Xingzhu  Feng

Hainan Institute of Biotechnology, Haikou, 570206, Hainan, China
Author    Correspondence author
Maize Genomics and Genetics, 2025, Vol. 16, No. 2   
Received: 13 Jan., 2025    Accepted: 27 Feb., 2025    Published: 10 Mar., 2025

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.

As the core foundation of fresh corn breeding, germplasm resources play a key role in the selection and industrial application of new varieties. This study summarizes the progress of the collection and utilization of fresh corn germplasm resources, focusing on the development of high-quality traits and the screening methods of stress-resistant resources. The study found that the global fresh corn germplasm resources show rich diversity in quality (such as sweetness and stickiness), resistance (such as drought resistance and salt tolerance) and nutritional traits (such as high zinc and high vitamin A). Modern technologies, including molecular marker-assisted selection, genomic selection and CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology, have significantly improved the screening efficiency and breeding accuracy of germplasm resources. In addition, the commercial development of local germplasm resources and the promotion of regionally adaptable new varieties have provided successful cases for market demand-oriented breeding. Future research needs to be further deepened in terms of germplasm resource protection, evaluation standardization, technological innovation and international cooperation to achieve sustainable utilization and industrial application of resources. This study provides a comprehensive reference for the development and utilization of fresh corn germplasm resources and points out the direction for breeding work and agricultural development.

Fresh-eating maize; Germplasm resources; Collection and conservation; Modern breeding technologies; Commercial applications