HISTORY AND PROSPECTS OF FODDER CORN BREEDING IN ARGENTINA

Corn is used to massively produce food for humans and domestic animals with grains of various taxonomic entities or races. For domestic ruminants, the whole plant is also used as forage. In Argentina, both corn grain and whole-plant silage are used for beef and dairy cattle production. This paper aimed to develop the history and perspectives of corn grown for grain and silage, focusing on plant breeding. The importance of corn fodder in its two variants (grain and whole-plant silage) has varied over time. We emphasize herein the importance of the specific genetic breeding of corn used for whole-plant silage to achieve higher yield potential and nutritional value than grain hybrids. The four population genetic structures used over time as cultivars, which determined the evolution of the technological process of selection and breeding, were analyzed. Based on the research carried out, seed companies have incorporated our protocols into their development and breeding programs. The contribution of selection and breeding in Argentina was effective in transforming the corn plant into ruminant feed, and this will increase with the development of specific silage hybrids. Key words: cultivars, corn fodder, plant breeding