b'ABIOTIC TOLERANCE Yield stability or securityproviding hybrids with robust genetics that allow them to better perform in a wide range of environmental conditionsis critical for todays corn breeders. The increase in temperature and the higher frequency of drought situations during the vegetative period is certainly pushing the selection towards more robust types that can handle varying growing conditions, says Camp. This is one reason why we introduced a maize breeding coop-eration with Saatzucht Gleisdorf, which is located in Steiermark, Austria, a signifi-cantly different climatic zone.Lidea in France is also testing new genotypes for abiotic tolerance on a very large and wide testing network that offers very different climatic conditions for assess-Viktor Borysov (foreground), chairman of the board of MAIS Company. ing hybrid stability. This strategy is imple-mented, says Bettinger, at the first stages of selection through to commercialization.Like the other breeders, Company Mais and Limagrain Field Seeds also focus mostly on drought and excess heat in the realm of abiotic stressors. Regarding drought, several years ago, Limagrain launched a dedicated range of corn hybrids called Hydraneo, which have enhanced water use efficiency in certain European locations.Halechko also notes that, because northern regions of Europe generally offer good moisture levels as well as less risk of heat stress, many farmers in these areas over the last 20 years have started growing Ludwig Feldmeier, maize breeder at Freiherr vonElliot Heffner, Europe plant breeding leader atcorn. However, this approach requires sig-Moreau Saatzucht GmbH. Corteva Agriscience. nificant financial investment and training of farmers to be successful, as well as the Beaufum agrees that NCLB, stemthere is a pest that is intensively spreadingbest genetics.and ear rot as well as grey leaf spot areacross Ukraine: Western corn rootworm important fungal threats to address in corn(Diabrotica virgifera).GERMPLASM SUPPLYbreeding for Europe. Corteva focuses onThis makes it necessary to move awayThe best genetics in a given hybrid come resistance traits for Fusarium ear and stalkfrom the monoculture of corn and includefrom a wide genetic base. In corn, the rots, Gibberella ear rot, NCLB, head smutsoybeans in the crop rotation, he says. Thisdiversity of genes in the breeding material and late wilt.would result in a decrease in the area of cornis especially important as its a hybrid that There are of course differences insown in the regions affected by this pest.results from crossing parent lines from dif-regional disease pressures, and therefore theThe spread of this insect is a newferent heterotic groups. resistance traits in demand, but Beaufumconcern in Switzerland also, and CampSyngenta takes the maintenance and notes that resistance to some pathogens canreports that the government there isenhancement of genetic diversity very seri-also differ significantly among the variousalready trying to manage this throughously, and all possible methods are used corn types.stricter rotation regulation, barring theto achieve this, explains Knczl. As On this note, Camp adds that cur- planting of maize-on-maize in areas wherean international company, our exchange rently, the early dent x flint silage typesthe worm is present. of genetic material between geographi-with high digestibility of the plant are moreThere are also growing threats outsidecal regions is one of the most widely used strongly affected by NCLB than the pureof Europe that European corn breeders aremethods we employ to increase genetic dent grain types. The other diseases areworking to protect European corn varie- diversity.spread across both types. ties from. Tar spot in increasing in sever- It helps that corn breeding goes back ity in the U.S., as is Complex Mollicutesmore than a century as well. Over the dec-NEW THREATS Virus (CMV) in Brazil, reports Beaufum.ades, breeding companies like Corteva Whilst Halechko notes that the spread ofOutside of insects and fungal pathogens, heAgriscience have built and maintained corn diseases has not changed much acrossnotes that corn viral diseases have increasedan extremely rich germplasm pool where the entirety of Europe over the last decade,in intensity. breeders can continually select for near-8ISEED WORLD EUROPEISEEDWORLD.COM/EUROPE'