Delivering Specialty Traits

Center report

2007

College of AgriCultureDepArtment of Agronomy

The Raymond F. Baker Center for Plant Breeding

plAnt SCienCeS inStitute

The Raymond F. Baker Center for Plant Breeding

—advances the science of plant breeding through

hypothesis driven research,

—develops enhanced germplasm and superior

cultivars for improved productivity, nutritional

value, and adaptability,

—and educates the next generation of public and

private plant breeders.

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tAble of ContentS

Our Mission 2

Letter from the Director 4

Raymond F. Baker: Generating Seeds of Success 5

Center Members 6

Center Staff 7

Center Affiliates: Plant Breeding Faculty, USDA-ARS 7

Graduate Student Program 8

Center Activities 10

Lignocellulosics: Fueling the Future 11

New Center Members: Thomas Lübberstedt and Bill Beavis 12

Publications and Affiliations 13

Grants and Cultivar Releases 15

Finances 15

Change seems to be this year’s buzz-word, describing very well what is happening in the world of economics with ever increasing oil prices and falling $ values, and is certainly the one word remembered from the current presidential race. The Raymond F. Baker Center for Plant Breeding, too, faced a number of changes with regard to its members. The former Director of the Raymond F. Baker Center for Plant Breeding, Kendall Lamkey, has meanwhile been appointed Head of the Department of Agronomy, a position he was holding as “interim” before. High work-load and focus on the Department Chair position made him resign from the directorship of the Raymond F. Baker Center for Plant Breeding. Two members left: Charles Brummer accepted a Professorship at the University of Georgia, and Jean-Luc Jannink moved to USDA-NRI located at Cornell University. Dr. Jannink remains a collaborator with the Raymond F. Baker Center for Plant Breeding in an ongoing project in the area of Plant Breeding and Education. Two new mem-bers arrived in the fall of 2007: Bill Beavis and myself. Find our short bios on page 12 of this report. And finally, a posi-tion for an Assistant Professor on forage and bioenergy crop breeding is currently being filled; the finalist interviews will take place in April. The new group member composition at the Raymond F. Baker Center for Plant Breeding will drive its activities and direction. A common focus has been, and will increasingly be, the education of future plant breeders. The high demand for field-trained breeders with the knowledge to integrate ge-nomic and other recently developed tools and approaches in plant breeding has been addressed at multiple occasions, most recently at the 44th Corn Breeders School meeting at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in March 2008. In the fall of 2007, USDA-CREES offered a new in-tegrated program on “Plant Breeding and Education”, to which a team from the Raymond F. Baker Center for Plant Breeding applied. Even though we don’t know the outcome yet, we are committed to contribute to this important area in close partnership with private companies. The above mentioned changes in economics and poli-tics have a direct impact on the research conducted at the Raymond F. Baker Center for Plant Breeding. In particular, the political goal to substantially increase biomass-derived

transportation fuels over the coming decades, led to the establishment of two faculty positions in this area (the new Assistant professorship and my own), and stimulated a research project on lignocel-lulosic corn stover by Kendall Lamkey as described on page 11 of this report (see also pub-lications of Kendall Lamkey, Michael Lee, and myself on pages 13 and 14). The theme for this year’s Plant Breeding Lecture Series set for May 27 and 28 will be “Breeding Lignocellulosic Crops for the Bio-economy”. The lecture series is sponsored by the Raymond F. Baker Center for Plant Breeding and the Plant Sciences Institute and will be held on the Iowa State University cam-pus. Finally (I promise to use this word a last time), it was a big change for my family and me to move from Europe to the U.S. While challenges seem to dominate in the start-up phase, I clearly see several opportunities at this promi-nent place for Plant Breeding. The multitude of possibili-ties for interdisciplinary research at Iowa State University, especially those supported under the “umbrellas” of the Plant Sciences Institute and the new Bioeconomy Institute, are impressive. Another very positive experience, reflect-ing excellent opportunities for partnership with breeding companies in the area, was the granting of the Donald N. Duvick Pioneer Fellowship by Pioneer Hi-Bred, Interna-tional to Everton A. Brenner, a graduate student in plant breeding under my supervision. I am looking forward to my 1st spring and summer season in Iowa and hope to dis-cover further opportunities for the Raymond F. Baker Cen-ter for Plant Breeding. We invite you to contact or visit us and our web-site (www.plantbreeding.iastate.edu) for any suggestions you might have that could further the work done by the Raymond F. Baker Center for Plant Breeding in strengthening agriculture and the economy of Iowa and beyond.

letter from the DireCtor

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Thomas Lübberstedt

Raymond F. Baker was an remarkable leader in the history of Iowa agriculture. His work as a corn breeder, researcher, and leader at Pioneer Hi-Bred, International helped to launch a revolution in agronomy. Baker was the Lead Plant Breeder at Pioneer and, under his direction, developed the superior hybrid corn cultivars that catapulted the company toward enormous success. In 1988, the year Baker retired from Pioneer’s Board of Directors, it was estimated that 25% of the corn grown in the United States was descended from varieties developed under

his direction.

To understand Raymond Baker’s impact on agriculture, we must look back at farming practices in the United States during the early 1900’s. Farming was a very labor intensive endeavor. Horsepower literally came from horses, and farm chores started before dawn. Corn was hand planted and hand picked. At harvest, farmers selected their best looking ears of corn and saved those seeds for planting the next season. These open-pollinated corn plants exhibited heterogeneity for many traits and were more subject to lodging and more susceptible to biotic and abiotic stresses. Because the plants matured at different rates and grew to different sizes, harvesting with machines was impossible. Corn yields averaged about 30 bushels an acre. The

economic livelihood of a farm family was precarious.

