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Physical, Compositional, and Wet Milling Characteristics of Grain from Crosses of Corn Inbreds with Exotic and Nonexotic Background

Corn breeders have developed hybrids with enhanced compositional characteristics, but exotic germplasm represents little of the germplasm base used to produce these hybrids. Effects of the exotic germplasm on physical, compositional, and wet-milling properties as well as the proximate composition of recovered fractions need to be determined before these materials are of value to the corn processing industry. Ten lines from the Germplasm Enhancement of Maize (GEM) project with exotic germplasm introgressed from Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Cuba, and Florida were crossed to three adapted inbred lines (testers) and grain from the resulting 30 hybrids were evaluated for physical, compositional, and wet-milling characteristics and the expression of heterosis in these variables. The B73xMo17 adapted public hybrid was used as control. Grain obtained by self-pollination of the hybrid plants was analyzed using near-infrared transmittance (NIT) technology and a 100-g wet-milling procedure. There was great variation among physical, compositional, and wet-milling characteristics, and some of the experimental hybrids with exotic origin had better starch yield and starch recovery than B73xMo17, which suggests that wet-milling characteristics of U.S. hybrids can be improved by breeding with exotic germplasm. In particular, GEM breeding crosses AR16035:S19, CH05015:N15, CUBA117:S1520, and FS8B(T):N1802 could be valuable germplasm sources to produce inbreds with good milling properties. Testers varied in ability to produce hybrids with good milling properties, indicating that choice of tester is an important factor when evaluating this end use. Although general trait trends for mid- and high-parent heterosis were revealed, individual variation among hybrids and testers was large for most traits. This demonstrates the importance of analyzing individual hybrids that are intended for the wet-milling industry when breeding with exotic introgressed lines.