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Proceedings of the Fifth Asian Regional Maize Workshop - Search ...

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ad-hoc projects. After <strong>the</strong> inception <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Coordinated Project <strong>the</strong> physical research facilities<br />

available in <strong>the</strong>se stations were consolidated. To start with, only a few maize breeders were<br />

associated with this project and <strong>the</strong>y had <strong>the</strong> specific objective <strong>of</strong> developing high yielding<br />

maize hybrids. However, <strong>the</strong>y also carried out some investigations on agronomic aspects.<br />

Table 1. Area, production and productiVity <strong>of</strong> maize in <strong>the</strong> <strong>Asian</strong> region (1989-91).<br />

Countries<br />

Area harvested<br />

(000 hal<br />

Yield<br />

(t/ha)<br />

Production<br />

(000 t)<br />

MIDDLE EAST<br />

Afghanistan<br />

Turkey<br />

Iran<br />

Iraq<br />

saudi Arabia<br />

Syria<br />

SQ1TH ASIA<br />

Bhutan<br />

Burma (Myanmar)<br />

India<br />

Nepal<br />

Pakistan<br />

SQ1TH EAST ASIA<br />

Indonesia<br />

Phil ippines<br />

Thailand<br />

Vietnam<br />

EAST ASIA<br />

China<br />

North Korea<br />

SOUth Korea<br />

Taiwan<br />

264 1.6 436<br />

513 4.0 2,067<br />

3 0.9 40<br />

42 2.9 121<br />

02<br />

59 2.7 158<br />

52 1.5 81<br />

124 1.5 190<br />

5,856 1.5 8,975<br />

760 1.6 1,222<br />

856 1.4 1,185<br />

3,037 2.1 6,445<br />

3,699 1.3 4,677<br />

1,644 2.5 4,035<br />

484 1.5 720<br />

20,804 4.3 89,922<br />

710 6.3 4,450<br />

24 4.3 105<br />

84 4.0 332<br />

The Coordinated <strong>Maize</strong> Breeding Project was fur<strong>the</strong>r streng<strong>the</strong>ned in <strong>the</strong> year 1963-64 by<br />

adding to it <strong>the</strong> disciplines <strong>of</strong> agronomy, entomology, and pathology. Though <strong>the</strong>se disciplines<br />

were financially supported by PL-480, for technical purposes <strong>the</strong> staff functioning under <strong>the</strong>m was<br />

an integral part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> project. In <strong>the</strong> year 1964, after <strong>the</strong> addition <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> above disciplines,<br />

<strong>the</strong> project was redesignated as All India Coordinated <strong>Maize</strong> Improvement Project (AICMIP), as it<br />

exists today.<br />

Soon after <strong>the</strong> inception <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> AICMIP, a large number <strong>of</strong> inbred lines and hybrids were<br />

introduced from USA and <strong>the</strong> caribbean region. These hybrids along with Punjab hybrids and top<br />

crosses involving about 100 inbred lines were put into trials. OUt <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se, 28 promising inbred<br />

lines were picked up for subsequent use. In 1958, several hybrids from sou<strong>the</strong>rn USA, partiCUlarly<br />

NC-27, Texas-26 and Dixie-18 performed very well under Indian conditions. However, <strong>the</strong>se<br />

hybrids could not become popular among Indian farmers as <strong>the</strong>y possessed dent grain type and<br />

farmers had a preference for flint grain type. Keeping this objective in mind <strong>the</strong> breeders also<br />

collected indigenous genotypes having yellav fl int grain type and used <strong>the</strong>m along with exotic<br />

germplasm. During this process, emphasis was placed on - development/selection <strong>of</strong> elite<br />

43

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