Buying corn seed, even hybrid seed, was considered folly, until, in the mid 1930’s, a severe drought brought disaster to the Corn Belt. Drought-tolerant hybrid varieties, developed by Raymond Baker, proved the worthiness of hybridization and increased the demand for hybrid corn until, by the 1940’s, nearly 100% of corn grown in the Midwest were hybrids. Under Mr. Baker’s guidance, the research budget at Pioneer grew dramatically from the $2000 allotted in 1932 to $54,484,000 in 1988, the year he stepped down from the Board of Directors. The success of Pioneer’s research department can be attributed both to Mr. Baker’s commitment to scientific rigor and to his strong leadership qualities. Arnel Hallauer, Agronomy Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Iowa State, wrote of Raymond Baker, “His personal development of outstanding hybrids and his ability to assemble and direct a high-quality plant breeding staff formed the base for rapid expansion of Pioneer Hi-Bred, International.” During his more than 50 years of corn breeding, Mr. Baker initiated the practices of comparison test plots, cold germination testing, and breeding for insect and disease resistance, procedures now standard in corn breeding and hybrid seed production.

Raymond Baker was committed to advancing the profession of plant breeding for future generations. He was a Fellow in both the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Society of Agronomy and was instrumental in establishing the National Council of Commercial Plant Breeders. The Raymond F. Baker Center for Plant

Breeding was named in his honor and strives to continue and promote the art and science of plant breeding.

rAymonD f. bAker: Generating Seeds of Success by Marcia Minear

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Raymond F. Baker demonstrating hybrid corn cultivars.

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I feel that I have been especially

fortunate in choosing a life-long

vocation that I have enjoyed more

than anything else I could do. For

me, corn research has been both my

vocation and hobby. It was Iowa State

that made it possible for me to learn

about, and get in on the ground floor

of hybrid corn research, for which I

will always be thankful. —Raymond F. Baker

Kendall R. Lamkey, Corn BreedingPioneer Distinguished Chair in Maize Breeding

Chair, Department of AgronomyProfessor, Department of Agronomy

Ph.D. (Plant Breeding/Cytogenetics), 1985, Iowa State UniversityM.S. (Plant Breeding/Genetics), 1982, University of Illinois

B.S. (Agronomy), 1980, University of Illinois

Michael Lee, Plant Breeding and GeneticsProfessor, Department of AgronomyPh.D. (Plant Breeding), 1986, University of MinnesotaM.S. (Plant Breeding), 1984, University of MinnesotaB.S. (Plant Science), 1981, Rutgers University

Walter R. Fehr, Soybean BreedingCharles F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor in Agriculture

Professor, Department of AgronomyPh.D. (Plant Breeding/Genetics), 1967, Iowa State University

M.S. (Agronomy/Plant Genetics), 1962, University of MinnesotaB.S. (Agronomy), 1961, University of Minnesota

Jean-Luc Jannink, Small Grains BreedingAssociate Professor, Department of AgronomyPh.D. (Plant Breeding/Sustainable Agriculture), 1999, University of MinnesotaM.S. (Plant Sciences), 1995, University of Maine B.A. (Biology), 1991, Haverford College

Arnel R. Hallauer, Corn BreedingDistinguished Professor Emeritus, Department of AgronomyPh.D. (Plant Breeding), 1960, Iowa State UniversityM.S. (Plant Breeding), 1958, Iowa State UniversityB.S. (Plant Science), 1954, Kansas State University

Nurturing a tradition of service to the people of Iowa, the nation, and the world.

Center memberS

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Thomas Lübberstedt, Plant Breeding and GeneticsKenneth J. Frey Endowed ChairDirector, Raymond F. Baker Center for Plant BreedingAssociate Professor, Department of AgronomyHabilitation (Plant Breeding & Biotechnology), 1999, University of Hohenheim, GermanyPh.D. (Biology), 1993, LM-University Munich, Germany

William Beavis, Quantitative GeneticsGeorge F. Sprague Endowed Chair

Professor, Department of AgronomyPh.D. (Quantitative Genetics), 1986, Iowa State University

M.S. (Interdisciplinary Biology-Statistics), 1981, New Mexico State University B.S. (Range Management), 1978 Humboldt State University

Silvia Cianzio, Soybean BreedingProfessor, Department of AgronomyPh.D. (Plant Breeding), 1978, Iowa State UniversityM.S. (Plant Breeding), 1970, Iowa State UniversityB.S. (Agronomy), 1968, Universidad del Uruguay

Nurturing a tradition of service to the people of Iowa, the nation, and the world.

Philip W. Becraft, Development and Molecular BiologyMadan Kumar Bhattacharyya, Soybean Molecular GeneticsMichael Blanco, Maize Germplasm EnhancementSteve Cannon, GeneticsSilvia Cianzio, Soybean BreedingJode Edwards, Maize Quantitative GeneticsWalter Fehr, Soybean BreedingCandice Gardner, Plant Germplasm and ConservationMichelle Graham, GeneticsDavid Grant, Plant GeneticsJean-Luc Jannink, Small Grains BreedingKendall Lamkey, Maize Breeding

Carolyn Lawrence, Plant GeneticsMichael Lee, Plant Breeding and GeneticsReid G. Palmer, Soybean GeneticsPeter A. Peterson, CytogeneticsThomas A. Peterson, Maize Molecular GeneticsLinda Pollak, Corn BreedingPatrick Schnable, Plant Molecular GeneticsPaul Scott, Maize Grain QualityRandy Shoemaker, Soybean Genomics and Gene DiscoveryKan Wang, Plant Genetics and Molecular BiologyMark Widrlechner, Plant Germplasm Conservation

Scientists in the Raymond F. Baker Center for Plant Breeding are also members of the Department of Agronomy’s plant breeding and genetics faculty. Faculty conduct research, teach courses in plant breeding and genetics, and mentor graduate students by serving as major professors and on Program of Study Committees.

