Mexico has the potential to produce some 270,000 hectares of quality protein maize (Espinosa et al. 2003). Since 1998, a significant number of researchers from the National Research Institute of Forestry, Agricu1ture, and Livestock (INIF AP) have been working with CIMMYT researchers to obtain some quality protein maize (QPM) varieties and hybrids. As a resu1t of this effort, some high-yielding materials with good agronomic characteristics have been developed. However, it has proven difficult to convince farmers to use the new materia1s. In 1999, INIFAP released 26 hybrids and varieties, but only a few of these are used. One significant problem is that the national seed producing company, PRONASE, is bankrupt (Espinosa el al. 2002). One means to increase the seed adoption rate of QPM hybrids is to use andro-sterility. INIF AP researchers have been working for many years with the progenitors of the hybrids of normal quality. Three new hybrids with the andro-sterile scheme have been released recently (Tadeo et al.1999; Tadeo et al. 2001) and mixed (H-48, H-50, H-153). It is necessary to have a complete andro-sterile scheme (Partas 1997) and work is currently under way to achieve this, as well as to identify and develop inbred lines that have ferti1ity-restoring capadty (Espinosa et al. 2003). In the case of QPM hybrids, work began in 1999 through the introduction of andro-sterility to the basic lines, and by trying to identify restoring lines. Progress has been achieved and now the program has second and third inbreds towards developing quality protein in elite lines. Restoring lines have also been identified and these are used as restoring donors to the QPM lines.

English

0309|AGRIS 0301|AL-Maize Program

Juan Carlos Mendieta

CIMMYT Publications Collection