Marker-Assisted Introgression in Developing Vitamin A Enriched Maize

With ongoing developments in vitamin A-enriched crops globally, researchers from Indian Agricultural Research Institute developed a vitamin A-enriched hybrid maize. This development is conducted through the application of marker-assisted backcross breeding. By the use of this technique, researchers introgressed the allele of beta carotene hydroxylase (crtRB1) gene from high beta carotene inbreds to the chosen maize parentals.

Result shows that an estimated 90 percent of the parent genome was recovered in progenies within the two generation backcrossing. In addition, an increase by 8.6-17.5 µg/g in beta carotene was observed in crtRb1 introgressed inbred. The kernels from reconstituted hybrid show an improved beta carotene by 21.7 µg/g compared to 2.6 µg/g with its original hybrid.

The creation of this hybrid will be necessary and can be used in biofortification programs in maize.

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0113583