iowA StAte univerSity plAnt breeDing AnD genetiCS fACulty

Leslie C. Lewis, Research Leader, EntomologistSteven Cannon, Research GeneticistBrad Coates, Research GeneticistJode Edwards, Research GeneticistJohn C. Golden, Plant GeneticistMichelle Graham, Research GeneticistDavid M. Grant, Plant GeneticistRichard Hellmich, Research EntomologistKyung Seok Kim, Research Molecular BiologistNicholas Lauter, Research GeneticistCarolyn Lawrence, Research GeneticistJenelle Meyer, Research GeneticistRex Nelson, Research GeneticistReid G. Palmer, Research GeneticistLinda M. Pollak, Research GeneticistJarrad Prasifka, Research EntomologistJames Robbins, EntomologistThomas Sappington, Research EntomologistM. Paul Scott, Research GeneticistTaner Sen, Computational BiologistRandy Shoemaker, Research GeneticistDouglas Sumerford, Research EntomologistRoger Wise, Research Geneticist

Keith Bidne, Agricultural Science Research TechnicianBrian Burnham, Biological Research TechnicianDarwin Campbell, Information Technology SpecialistDavid Dorhout, Biological Science Lab TechnicianJeanette Dyer, Biological Science TechnicianJanet Erb, SecretaryUmar Farooq, Biological Science Technician Jill Fleming, StatisticianGregory Fuerst, Biological Science Lab TechnicianKarin Gobelman-Werner, Biological Science Lab TechnicianLinda Griffin, Biological Science Lab TechnicianRobert Gunnarson, Biological Science TechnicianJody Hayes, Biological Science Lab TechnicianLori Lincoln, Biological Science Lab TechnicianMiriam Lopez, Biological Science TechnicianPenny Meyerholz, Agricultural Science Research TechnicianAdrienne Moran Lauter, Biological Science Lab TechnicianGreg Peiffer, Biological Science TechnicianMyron Peto, Research AssociateRandy Ritland, Agricultural Science Research TechnicianJose Rodriguiz, Biological Science TechnicianTrent Seigfried, Information Technology SpecialistJudy Shoen, SecretaryNathan Weeks, Information Technology Specialist

uSDA-ArS Corn inSeCtS AnD Crop genetiCS reSeArCh unitSince about 1922, scientists at Iowa State University have benefited from the presence of an outstanding United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) unit on campus working in the general area of plant breeding and genetics. Many members of the Raymond F. Baker Center for Plant Breeding maintain long-standing collaborations with the USDA-ARS Corn Insects and Crop Genetics Research Unit lead by Dr. Leslie C. Lewis.

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Dan Duvick, Research Associate, Soybean BreedingSusan Johnson, Assistant Scientist, Soybean BreedingJill Litwiller, SecretaryMarcia Minear, Administrative SpecialistGeorge Patrick, Research Associate, Small Grains Breeding

Kevin Scholbrock, Research Associate, Soybean BreedingRonald Skrdla, Agricultural Specialist, Small Grains BreedingMark Smith, Agricultural Specialist, Forage BreedingGrace Welke, Assistant Scientist, Soybean BreedingPaul White, Field Lab Technician, Corn Breeding

The Center employs talented and dedicated individuals who support the work of the members of the Raymond F. Baker Center for Plant Breeding. Many have advanced degrees in their field of study.

Center StAff

An important component of the mission of the Raymond F. Baker Center for Plant Breeding is the work members do guiding

and training future scientists in the field of plant breeding. In 2006, thirty-nine students worked toward advanced degrees

in plant breeding and genetics. Listed below are their names, degrees sought, the place they call home, their expected year

of graduation, and the focus of their study in plant breeding. Congratulations to Victor Abertondo, Julia Olmstead, Brian

Anderson, Paola Tatiana Perez, Oswaldo Tabaoda-Gaytan, Lisa Haney, Megan Harvey, Marie Hasenstein, and Colin Shepherd

for graduating with plant breeding degrees in 2007.

Victor Abertondo (Argentina), M.S., 2007, “Phenotypic analysis of intermated B73 x Mo17 (IBM) populations.” Major Professor: Dr. Michael Lee

Brian P. Anderson (Iowa), M.S., 2007. “Breeding for improved emergence of low-phytate soybean lines.” Major Professor: Dr. Walter Fehr

James Baskett (Missouri), Ph. D., 2010. “Genetics.”Major Professor: Dr. Madan Kumar Bhattacharyya

Raechel Baumgartner (Puerto Rico), M.S., 2009. “Soybean breeding.”Major Professor: Dr. Walter Fehr

Anastasia Bodnar (Florida), Ph.D., 2012. “Integrated genetics.”Major Professor: Dr. Paul Scott

Hargeet Brar (India), Ph.D., 2008. “Genetics.”Major Professor: Dr. Madan Kumar Bhattacharyya

Everton A. Brenner (Brazil), Ph.D., 2011. “ Bioenergy maize-stover conversion to biofuels.”Major Professor: Dr. Thomas Lübberstedt

Yongsheng Chen (China), Ph.D., 2011. “Bioenergy maize-stover conversion to biofuels.”Major Professor: Dr. Thomas Lübberstedt

Thanda Dhliwayo (Zimbabwe), Ph.D., 2008. “Selection for resistance to maize weevil (Sitophilus zeamais Motchulsky) and its effects on the nutritional profile of maize.” Major Professor: Dr. Michael Lee

Greg Doonan (Iowa), M.S., 2009. “Soybean breeding.”Major Professor: Dr. Walter Fehr

Moises Roman-Gonzalez (Puerto Rico), Ph.D., 2010. “Plant breeding.”Major Professors: Dr. Linda Pollak, Dr. Susana Goggi

Karen Grote (Iowa), Ph.D., 2010. “Plant breeding.”Major Professor: Dr. Michael Lee

Lucia Gutierrez (Uruguay), Ph.D., 2008. “Genetic diversity of cultivated barley and its wild relatives.” Major Professors: Dr. Jean-Luc Jannink, Dr. John Nason

Lisa J. Haney (Illinois), M.S., 2007. “A method to evaluate corn stover biomass for fermentability to ethanol and the characterization of maize (Zea mays) brown midrib mutants.”Major Professors: Dr. Paul Scott, Dr. Kendall Lamkey

Megan Harvey (North Carolina), M.S., 2007, “Characterization of the 22kDa alpha zein gene family and determination of the impact of opaque2 on two transgenes containing zein promoters.”Major Professors: Dr. Michael Lee, Dr. Paul Scott

