TRAIT INTROGRESSION
Trait Introgression is a valuable technique in modern agriculture, as it allows the incorporation of desirable traits into corn (and other) crops, such as resistance to pests, tolerance to diseases or herbicides, higher yields, or adaptation to specific environmental conditions.
For the specific case of corn cultivation, trait introgression must be carried out in the parental lines. At Rusticana we know the importance of carrying out this process in a careful and controlled manner to guarantee the safety and effectiveness of the service we offer.
The key steps in the process of trait introgression in corn seeds lines:
Selecting the source of the desired trait
First, plant breeders identify a germplasm source that will act as a donor of the desired trait. This trait can be, for example, resistance to a particular insect, such as BT transgenic corn, which produces an insecticidal protein, or herbicide resistance, among others.
Crossing
A controlled cross is made between the recipient genetic material (which will be called the recurrent parent) and the donor genetic material possessing the desired trait. During this process, it is ensured that the resulting offspring inherit the trait of interest from the donor material.
Backcrossing
Through successive crosses between the segregating genetic material carrying the trait of interest and the recurrent parent, we seek to recover as much of the genetic background of the latter while maintaining the initially donated trait. During this process we use molecular tools that help to improve the efficiency and precision of the process.
Performance and adaptation tests
The resulting lines are extensively tested to evaluate their performance and adaptation to local growing conditions. This is essential to ensure that new corn hybrids with the introduced trait are competitive with the original non-transgenic hybrids.
Commercial launch
Once it has been confirmed that the new transgenic corn hybrid meets the desired quality and yield standards, it can be commercially released for use in agriculture.