Germplasm Enhancement of Maize

Introduction The mission of the Germplasm Enhancement of Maize (GEM) Project is to effectively increase the diversity of U.S. maize germplasm utilized by producers, global end-users, and consumers. The mission will be achieved through a collaborative effort between USDA-ARS and both public and private research scientists by utilizing exotic, public, and proprietary maize germplasm. The resulting germplasm and associated knowledge, derived via the identification and incorporation of favorable alleles for prioritized traits from exotic sources, is utilized in private and public breeding programs and ultimately contributes to increased genetic diversity of maize grown by producers and improved product performance. In addition, the GEM project provides opportunities for training plant scientists in the enhancement and utilization of un-adapted germplasm. This contributes to the global sustainability of agricultural production, economic stability, and the nutrition and well-being of society.