Marie Hasenstein (Wisconsin), M.S., 2007, “Molecular mechanisms for increasing maize (Zea mays) endosperm lysine and methionine content.”Major Professors: Dr. Paul Scott, Dr. Erik Vollbrecht

Sara Helland (Iowa), Ph.D., 2010. “QTL/gene detection and linkage disequilibrium after 4 and 10 generations of random mating in a maize inbred population.” Major Professor: Dr. Michael Lee

Laurie Hyrkas (Minnesota), M.S., 2008. “Heterosis of maize: Yield loss in F2 plants and comparison of heterosis models.” Major Professor: Dr. Kendall Lamkey

Jonathan Jenkinson (Canada), Ph.D., 2011, “Soybean breeding.”Major Professor: Dr. Walter Fehr

Bindu Joseph (India), Ph.D., 2008. “A structural analysis of a region of the soybean genome containing a major QTL for seed protein composition.”Major Professor: Dr. Randy Shoemaker

Keith E. King (Oklahoma), Ph.D., 2010. “Genetic mapping of iron stress response genes.”Major Professors: Dr. Randy Shoemaker, Dr. Silvia Cianzio

Krystal Kirkpatrick (Iowa), M.S., 2008. “Identification and characterization of maize varieties with beneficial traits for biobased industries.”Major Professor: Dr. Kendall Lamkey

Travis J. Lee (Kansas), Ph.D. “Evaluation of recurrent selection in BS10 and BS11.” Major Professor: Dr. Kendall Lamkey

Bryce Lemke (Iowa), Ph.D., 2009, “Corn breeding.” Major Professor: Dr. Kendall Lamkey

grADuAte StuDent progrAm

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Juan Carlos Martinez (Mexico), M.S., 2008. “Establishment of transformation systems using inbred-maize mature seeds.” Major Professor: Dr. Kan Wang

Laura Mayor (Argentina), Ph.D., 2008. “Genetic analysis of ear development in maize.” Major Professor: Dr. Michael Lee

Kendra A. Meade (Indiana), Ph.D., 2010. “Maize breeding.” Major Professor: Dr. Michael Lee

Milly Nambogga Kanobe (Uganda), Ph.D., 2009. “Nutritional crop improvement through plant biotechnology.” Major Professor: Dr. Kan Wang, Dr. Steve Rodermel

Jamie A. O’Rourke (Utah), Ph.D., 2008. “Genetic analysis of iron deficiency chlorosis in soybeans.”Major Professors: Dr. Randy Shoemaker, Dr. Steven Whitham

Julia E. Olmstead (Minnesota), M.S., 2007. “Diversifying Midwestern agriculture with perennial forages: a review of the benefits and barriers to forages in Iowa, and a genetic study of biofuel potential for reed canarygrass.”Major Professors: Dr. Jean-Luc Jannink, Dr. E. Charles Brummer

Massiel A. Orellana (Chile), Ph.D., 2008. “Application of Bayesian models with heterogeneous variances to GxE models in oat seed.” Major Professors: Dr. Alicia Carriquiry, Dr. Jode Edwards

Paola Tatiana Perez (Columbia), M.S., 2007. “Agronomic performance of soybean [Glycine max (L>) Merr.] hybrids.”Major Professors: Dr. Reid Palmer, Dr. Silvia Cianzio

Valentin D. Picasso Risso (Uruguay), Ph.D., 2008. “Crop diversity and ecosystem functioning in perennial polycultures for forage, biomass, and grain.”Major Professors: Dr. E. Charles Brummer, Dr. Matt Liebman

Curtis Scherder (Missouri), Ph. D., 2008. “Soybean breeding.”Major Professor: Dr. Walter Fehr

Colin Shepherd, Ph.D., 2007. “Expression of GFP in transgenic maize seed tissues and processing of GFP-containing grain.”Major Professor: Dr. Paul Scott

Yoon-Sup So (South Korea), Ph.D., 2008. “Heterogeneity of error and genotype x environment interaction variance in state corn yield test and cultivar selection.” Major Professors: Dr. Kendall Lamkey, Dr. Jode Edwards

Oswaldo Taboada-Gayton (Mexico), Ph.D., 2007. “Heterosis in physical, compositional, and wet-milling characteristics of hybrids from exotic introgressed by adapted inbred lines in corn.” Major Professor: Dr. Linda Pollak

Karla Vogel (Iowa), M.S., 2009. “Genetics.”Major Professor: Dr. Paul Scott

Christiana Wiebbecke (Iowa), Ph.D., 2010 “Plant breeding.”Major Professor: Dr. Silvia Cianzio

Shengqiang Zhong (China), Ph.D., 2008. “Genetics.”Major Professors: Dr. Jean-Luc Jannink, Dr. Jack Dekkers

My grandmother used to nurture my fascination with plant diversity as

we gardened together when I was a kid growing up near Oelwein, Iowa.

The person most responsible for turning my interest in plant variation

into a career in plant genetics was my mentor, Walter Fehr, Iowa State’s

very distinguished soybean breeder.

—Jim Miller, B.S. 1976 Agronomy, M.S. 1977 Plant BreedingVice President of Crop Genetics, Research, and Development, Pioneer Hi-Bred International, retired

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ß-glucan research conducted. Further studies to identify loci associated with the presence of ß-glucan in oats and barley were conducted. Association mapping techniques were developed to enhance the study. A $500,000 grant from USDA-CSREES was awarded to plant breeder, Jean-Luc Jannink, to further the study. Two Ph.D. assistantships will be funded for the project. Candidates are currently applying. Lance Gibson and Pam White, both professors at ISU, will participate in the project.

Corn-stover project continues. Work continues on developing cultivars that can be used in the manufacturing of ethanol from corn-stover, the crop material leftover after corn is harvested. Studies are being conducted to measure stover yield and quality and to determine if changes in stover properties effect grain yields. Kendall Lamkey is directing the project.

