The massive corn fields surrounding Champaign-Urbana would have been impossible without the work of University of Illinois researchers.
A.M. “Dusty” Rhodes, a professor of Horticulture, studied corn genetics for nearly 30 years. In the early 1970s, Rhodes discovered the “sugary enhancer” trait in a breeding line that grew out of Laughnan’s work. This enhancer produces highly sweet corn with tender kernels. Rhodes later worked with one of his students to develop corn that is resistant to the maize dwarf mosaic virus.
These traits proved essential for the production of canned corn, allowing consumers to enjoy corn in all seasons.
- Plant Sciences Laboratory, 1201 S Dorner Dr, Urbana – Researchers conduct plant studies in this Laboratory and greenhouse.
College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. (n.d.). Supersweet Corn. https://aces.illinois.edu/research/history/supersweet-corn.
Larson, D. L. (2003, August 7). Supersweet Sweet Corn: 50 Years in the Making. Illinois News Bureau. https://news.illinois.edu/view/6367/212406.
Tampa Bay Times. (2018, February 18). Ashby Rhodes Obituary. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/tampabaytimes/name/ashby-rhodes-obituary?id=1740050