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corn x sorghum

shoot
20 years ago

Last year I grew some tetraploid corn but as I planted it late in the year it only grew tiny ears that produced no seed. This year I am planning on obtaining much more (and planting it on time) and in addition growing tetraploid grain sorghum. Both will be of commercial lines. I am planning on crossing them and cutting back the silks and everything, but what are the chances of getting a fertile line? -shoot

Comments (3)

  • Walter_Pickett
    20 years ago

    It is most unlikely you will get a hybrid in the first place.
    BaCK 25 ago, I attended a meeting where Dr. Jacky (or Jacque)James presented her success in crossing corn x sorghum. The result was a triploid, with 2 sets of corn chromosomes, and 1 set of sorghum chromosomes. The plant was the result of embryo culture. It would not have survived as a seed without being removed and cultured on an artificial medium.
    The plant did produce a few seeds from corn pollen, and backcross plants were grown. They each had 2 sets of corn pollen and some also carried a sorghum chromosome or two.
    The origional plant pollination was made by striping bck the corn husks and cutting the silks back to the length of the corgum styles. Dr. James had previously found that sorghum pollen tubes would grow about 1/4 inch in corn silks.
    The hybrid had silks like corn, but growing out of a head like sorghum.
    Myself, I think your chances of getting fertile hybrids are very low, even if you do get hybrids. Tetraploid corn x gamagrass hybrids are quite seed fertile, but pollen sterile. And corn x sorghum is an even wider cross.
    Waltseed

  • seedyoulater
    20 years ago

    corn has been crossed with :polypliod sugarcaine , gama grass (both polyploid and regular)
    teosinte,
    they can cross with other grains such as wheat and oats but they come out formosa ( getting nothing fom the cross but fertilization ) .
    I think a better combination would be DIPLOID CORN AND TRIPLOID SOURGHAM TRY TO MATCH UP THE SAME NUMBER OF CHROMOSOMES ON EACH SIDE.

  • Walter_Pickett
    20 years ago


    I think a better combination would be DIPLOID CORN AND TRIPLOID SOURGHAM TRY TO MATCH UP THE SAME NUMBER OF CHROMOSOMES ON EACH SIDE.

    This puzzels me, seedyoulater. Corn and sorghum are both n= 10. And triploid sorghum is really infertile.
    Both corn and sorghum have crossed with sugarcane, but using sugarcane as a bridge species would have real problems. Sugarcanes start at about 8ploid and run up to at least 12ploid.
    Walter

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