European corn borer resistance research progresses. Mike Lee is conducting research to determine methods to enhance resistance to European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner)). Mapping methods have been used to identify factors that lead to resistance. Cell wall components in maize have been found to have genetic associations with resistance.

Plant breeding book published. A book edited by Mike Lee and Kendall Lamkey, Plant Breeding: The Arnel R. Hallauer International Symposium (ISBN: 08138-2824-4, Blackwell Publishing), was released. The book contains a collection of articles about critical topics in plant breeding, including ethical and legal issues, impact by technology, and emerging research methods.

Member receives award. Jean-Luc Jannink, small grains breeder, was recognized by the Crop Science Society of America with the Young Crop Scientist Award. One award is given each year to a scientist who has made an outstanding contribution in crop science by the age of thirty-seven.

Soybean breeder’s research is in the news. Walter Fehr’s work to develop varieties of low-linolenic soybeans was featured on stories written for the Wall Street Journal and for National Public Radio. These soybeans are in the news because their use eliminates the need for hydrogenation, a process that creates trans-fats. New York City recently banned restaurants from using products that contain trans-fats.

Center report receives award. The R.F. Baker Center for Plant Breeding 2006 Center Report received first place in the annual report division of the 2007 competition conducted by the Publications and Projects Committee of NAADA (National Agricultural Alumni and Development Association). The report is designed, edited, and written by Marcia Minear, Administrative Specialist for the Center.

Changes in Center membership. Jean-Luc Jannink, small grains breeders, left Iowa State University to begin work with USDA at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. He will continue to collaborate with colleagues at Iowa State University. The Kenneth J. Frey Endowed Chair, newly created by Iowa State University, was filled by Thomas Lübberstedt, senior scientist at the Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Genetics and Biotechnology. Lübberstedt also assumed the role of Director for the R.F. Baker Center for Plant Breeding beginning in the fall of 2007.He suceeded Kendall Lamkey, who served as Director from 2002-2007. William Beavis joined the Agronomy faculty in the fall of 2007. He is a leading expert in bioinformatics and has served as chief scientific officer at the National Center for Genome Resources in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

The greatest service that can be rendered to any country is to add

a useful plant to its culture. -Thomas Jefferson

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Center ACtivitieS 2007

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lignoCelluloSiCS: fueling the future

Moving toward energy independence is a critical goal for the United States. Most agree that developing methods to generate a portion, if not all, of the energy used by America, would benefit both the country’s economic health and increase the se-curity of the nation. Scientists are working on various systems, including wind, geothermal reservoirs, and solar sources, to sustainably harness America’s natural resources to create energy. ‘Growing’ energy is also being undertaken by farmers and the ethanol industry, which, through a series of chemical processes, converts corn grain into fuel. Researchers are looking at methods to expand the materials used as a base for ethanol conversion. Cellulosic ethanol production holds great promise in the quest for energy independence and could potentially mitigate the perceived conflict with human and animal food supplies. Plants high in lignocellulose include, among others, switchgrass, poplars, willows, the straw of small grains, sug-arcane, and corn. Researchers with the R.F. Baker Center for Plant Breeding are among those working to realize the potential of this renewable energy resource.

Lignocellulose is a structural component of all plant matter. It is also abundant in nature, and in the case of corn stover, the residue left after the grain is harvested, mainly unused for other purposes. Kendall Lamkey, a corn breeder with the Center, is a part of a multi-university team focused on developing productive, efficient, and sustainable strategies to determine effective methods to turn corn stover biomass into fuel. The team includes researchers who are investigating optimal plant varieties, developing tools for harvest and storage of the stover, and evaluating impacts and restraints on the environment and the economy. The “Integrated Feedstock Supply Systems for Corn Stover Biomass” team was awarded a grant of about two million dollars from USDA-DOE to support the work of the project. Lamkey is working on research projects to identify and develop hybrid corn cultivars that would meet the needs of the ethanol industry.

Corn stover is often left on the field after harvest to protect the land from erosion. Finding methods to harvest stover without harming the soil is an important consideration.

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Krystal Kirkpatrick, a graduate student in plant breeding at Iowa State University, has been evalu-ating maize hybrids to determine their use in cellulosic ethanol production. She is working with Professor Kendall Lamkey, corn breeder, on the project, and is funded by the “Integrated Feed-stock Supply Systems for Corn Stover Biomass” grant. Over the course of two years and in two locations in Iowa, Kirkpatrick examined fifty maize hybrids for yields of grain, stover, cob, and husk. Through wet chem-

istry methods and using Near Infrared Reflectance Spec-troscopy, Kirkpatrick was able to estimate the cellulose and hemicellulose content of each fiber type. These estimates were used to calculate the theoretical ethanol yield for each hybrid studied and for each plant part sampled. She has concluded from her work that the greatest gains in ethanol yield per acre may come from increasing stover yield. How-ever there are problems with successfully collecting the en-tire stover portion and concerns with detrimental effects to the environment when stover is removed from fields.

Kirkpatrick found that the cob and husk portions of the plant could offer a promising alternative to harvesting the whole stover portion of the plant. She determined that the cobs and husks account for nearly 25% of nongrain above ground biomass and have a higher theoretical ethanol po-tential than stover, though not necessarily a higher ethanol yield per acre, due to reduced biomass. In addition, she has found significant cob yield variation among hybrids and a positive correlation between cob and grain yield. She believes it may be possible to breed for higher cob yields while selecting for high-er grain yields.

Krystal Kirkpatrick is from Humbolt, Iowa and completed her un-dergraduate degree in biology at Cornell Col-lege. She will finish her Master’s degree in plant breeding in May of 2008. She plans to work as a plant breeder in the seed industry af-ter graduation.

Krystal Kirkpatrick shows some of the ground samples of corn stover, cob, and husk used to determine the theoretical ethanol yield of fifty maize hybrids.

Kirkpatrick used invitro detergent methods to measure the sugars in ground samples of stover, cob, and husk used to calculate the theoretical ethanol potential of maize hybrids and plant parts.

