Comparative genomics - Phosphorus efficiency - Maize

Cloning, characterisation and validation of Pup1/P efficiency in maize (G7010.03.01) maize-circle-web

Target country
 Kenya
Lead institute Cornell University/United States Department of Agriculture–Agricultural Research Services (USDA–ARS)
Partners
  • Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA,  Agricultural Research Corporation), Brazil
  • Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS)
  • International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)
  • Kenya: Moi University; Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI)

The interdisciplinary team involving the institutes above is working on the successful implementation of the identification and characterisation of genes associate with maize phosphorus (P) efficiency (tolerance to low phosphorus. Bioinformatics is being used to identify homologues of the rice Pup-1 gene in maize and a set of markers for these genes will be developed. Field phenotyping will be conducted in Kenya and Brazil.

Objectives

  1. Pup1 gene candidate identification in maize
  2. QTL/gene mapping for P use efficiency in maize
  3. Inheritance studies on maize root architecture under high and low P
  4. Validation of maize Pup1 candidate genes and if necessary novel P-efficiency QTLs (if maize Pup1 homologues are not functional in P efficiency)