9/1/99

Contacts:
Linda Pollak, GEM coordinator, 515/294-7831
Susan Thompson, Agriculture Information, 515/294-0705

CORN GERMPLASM FIELD DAYS PLANNED

AMES, Iowa -- Two field days to show recent work in a national project on corn germplasm will be held in September, and the public is invited to attend.

The Germplasm Enhancement of Maize (GEM) project is a cooperative effort of the USDA Agricultural Research Service, land-grant universities and private industry. Today's U.S. corn hybrids were developed with less than five percent of world corn germplasm, which increases the potential vulnerability to pests and diseases and may lead to an eventual yield cap.

The GEM project is studying corn from other parts of the world that may provide pest-resistance genes, could lead to increased yields, and may contain quality traits to meet new market demands. Nearly 270 corn accessions were identified in an earlier project, and are now being enhanced and made available to commercial corn breeders and university researchers for further study and development.

The first field day will be Sept. 22, 1-5 p.m., on an Iowa State University research farm south of Ames. The second field day will be Sept. 27, 1:30-5 p.m., near Harlan and is being held in association with Wilson Genetics LLC.

At both field days, plots will include a demonstration of breeding progress in both traditional Corn Belt and new materials. Hybrids using lines with unusual value-added traits will be on display, as will the best lines and topcrosses from 1998 yield tests. The GEM project team members will be on hand to answer questions.

The Sept. 22 field day will be held on what is known as the Uthe ISU research farm. From Ames, take R38 south six miles, then 3.5 miles west on 290th Street. Or from Slater, take R38 north four miles, then 3.5 miles west on 290th.

The Sept. 27 field day will be held at the Wilson Genetics LLC site on Highway 44 on the eastern edge of Harlan.

ISU is one of two primary sites for GEM enhancement breeding and coordination, with the other in North Carolina.

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