Technology Description:

The invention relates to a novel maize plant having a nuclear genome of maize chromosomes, and with no Tripsacumchromosomes, but with extranuclear genes or cytoplasmic DNA from Tripsacum floridanum. These novel maize plants arefertile and may be readily crossed as the female parent with any maize as the male parent, and the progeny will retain theTripsacum extranuclear genes. The resultant inbred maize will possess a nuclear genome substantially identical to the parentinbred maize line, but it will have the extranuclear genes of Tripsacum floridanum rather than those of the parent maize. Maize plants having the Tripsacum extranuclear genes will exhibit traits which include one or more of the following: increased disease and insect resistance, particularly increased resistance to the corn rootworm complex, better developed andsubstantially increased numbers of aerenchyma in the roots. The principal use of field maize is for livestock feed. Significantamounts of the maize crop are also used for human consumption as sweet maize, sweeteners, cooking oil, margarine, processedmeal, starches, syrups, and for the production of ethanol.

Reference:

Please refer to USPN 6,657,110 (Docket #0281.99), "Novel Cytoplasm for Maize," which issued on December 2, 2003.  Foreign rights are not available.

Inventors:

Phillip L. Sims  Rangeland and Pasture Research 2000 18th Street Woodward, Oklahoma  73801 (580) 256-7449 / Fax: (580) 256-1322 psims@spa.ars.usda.gov

Chester L. Dewald (Deceased)