Ms44-SPT: unique genetic technology simplifies and improves hybrid maize seed production in sub-Saharan Africa.

Hybrid maize seed production in Africa is dependent upon manual detasseling of the female parental lines, often resulting in plant damage that can lead to reduced seed yields on those detasseled lines. Additionally, incomplete detasseling can result in hybrid purity issues that can lead to production fields being rejected. A unique nuclear genetic male sterility seed production technology, referred to as Ms44-SPT, was developed to avoid hybrid seed loss and to improve the purity and quality of hybrid maize production.

Testcross performance and combining ability of intermediate maturing drought tolerant maize inbred lines in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Drought is a major constraint on maize ( L.) production and productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The increase in frequency and severity of drought, driven by climate change, is expected to worsen in the future.

, , and are emerging preharvest maize ear rot pathogens in Ethiopia.

Fusarium ear rot (FER) and Gibberella ear rot (GER) caused by Fusarium species are major diseases affecting maize production in Ethiopia. In addition to reducing quality and yield, these fungi can produce mycotoxins that contaminate maize kernels and, thereby, pose health hazards to humans and livestock. A survey was conducted in 10 administrative zones of Ethiopia within the major maize-growing regions of the country to identify the species of Fusarium associated with ear rot.

A combination of joint linkage and genome-wide association study reveals putative candidate genes associated with resistance to northern corn leaf blight in tropical maize.

Northern corn leaf blight (NCLB), caused by , is a major fungal disease affecting maize production in sub-Saharan Africa. Utilizing host plant resistance to mitigate yield losses associated with NCLB can serve as a cost-effective strategy. In this study, we conducted a high-resolution genome-wide association study (GWAS) in an association mapping panel and linkage mapping with three doubled haploid (DH) and three F populations of tropical maize.

Genetic architecture of kernel-related traits in sweet and waxy maize revealed by genome-wide association analysis.

Introduction: Maize ( L.) is one of the most important crops worldwide, the kernel size-related traits are the major components of maize grain yield.

Methods: To dissect the genetic architecture of four kernel-related traits of 100-kernel weight, kernel length, kernel width, and kernel diameter, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted in the waxy and sweet maize panel comprising of 447 maize inbred lines re-sequenced at the 5× coverage depth.