MORRIS SUN TRIBUNE - FARM
Morris, Minnesota 56267
Saturday, March 15, 2014 - Page 11D
High quality maize for food and feed Abdullah A. Jaradat, Walter Goldstein and Jana Rinke USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Morris, Minn., and Mandaamin Institute, Elkhorn, Wis. Food crop studies by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization suggest that people in at least 13 countries in the developing world do not consume adequate levels of essential amino acids because they depend largely on cereals as a major source of protein. Improving essential amino acids, protein levels, and other nutrients in food and feed crops will significantly increase their nutritional benefits for people and livestock, as well as increase their value as cash crops. Currently maize, a worldwide staple crop, contributes over 50 percent of the dietary protein for human and livestock. But low levels of three essential amino acids—lysine, methionine and cystein—greatly reduce its nutritional benefits as a food crop. Because of these deficiencies, the protein efficiency ratio for maize is about 40 percent (in comparison, the protein efficiency ratio of milk casein is 100 percent). The lack of lysine is more of a problem in maize when maize is the primary di-
etary component, while the lack of methionine is more of a problem when people eat a diet based on corn and beans. Both amino acids are also important nutritional components in the feed of livestock, which in turn are important sources of these nutrients for many people around the world. Maize breeding programs can address these deficiencies by developing varieties that maintain nutritional qualities while breeding for other agronomic traits or by enhancing nutritional qualities by improving levels of essential amino acids and other key nutrients. Developing maize varieties with these characteristics will provide farmers and the food and feed industries with highyielding maize varieties with improved nutritional and industrial qualities. One of the challenges facing breeders is developing high-yield, hard-kernel maize varieties that also have high levels of protein and lysine. Historically, plant breeders attributed the difficulty of improving grain protein and essential amino acid levels to two genetic factors: the traits were not easily transferred from one variety to another, and modern crop cultivars did not contain a range of natural genetic variation.
To support maize breeders in developing more nutritious varieties of maize, a scientific team at the Soils Lab and Mandaamin Institute evaluated 1,348 maize collections from 13 populations for their protein content. These populations were derived from crossing exotic, high quality maize landraces with Corn Belt stiff and non-stiff stalk groups. The researchers wanted to determine if breeders would be able to select for desirable traits for essential amino acids and how these traits might be linked to one another, which could complicate breeding outcomes. The team found significant links between lysine and methionine and identified maize varieties and types with high levels of both amino acids. They also identified genotypes with the highest levels of both amino acids regardless of the endosperm type. These results indicate that it will be possible to breed and select maize varieties with translucent endosperm and high levels of both amino acids. This information will help select appropriate maize lines for further improvement and to develop lines that meet quality and yield requirements of farmers and industry.
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Maize breeding programs can address deficiencies by developing varieties that maintain nutritional qualities while breeding for other agronomic traits or by enhancing nutritional qualities by improving levels of essential amino acids and other key nutrients. Developing maize varieties with these characteristics will provide farmers and the food and feed industries with high-yielding maize varieties with improved nutritional and industrial qualities.
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