Corn plant gene sequence map produced

BEIJING, Feb. 26 (Xinhuanet) -- U.S. scientists have mapped out the corn plant's massive genome which is ultimately one of the breakthroughs that contributes to drive corn yield in the future, media reported Tuesday.

The project's leader said the sequence map is the holy grail for scientists trying to improve a crop that is traded globally for food, animal feed and fuel.

"If you really want to get into the nuts and bolts, all the parts, and understand how things fit together and how things work ... the genome is basically the key to doing that," said Richard Wilson, director of Washington University's Genome Sequencing Center.

There is still some clean-up work left to be done to the corn genome sequence, though it is essentially completed, he said.

Corn production underpins much of the U.S. and global food supply, providing feed for livestock and ingredients for processed foods that run the gamut from wheat bread to soft drinks. A burgeoning demand for corn-based ethanol fuel has driven the price up, and put greater pressure on farmers to grow more corn per acre.

"The benefit for farmers will come from new lines of corn that withstand environmental stress and produce more yield," said Nathan Fields, director of technology and business development with the National Corn Growers' Association.

The United States produced about 13.1 billion bushels of corn last year worth 3 billion U.S. dollars, which is roughly 44 percent of the global supply.

Wilson said a key field of research will be discovering which genes in the sequence lead to which specific traits in a stalk of corn.

(Agencies)