Previous attempts by the author to induce cytoplasmic male sterility in maize have not been successful (MNL 51:5-6, 1977). During this past season, two treatment procedures and a single relatively high concentration of ethidium bromide were used. Inbred W182BN was used in this current work and in previous MNL articles (51:5-6,1977; 50:28-29, 1976), rather than inbred W59M. Four-hundred kernels of the inbred W182BN were germinated for 30 hours on Kimpak at 270 C; at the end of this time, some radicles had emerged. These kernels were then completely submerged in a 0.05 M ethidium bromide solution for 24 hours. In the second treatment, 400 dry kernels were completely submerged in a 0.05 M ethidium bromide solution for 48 hours. The treated material was planted in trenches in the field, watered and then covered. The M1 plants were self-pollinated.

The treatment using germinated kernels produced only 11 plants and 8 ears were harvested. In the second treatment, using dry kernels that were soaked in ethidium bromide for 48 hours, 100 plants were produced and 47 ears were harvested. In 1978, it is planned to plant the material ear-to-row and examine M2 plants for male sterility.

Robert W. Briggs

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