Corn Stover AnAlySiS projeCt

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new Center memberS

Dr. Thomas Lübberstedt, in addition to being ap-pointed to the Kenneth J. Frey Endowed Chair, was named the new di-rector of the Raymond F. Baker Center for Plant Breeding. Dr. Lüb-berstedt succeeds Dr. Kendall Lamkey, who served as director from 2002 to 2007.

Thomas Lübberstedt was born in Germany and grew up on his family’s

farm near Hamburg. He studied agriculture and horticulture at the University of Munich and the University of Hohen-heim. He has worked as a senior scientist with the Depart-ment of Genetics and Biotechnology at the Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences in Slagelse, Denmark. Lübberstedt will focus his research efforts at Iowa State University on the development of biomass crops. While his scientific research has been dedicated to the study of maize and ryegrass, he will also be exploring additional crops that can be used for bioenergy. “I will use my experience with perennial grasses to develop a number of alternatives,” Lübberstedt said. Ini-tial research projects will investigate how cell wall digestibil-ity influences conversion to ethanol and the identificaion of cultivars of maize and other crops with traits that contribute to high conversion efficiency without loss to biomass yield.

Lübberstedt is also interested in increasing the number of students studying plant breeding at ISU. A critical shortage of plant breeders is seen by both private seed companies and public entities. Lübberstedt will work with other plant breeders at ISU and leaders in the seed industry to strength-en the plant breeding curriculum and to explore alternative methods of educational delivery, including distance educa-tion models. The highly successful ISU Science in Agronomy Distance Education Program will serve as a model for future efforts.

Dr. Bill Beavis also joined the ISU faculty in August of 2007. Beavis, who is a leading expert in bioinformatics, was ap-pointed to the George F. Sprague Endowed Chair. He re-ceived his Ph.D. from Iowa State University in 1986, worked at Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. for 12 years develop-ing applications in statistical genetic methods, and, recently, served as chief scientific officer at the National Center for Genome Resources in Santa Fe, New Mexico. His work at the Center for Genome Resources led to the development of a handheld diagnostic kit used by clinicians to test the prob-ability that patients will develop sepsis, a serious medical condition. He believes similar systems can be developed to serve plant breeders and agronomists in the field.

Beavis will be using his expertise in genomics to develop di-agnostics kits that would provide researchers and practitio-ners with information at the genetic level to gain information on the crops as they are growing. These handheld portable devices would send results of a chemical test done in the field to a database that would return information that could be used, for example, to determine disease problems before plants show symptoms. This kit could also be used to obtain DNA-based information about plant traits that are not ob-servable every year or under all growing conditions. This in-formation could speed up the process of crop improvement and field trial work. Beavis said, “Even with 15 years worth of genomic research, a gap still remains between research discoveries and their application to crop improvement.”

Dr. Beavis is recognized by colleagues as discov-ering the statistical ir-regularity that overesti-mates the genetic effects of quantitative trait loci (QTL) when searching for genes carrying par-ticular traits. This effect is known as the ‘Beavis Effect.’

Dr. Thomas Lübberstedt

Two researchers joined the Raymond F. Baker Center for Plant Breeding in 2007. Each scientist offers unique sets of skills and expertise to the Center and will add significant contributions to projects engaged by the Center.

Dr. Bill Beavis

Raymond F. BakeR CenteR FoR Plant BReedingDelivering Speciality Traits

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Ingvardsen, C., Schejbel, B., Lübberstedt, T. (2007) Functional markers for disease resistance in plants. Progress in Botany 69: 61-87.

Asp, T., Frei, U., Didion, T., Nielsen, K.K., Lübberstedt, T. (2007) Frequency, type, distribution, and annotation of EST-SSRs from three genotypes of Lolium perenne, and their conservation in orthologous sequences of Festuca arundinacea, Brachypodium distachyon, and Oryza sativa. BMC Plant Biology 7:36.

Xing, Y., Frei, U., Anderson, B., Asp, T., Lübberstedt, T. (2007) Nucleotide diversity and linkage disequilibrium in 11 Lolium perenne genes. BMC Plant Biology 7:43.

Schejbel, B, Jensen, L.B., Xing, Y., Asp, T., Lübberstedt, T. (2008) Mapping of QTL for powdery mildew resistance and resistance gene analogues in perennial ryegrass. Plant Breeding.

Barrière, Y., Riboulet, C., Méchin, V., Pichon, M., Cardinal, A., Lübberstedt, T., Lapierre, C. (2007) Genetics and Genomics of lignification in grass cell walls based on maize as a model system. Genes, Genomes and Genomics (GGG) 1 (2): 133-156.

Studer, B., Asp, T., Frei, U., Hentrup, S., Meally, H., Guillard, A., Barth, S., Muylle, H., Roldan-Ruiz, I., Barre, P., Koning-Boucoiran, C., Uenk-Stunnenberg, G., Dolstra, O., Skøt, L., Skøt, K.P., Turner, L.B., Humphreys, M.O., Kölliker, R., Roulund, N., Nielsen, K.K., Lübberstedt, T. (2008) Expressed sequence tag-derived microsatellite markers of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne l.). Mol. Breed.(doi: 10.1007/s11032-007-91480)

Andersen, J.R., Zein, I., Wenzel, G., Darnhofer, B., Eder, J., Ouzunova, M., Lübberstedt, T. (2008) Association of polymorphisms within phenylpropanoid pathway genes with forage quality traits in European maize (Zea mays L.) inbreds. BMC Plant Biol 8: 2.

Pedersen, A.J., Andersen, J.R., Jensen, L.B., Lübberstedt, T. (2008) Functional markers for vernalisation response in grasses. In: Application of Genomics and Bioinformatics in Plants; G.P. Rao, C. Wagner & R.K. Singh (eds), Studium Press LLC, Texas, 311-341.

publiCAtionS AnD AffiliAtionS

Dr. Kendall Lamkey

Editor, Crop Science

PublicationsWardyn, B.M., J.E. Edwards, and K.R. Lamkey. 2007. The genetic

structure of a maize population: The role of dominance. Crop Sci. 47:xxx-xxx (Accepted for publication)

Lorenz, A.J., M.P. Scott, and K.R. Lamkey 2008. Genetic variation and breeding potential of phytate and inorganic phosphorous in a maize population. Crop Sci. 48: 79-84

Hochholdinger F., Wen T.J. Zimmermann R., Lauert P., da Costa e Silva O., Bruce W.d, Lamkey K.R., Wienand U., and Schnable P.S. 2008. The maize (Zea mays L.) roothairless3 gene encodes a putative GPI-anchored monocot specific COBRA-like protein required for normal root hair development and grain yield. Submitted: The Plant Journal (Accepted 1/25/2008)

Wardyn, B.M., J.E. Edwards, and K.R. Lamkey. 2008. Predicted gain from inbred-progeny selection is inferior to half-sib selection in two maize populations. Crop Sci. (Reviewed and in revision).

Dr. Thomas Lübberstedt

Editor: Theoretical and Applied Genetics Plant BreedingAd Hoc Reviewer: BMC Genetics BMC Genomics Herditas New Phytologist Plant Cell Trends in Plant Science Mydica Plant Journal Genome Plant Science

PublicationsZein, I., Wenzel, G., Andersen, J.R., Lübberstedt, T. (2007)

Low level of linkage disequilibrium at the COMT (Caffeic acid O-methyltransferase) locus in European maize (Zea mays L.). Gen Res & Crop Evol. 54: 139-148.

Quint, M., Lübberstedt, T. (2007) Resistance Gene Analogs – rapid identification of R gene candidates. In: Techniques in Diagnosis of Plant Viruses, G.P. Rao, R.A. Valverde, and C.I. Dovas (eds.), Studium Press LCC, Texas, USA, 265-285.

Uzarowska, A., Keller, B., Piepho, H.-P., Schwarz, G., Ingvardsen, C., Wenzel, G., Lübberstedt, T. (2007) Comparative expression profiling in meristems of inbred – hybrid triplets of maize based on morphological investigations of heterosis for plant height. Plant Mol. Biol. 63: 21-34.

Farrar, K., Asp, T., Lübberstedt, T., Xu, M., Christiansen, C., Thomas, A., Humphreys, M., Donnison, I. (2007) Construction and utilization of two Lolium perenne BAC libraries. Mol. Breed. 19: 15-23.

Andersen, J.R., Zein, I., Krützfeldt, B., Eder, J., Ouzunova, M., Wenzel, G., Lübberstedt, T. (2007) Polymorphisms at the Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase locus are associated with forage quality in European maize (Zea mays L.). Theor. Appl. Genet. 114: 307-319.

Shi, C., Uzarowska, A., Ouzunova, M., Wenzel, G., Lübberstedt, T. (2007) Association between cell wall digestibility and candidate gene expression profiles by application of genetical genomics to a Flint x Flint maize recombinant inbred line population. BMC Genomics 8:22.

Bagge, M., Xia, X., Lübberstedt, T. (2007) Functional markers in wheat. Curr. Opin. Plant Biol. 10: 1-6.

Lu, Y.C., Asp, T., Li Y., Wang, T.Y., Lübberstedt, T. (2007) Cloning and sequence analysis of laccase-coding gene fragments from ryegrass (Lolium perenne). Journal of Natural Sciences of Heilongjiang University (Chinese) 24(2): 214-218.

Lu, Y.C., Asp, T., Schejbel B., Li Y., Wang, T.Y., Lübberstedt, T. (2007) Cloning and sequence analysis of laccases from maize. Journal of Maize Science (Chinese) 15(2) : 9-13.

Jensen, L.B., Holm, P.B., Lübberstedt, T. (2007) Cross-species amplification of 105 Lolium perenne SSR loci in 22 species within the Poaceae. Mol. Ecol. Notes (doi: 10.1111/j.1471-8286.2007.01814.x).

Lübberstedt, T. (2007) Application of genomics in forage crop breeding. In: Genomics assisted crop improvement: Vol. 2: Genomics applications in Crops, R.K. Varshney und R. Tuberosa (eds.), Springer, Heidelberg 281-305.

Schejbel, B, Jensen, L.B., Xing, Y., Lübberstedt, T. (200) QTL mapping of crown rust resistance in perennial ryegrass. Plant Breeding 126, 347-352.

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Dr. Walter R. Fehr

PublicationsGerde, Jose, C. Hardy, W.R. Fehr, and P.J. White. 2007. Frying

performance of no-trans, low-linolenic acid soybean oils. J. Amer. Oil Chemists’ Soc. DOI 10.1007/s11746-007-1066-0 (On-line).

Sandhu, Devinder, J.L. Alt, C.W. Scherder, W.R. Fehr, and M.K. Bhattacharyya. 2007. Enhanced oleic acid content in the soybean mutant M23 is associated with the deletionof the Fad2-1a gene encoding a fatty acid desaturase. J. Amer. Oil Chemists’ Soc. 84(3):229-235.

Spear, J.D., W.R. Fehr. 2007. Genetic improvement of seedling emergence of soybean lines with low phytate. Crop Sci. 47:1354-1360

Dr. William D. Beavis

Technical Editor, The Plant GenomeMember: National Plant Genome Initiative Peer Review Panel Genome Panel for NRI USDA CSREES

PublicationsGonzales, MD K Gajendran, A D. Farmer, E Archuleta, W D.

Beavis (2007). Leveraging model legume information to find candidate genes for soybean Sudden Death Syndrome using the Legume Information System (LIS) In Ed. Edwards D. Methods in Molecular Biology, Humana Press (USA), pp. 245-260

Kingsmore, SF, IE Lindquist, J Mudge, WD Beavis (2007). Genome-Wide Association Studies: Progress in Identifying Genetic Biomarkers in Common, Complex Diseases. Biomarker Insights 2007:2 1–10.

Beavis, WD, FD Schilkey, SM Baxter (2007). Translational Bioinformatics: At the Interface of Genomics and Quantitative Genetics. (Crop Science accepted C07-04-0018-IPBS,)

Brock, G, L Salter, WD Beavis. (2008) Fuzzy and Related Methods as a Screening Tool for Detecting Gene Regulatory Networks. Information Fusion (accepted).

