Research Projects

Maize, a crucial cereal grain crop, has high genetic potential and serves various purposes such as food, feed, industrial products, and employment generation. However, maize productivity in India is low compared to other maize growing countries and during the Kharif/rainy season. This is due to excess moisture during growth stages and heavy population pressure from diseases and insect pests. A wild species, Nicaraguan-teosinte, has excellent adaptation potential and can tolerate frequent flooding during a 6-month rainy season. Its superior features include adventitious root formation at the soil surface during flooding and the formation of root aerenchyma. Nicaraguan-teosinte may also provide gene/genomic regions for better maize growth under waterlogged situations in tropics and sub-tropics ecosystems. Based on initial observations and literature, the proposed project aims to domesticate wild alleles from Nicaraguan teosinte for waterlogging tolerance and other traits. This project is expected to provide multiple advantages, including increased productivity and diversification of maize germplasm for various purposes. The project's significance lies in facilitating marker-assisted introgression for water logging tolerant genes/genomic regions.