HIGHLAND ADAPTATION

The genetic basis of plant adaptation to their local environments remains poorly characterized, despite its relevance to climate change and crop improvement. To better characterize the mechanisms and loci responsible for environmental adaptation in maize (Zea mays), the investigators will explore adaptation to high elevation environments in wild and domesticated populations of maize. Highland and lowland environments differ in a number of features including temperature and precipitation, and maize adaptation to these environments has involved a number of agronomically relevant phenotypes. The first objective is to identify quantitative trait loci for adaptive traits using mapping populations developed from Mexican and South American maize, a naturally admixed population of teosinte (i.e., wild maize) and two populations of introgression lines donated by industry collaborators. These populations will allow for comparison of the genetic architecture and effect sizes of loci controlling..