SELECTION FOR DISEASE RESISTANCE IN CIMMYTS MAIZE PROGRAM

Abstract

Before explaining how we try to incorporate disease resistance in CIMMYT’s Maize Program populations I will briefly describe the evolution of our program in Mexico and how breeding for disease resistance became an integral part of the pathologists and breeders program. The maize program began in 1945 with the posting of scientists from the Rockefeller Foundation at the request of the Mexican colleagues collected local varieties, improved them and, in time, crossed them to exotic germplasm. These crosses underwent improvement for several years and were tested for adaptation on a limited scale in several countries. In 1966, CIMMYT was founded and the process of limited testing on an international scale continued until 1973. The tests provided good information on adaptation of most of the population under improvement. Therefore, we decided to give the program a more dynamic approach by offering world wide service to national programs and farmers. Most of our maize materials are now grouped into Advanced and Back-Up Units, based on their relative adaptation uniformity.