Kingsmore, SF, IE Lindquist, J Mudge WD Beavis (2008). Genome-Wide Association Studies: Progress in Identifying Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets for Common Complex Diseases. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery (accepted).

Dr. Michael Lee

Ad Hoc Reviewer: Journal of Crop Science Journal of Theoretical and Applied Genetics USDA-NRI

PublicationsBicar, E.H., Wendy Woodman-Clikeman, Varaporn Sangtong,

Joan M. Peterson, Michael Lee and M. Paul Scott. Transgenic maize endosperm containing a milk protein has improved amino acid balance. 2007. Transgenic Research (accepted).

Renyi Liu, Clementine Vitte, Jianxin Ma, A. Assibi Mahama, Thanda Dhliwayo, Michael Lee and Jeffrey L. Bennetzen. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (USA). 2007. A GeneTrek analysis of the maize genome. 104: 11844-11849.

P. J. Balint-Kurti, J.C. Zwonitzer, R. J. Wisser, M. E. Pè, G. Pea, M. Lee and A. J. Cardinal. Phytopathology. 2007. Identification of Quantitative Trait Loci for Resistance to Southern Leaf Blight and Days to Anthesis in Two Maize Recombinant Inbred Line Populations (accepted).

Dr. Silvia Cianzio

Symposium Editor, Soil Science and Plant NutritionEditorial Board - Member, Journal of Crop Improvement Ad Hoc Reviewer: Theoretical and Applied Genetics (TAG) Crop Science Maydica Plant and Soil; Journal of Heredity Crop Science Environmental and Experimental Botany (EEB) Journal of Plant Nutrition; Journal of Agriculture of the University of Puerto Rico Theoretical and Applied Genetics (TAG)

Publications

Cianzio, S.R. 2007. Soybean Breeding . pp. 245-273. In M. S. Kang and P.M. Priyadarshan (eds.) Breeding Major Food Staples, Blackwell Publishing Professional, Ames, IA, U.S.A.

Kazi, S., V.N. Njiti, T.W. Doubler, J. Yuan, J.M. Iqbal, S.R. Cianzio, D.A. Lightfoot. 2007. Registration of the Flyer X Hartwig Recombinant Inbred Line mapping population. Crop Sci. 47.

O’Rourke, Michelle A. Graham, Lila Vodkin, Delkin Orlando Gonzalez, Silvia R. Cianzio, Randy C. Shoemaker. 2007. Recovering from Iron Deficiency Chlorosis in Near Isogenic Soybeans: A Microarray Study Jamie A. Plant and Soil (in press).

Ortiz-Perez, E., S.R. Cianzio, H. Wiley, H.T. Horner, W.H. Davis, and R.G. Palmer. 2007. Insect-mediated cross pollination in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] I. Agronomic performance. Field Crops Res. 101:259-268 .

Raymond F. BakeR CenteR FoR Plant BReedingDelivering Speciality Traits

publiCAtionS AnD AffiliAtionS

finAnCeS

The Raymond F. Baker Center for Plant Breeding, an

affiliate of the Plant Sciences Institute, receives support

money from several sources. External funding includes

money received from competitive grants, funded by

state and federal government agencies, and money from

grants awarded by foundations and private companies.

In addition, the Center receives money from the Plant

Sciences Institute and income generated from an

endowment established by Raymond F. Baker to support

the scientific advancement of plant breeding and

genetics. Money supports research projects, salaries, and

Center expenses.

Income FY 2007Raymond F. Baker Endowment Income $336,127Plant Sciences Institute Support 98,542Total Income $434,669

Expenditures FY 2007Graduate Student Education/Training $187,490Research Support 103,355Salaries 137,452Operating Expenses 6,372Total Expense $434,669

Dr. Walter R. Fehr

Title: “Development of maturity I-IV Varieties for the Better Bean Initiative”

Amount: $131,600 Funding Source: United Soybean BoardTitle: “Breeding general-use and specialty soybeans for

Iowa” Amount: $156,000 Funding Source: Iowa Soybean Association Title: “Seed production of soybean varieties in Argentina” Amount: $40,000 Funding Source: United Soybean Board Title: “Conduction fatty acid analyses” Amount: $44,325 Funding Source: Iowa Soybean Association

Germplasm Released in 2007 for 2008 Growing Season IA3041, 1% Linolenic Soybean IA 3027LF, Lipoxygenase-free Soybean

Dr. Silvia Cianzio

Title: “Identification and Exploitation of Resistance to Soybean Rust”

Amount: $30,000 Funding Source: University of IllinoisTitle: “The Sudden Death Syndrome Research Alliance” Amount: $60,353 Funding Source: University of Illinois

Cultivar Releases Cianzio, S.R., G. Gebhart, N. Rivera-Velez, and P.

Lundeen. 2007. Soybean cultivar IAR2001 BSR. Cianzio, S. R., P. Arelli, B. Diers, H. Knapp, P.

Lundeen, N. Rivera-Velez, and G. Gebhart. 2007. Soybean germplasm lines AR4SCN, AR5SCN, AR6SCN, AR7SCN, and AR8SCN.

Cianzio, S.R., Bronson, C., Tabor G., Gebhart, G., Lundeen, P., and N. Rivera-Velez. 2007. Soybean line AR9 BSR. ISURF # 03577.

Dr. Kendall Lamkey

Title: “Sustainable Cropping Systems for Harvesting Corn Stover for Biomass”

Amount: $251,001 Funding Source: South Dakota State University

grAntS AnD CultivAr releASeS

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Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. veteran. Inquiries can be directed to the Director of Equal Opportunity and Diversity, 3210 Beardshear Hall, (515) 294-7612.

Raymond F. Baker Center for Plant BreedingIowa State University1301 Agronomy HallAmes, Iowa 50011-1010(515) 294-5076(515) 294-5506 (Fax)mminear@iastate.eduwww.plantbreeding.iastate.edu