Baojun Sun

Fushun Tiannong Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd., Fushun, 113000, Liaoning, China
Author    Correspondence author
Maize Genomics and Genetics, 2024, Vol. 15, No. 6   
Received: 10 Sep., 2024    Accepted: 08 Oct., 2024    Published: 30 Oct., 2024

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Sweet corn (Zea mays L.) stands out among maize varieties due to its high sugar content, which significantly affects consumer preference and market value. This study comprehensively examines the genetic basis of sugar content in sweet corn, focusing on key genes such as shrunken2 (sh2) and sugary1 (su1), and the role of molecular techniques like QTL mapping and GWAS in gene identification. Breeding strategies employing marker-assisted selection (MAS) and genomic selection (GS) are highlighted as critical tools for improving sweetness and other agronomic traits. The study also explores the evolutionary origins of sweet corn variants, comparative genomics insights, and the impacts of environmental and epigenetic factors on sugar metabolism. By integrating emerging genomic technologies, this study provides a roadmap for enhancing sweet corn breeding programs to meet consumer demand and optimize market competitiveness.

Sweet corn; High sugar content; Key gene mapping; Marker-assisted selection (MAS); Genomic selection (GS); Sugar metabolism; Epigenetics