id=885129.

Technical Abstract: Some essential amino acids in maize are nutritionally limiting for animal diets. In plant breeding, selection to improve a population while conserving genetic variation within the population is referred to as recurrent selection. The potential of this method to improve maize populations for their composition in two amino acids such as Methionine (Met) and Tryptophan (Trp) was tested. The objectives of this study are (1) to determine the effect of selection on the amino acid composition in maize, (2) to conduct divergent selection for both Trp and Met, and (3) to determine the effect of selection on the nutritional value of the populations. Initially two random-mated maize populations, BS11 and BS31, were chosen for this study on the basis of their protein content and variability. The two populations were treated independently and selections were categorized for high Met, low Met, high Trp, and low Trp within each population in Cycle 0 in 2001. The first cycle of half-sib family selection for Met and Trp was completed in the summer of 2002. For both populations in Cycle 1, the values for high Met and Trp selections were significantly higher than the values for the low Met and Trp selections. These data suggest that a divergent selection program is a useful method for producing populations with improved Met and Trp content. These populations will be a valuable resource for researchers interested in the genetics and biochemistry of kernel amino acid content.