Pee Wee rediscovered?
--W. F. Tracy

Reduced1 (rd1) was discovered as a mutation in the sweet corn inbred P39. The rd1 plants were selfed and the resulting inbred was named C30. C30 is approximately 75-80cm tall while P39 is 115-120cm. C30 flowers 5-7 days earlier than P39. Lachman (JASHS 97:347-350, 1971) reported the existence of a mutation from C30, Pee Wee, believed to be allelic to rd1. As the name suggests Pee Wee was even smaller than C30. However, Pee Wee was lost. In 1992, in an F3 derived from the cross P39 x C30 there was the expected segregation of Rd1 and rd1 plants but also there were plants 45cm tall. Unfortunately these plants were male sterile but they were sibbed with rd1 plants within the same family. If this new mutation is allelic to rd1 this is the second time that this allelic series has developed within P39/C30 indicating that Rd1 may be unstable in this inbred background.

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