Development of a high oil trait for maize

Abstract

Maize oil is valued as a component of animal feed and as food. Approximately half of maize consumed in the USA in 2006 was used domestically for animal feed, 31% was processed for ethanol, food or industrial use, and 19% was exported (USDA 2007). With the recent growth in use of maize for ethanol production, interest in the recovery of oil from the grain has increased (Hojilla-Evangelista and Johnson 2003). While the composition of maize grain is suitable for feeding a variety of livestock, increasing the oil content of the grain improves its nutritional value further, due in large part to the increase in metabolizable energy (Han et al. 1987; Song et al. 2003). In addition, high oil maize typically has more protein, lysine and carotenoids than conventional maize (Han et al. 1987). Lambert (2001) reviewed a number of studies with poultry, swine, sheep and dairy cattle that demonstrated improved growth, feed efficiency and/or product quality from animals fed rations that included high oil maize.