History of Corn Yield
History of Corn Yield
History of Corn Yield
Yield
Gains in
Corn
Origin
Teosinte Yields
➔
Native American Women
Historical Corn Improvement
Native Americans Knew LOTS about
corn!
➔
Native Varieties—They Kept MANY
How we got US Cornbelt
Dent
Open Pollinated Varieties
Mandatory Corn Breeder’s Slide
Farmers Produced/Saved Own Seed
➔
Science—Genetics Drove Corn Breeding
1860-1925
➔
East and Jones, Double Crosses, 1918 to
1925
Mandatory Corn Breeder’s Slide
USDA/Land Grant Vision ca. 1934
Why did farmers adopt hybrids?
➔
Launched Era of Entrepreneurs
➔Focused Enterprises
World War II➔ Drove Exponential
Growth!
Surplus Nitrogen-making capacity
➔
➔
After WWII, Breeding Genetic
Improvement
Single Crosses 1959-1964
➔
Single Cross Impact
➔
Landmark Hybrids, Inbreds
Mandatory Corn Breeder’s Slide
(Bob Nielsen, Purdue)
Hand Planting, Early Mechanization
1970-1975
1960’s thru
1990’s
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•
•
Mandatory Corn Breeder’s Slide
(Bob Nielsen, Purdue)
Biotechnology/Transgenics
➔
Why Were “Traits” Adopted?
2005 onward
PLANT DENSITY!!!!!
High Plant Density Impacts
➔
ꝉ
Sequencing DNA (&RNA)
Molecular Breeding/Prediction
New INBRED/HYBRID DEVELOPMENT
TECHNOLOGIES
➔
RNAi Systems
CRISPR-Cas9? EDITING
Epigenetics
Linked Computing Power, Data Capture,
Large Scale& Rapid Phenotyping
Drought, Water Use Efficiency
Plant & Soil MICROBIOME
Seed Treatments
➔
Where is Corn Breeding/Performance
Headed?
➔
➔
DANGER of LOSING GENES , germplasm!!!
➔
Mandatory Corn Breeder’s Slide