Ultra wide hybrid cross Oat X Maize

They crossed corn pollen with oats and then grew the seeds in an agar medium (because the initial embryos were very weak) then they grew the survivors up and found that the new plants have the entire oat genome and 1-2 chromosomes out of corn; they have made several lines. They are also taking the lines and lightly irradiating them to blast the corn chromosome apart to try and get down to just little chunks, but this is a derivative project, the main project itself is independent of radiation, and it just took some TLC and a pollen coated paintbrush to make them.

Emerson, do you have a link?  Your picture isn't showing up. 

Thanks!

Kathleen

Sorry, bad keystroke, should work now, thanks for saying something.

i think this is good.... the crossing of plants of different genera and possibly even different families is a great topic for us to start thinking about .... it questions what we call a species and also how evolution, and speciation events occur ( 9 times out of 10 it's on an edge) .... i think it's also important to us because it is an adaptive mechanism for a changing world for the plants... humans, being an expression of the landscape follow many of the same rules.... i think we should nurture ecosynthesis in the systems that we are harvesting from... our main crop plants are a good place to start.

It might yield something that is useful, but my perspective is that the greatest gains will be from discovering/rediscovering existing species not in common use. Agriculture has been about narrowing the genetic base to the point of Irish potato famines. 

are you talking about moving the domestication genes from crop plants to novel wild plants?

perhaps growing in polycultures will produce unexpected benefits of new plants.

kiwi/apples, gooseberry/ pears, strawberry/asparagus, who knows

maybe man's growing of vast monocultures has help back evolution

gobeaguru wrote:
are you talking about moving the domestication genes from crop plants to novel wild plants?

Not sure if that was directed at me, but no, I am for simply using more wild plants, more semi-domesticated ones, more heirlooms and traditional crops. Over time, some of these will likely become more domesticated, but primarily by selection of desirable traits.

I don't remember the exact statistic - something like 50% of humanity's nutrition comes from 4 plants (corn, rice, wheat, soy), or something like 70% comes from 10 plants, or whatever the exact numbers were.  I think it is too narrow a base. I think that the answer is to grow and eat more variety.

As far as hybridization, I am most excited about some of the hazelnut crosses that are being developed ... the goal is a shrub hazelnut that is resistant to disease, an efficient, high-yield perennial that requires little inputs. These hybrids are not across such a big genetic divide as the corn x oats cross, but it would result in in a more diversified food supply as hazelnuts currently provide little of our total diet, but might provide a modestly bigger share and take some of the burden off of corn/wheat/soy.

Not sure if that was directed at me, but no, I am for simply using more wild plants, more semi-domesticated ones, more heirlooms and traditional crops. Over time, some of these will likely become more domesticated, but primarily by selection of desirable traits.

How do you think we got the domesticated plants we have now?

gobeaguru wrote:
i think this is good.... the crossing of plants of different genera and possibly even different families is a great topic for us to start thinking about .... it questions what we call a species and also how evolution, and speciation events occur ( 9 times out of 10 it's on an edge) .... i think it's also important to us because it is an adaptive mechanism for a changing world for the plants... humans, being an expression of the landscape follow many of the same rules.... i think we should nurture ecosynthesis in the systems that we are harvesting from... our main crop plants are a good place to start.

You have read my mind man! I think you're are spot on!  I've been reading "Selected Works" by the master hybridizer Ivan Michurin lately.  He created over 300 kinds of new cultivars and even species.  You might be familiar with the intergeneric hybrids "Ivan's Belle" and "Ivan's Beauty" which are found on some permaculture sites in the US, although he created many many more kinds not yet obtainable here.  His work on mentors and vegetative hybridization is illuminating, I recommend it taking a look at it. 

Fascinating interview, thanks for posting!