Herbicide resistance-enhanced mutagenesis in haploid maize using EMS and herbicide co-treatment
A novel EMS and herbicide co-treatment strategy enhances mutagenesis in haploid maize to rapidly develop herbicide-resistant plants. This approach accelerates the expression of resistant phenotypes, offering a cost-effective solution applicable to various crops.
Overview
This innovative technique combines ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) with herbicide co-treatment to enhance mutagenesis in haploid maize, facilitating the rapid development of herbicide-resistant plants. By leveraging the advantages of haploid induction and tissue culture, this method allows recessive resistance mutations to be expressed directly in vitro. The resistant haploid plantlets are subsequently doubled into diploids for field evaluation, offering a faster and more efficient path to herbicide-resistant crop development. This system can potentially be applied to other crops, providing a versatile solution for improving agricultural productivity.
Technical specifications
- Haploid Induction: Develops a robust haploid embryo and shoot organogenesis system.
- Co-treatment Strategy: Uses EMS combined with weak herbicide exposure to increase mutation frequency.
- Resistance Expression: Allows direct expression of recessive metabolic resistance genes in haploid plantlets.
- Field Evaluation: Resistant haploid plantlets are converted to diploids for further testing.
- Validation Process: Includes developing anther callus induction, somatic embryogenesis, and confirming ploidy and regeneration vigor.
- Screening: Utilizes Sanger sequencing and whole-genome sequencing to identify mutations in known and novel resistance genes.
Technology readiness level
This technology is currently at Technology Readiness Level 4, which indicates that it is in the validation stages in a laboratory environment. Future steps involve further field testing and optimization to ensure robust field performance and scalability.
About North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University is a large, comprehensive public land‑grant research university in Raleigh. Its on‑campus research and technology park co‑locates corporate R&D groups, government partners, and faculty labs, enabling shared facilities, prototyping, and agile contracting. Located in North Carolina’s Research Triangle, partners tap a dense regional ecosystem while engaging through a statewide extension network and a mature co‑op program that deliver field deployment and workforce pipelines. Multiple pilot and demonstration facilities support scale‑up and validation toward pre‑commercial readiness. Research is supported by competitive funding from major federal agencies, including NSF, USDA, DOE, and DOD, and a dedicated technology transfer office with clear IP pathways helps accelerate commercialization.
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