Development of high-quality protein maize (QPM) in the Philippines

The project used a combination of local (IPB's) and CIMMYT [Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maiz y Trigo, Lisbao 27, 06600, Mexico] breeding materials to develop and improve, and hopefully commercialize 1 yellow quality protein maize (QPM). If we could locally develop this type of corn that could enhance the livestock farm's productivity without sacrificing grain yield, then we have helped address the competitiveness of the livestock industry. One hybrid which showed potential CML161 x IYL12 is a cross between a QPM inbred from CIMMYT and an inbred from IPB. There were other hybrids generated and tested by the Project. Due to seed quantity limitation with the inbred-hybrid approach, the Project tried to work with populations also because it is easier to mass propagate them. One particular QPM population was found to be locally adapted, SYQ4, and was used at once in the feeding trials in CLSU [Central Luzon State Univ., Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, Philippines]. This was immediately subjected to population improvement. One varietal hybrid SYQ4 x SYQ6 reached equally the National Cooperative Trial and was found to be well adapted in Luzon. It is now being mass produced by IPB. The work on conversion of normal maize inbred to QPM version using molecular markers was met unfortunately with serious field problems thus stalling the progress of work. The work on population showed more promise. The Project has developed a pair of corn populations using the most high yielding yellow corn varieties of the IPB Cereals Breeding Program: IPB Var 11 and Var 13. Coupled with two equally high performing QPM populations from CIMMYT; SYQ6 (with Var 11) and SYQ11 (with Var 13), these are solid materials for much more productive yellow QPM cultivars than we have now for our corn farmers and our livestock industry.