Publications [#40621] of Mary W. Eubanks
search PubMed.Papers Published
- M.W. Eubanks, Genetic bridge to utilize Tripsacum germplasm in maize improvement,
Maydica, vol. 51 no. 1
(February, 2006) .
(last updated on 2005/08/26)Abstract:
Eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides L.) is known to possess genes conferring tolerance to corn rootworm (Diabrotica sp.), drought, and adaptation to acidic soils without incurring damage from aluminum toxicity. Plant breeders, however, have generally been unable to utilize these and other valuable gamagrass traits for effective maize improvement because of sterility in maize-gamagrass hybrids. By crossing Eastern gamagrass with diploid perennial teosinte (Zea diploperennis Iltis, Doebley and Guzmán), a closer wild relative that is cross-fertile with maize, Eubanks obtained fully fertile recombinants that are cross-fertile with maize. The gamagrass-teosinte recombinants provide a new means for moving valuable genes from gamagrass into maize with conventional plant breeding methods. Progress developing gamagrass-introgressed, elite breeding lines with rootworm, drought, and acid-soil tolerance is described.
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