Scientists in China have identified two key genes responsible for\nhigh protein content in maize and successfully developed high-protein\nvarieties, offering a promising solution to the country\u2019s animal feed\nprotein shortage.<\/p>\n
Maize is China\u2019s largest grain commodity by production volume.\nHowever, the protein content of common maize is low, at only around 8\nper cent, leading to heavy dependence on imported soybean meal as a\nprotein source for livestock, said Wu Yongrui, Deputy Director of the\nCenter for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences (CEMPS) at the Chinese\nAcademy of Sciences (CAS).<\/p>\n
In 2025, China\u2019s soybean imports exceeded 100 million tonnes.\nIncreasing the protein content of maize by just one percentage point\nwould be equivalent to the protein contained in approximately 8 million\ntonnes of imported soybeans, Wu noted.<\/p>\n
Therefore, developing high-protein maize to replace imported soybean\nmeal in animal feed is a promising tactic to address China\u2019s feed\nprotein shortage. However, for a long time, breeding efforts lacked\naccess to superior high-protein genes, Wu stated.<\/p>\n
Research found that wild maize has a protein level as high as 30 per\ncent, but after more than 9,000 years of domestication and modern\nbreeding, most of those genes have been \u2018lost\u2019 in contemporary varieties\ndue to the absence of targeted selection for protein content, according\nto Wu.<\/p>\n
In 2022, a research team led by Wu identified the first high-protein\ngene, THP9-T, from wild maize, achieving an initial increase in protein\ncontent for major domestic maize varieties. However, further\nbreakthroughs in enhancing maize protein content remained a significant\nchallenge.<\/p>\n
Through continuous efforts, the research team successfully identified\na second high-protein gene, THP3-T. Multi-year field trials across\nvarious locations showed that this gene can increase maize kernel\nprotein content from 10 per cent to over 13 per cent in inbred lines\nwithout damaging yield, whilst also increasing protein content\nthroughout the whole plant and allowing maize to grow well and remain\nprotein-rich with less fertiliser use, Wu said.<\/p>\n
Further research revealed that combining THP3-T and THP9-T produces\nan unprecedented synergistic effect, increasing kernel protein content\nin inbred lines from 10 per cent to 15 per cent\u2014far exceeding the impact\nof each gene individually.<\/p>\n
\u2018This research not only finds the \u2019key puzzle piece\u2019 for high-protein\nmaize breeding, but also offers new possibilities for quality\nimprovement and precision genetic refinement in modern maize,\u2019 said\nWu.<\/p>\n
The team used marker-assisted breeding technology to precisely\nimprove more than 80 parental lines of major maize cultivars in China,\nraising their protein content to over 14 per cent.<\/p>\n
The team also successfully increased the kernel protein content of\nZhengdan958, the most widely cultivated maize hybrid in China, from 8.5\nper cent to over 12 per cent.<\/p>\n
Wu stated that China produces about 300 million tonnes of maize\nannually. If the protein content of maize used for animal feed\nnationwide were increased by four percentage points to more than 12 per\ncent, the total additional protein produced would be equivalent to more\nthan 30 million tonnes of imported soybeans, roughly equal to 30 per\ncent of current soybean imports.<\/p>\n
\u2018This achievement has significant socio-economic value. It can\ndrastically reduce feed costs, enhance the economic benefits of the\nlivestock industry, and through widespread adoption, significantly\nincrease farmers\u2019 incomes,\u2019 said Han Bin, director of CEMPS and CAS\nacademician.<\/p>\n
The findings were published online on Wednesday in the academic\njournal Nature.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/chinese-scientists-develop-high-protein-maize-for-animal-feed-1780620791", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }