Inbred corn line LH283

#The present invention relates to a new and distinctive corn inbred line, designated LH283.

#The goal of plant breeding is to combine in a single variety/hybrid various desirable traits. For field crops, these traits may include resistance to diseases and insects, tolerance to heat and drought, reducing the time to crop maturity, greater yield, and better agronomic quality. With mechanical harvesting of many crops, uniformity of plant characteristics such as germination and stand establishment, growth rate, maturity, and fruit size is important.

#There are numerous steps in the development of any novel, desirable plant germplasm. Plant breeding begins with the analysis and definition of problems and weaknesses of the current germplasm, the establishment of program goals, and the definition of specific breeding objectives. The next step is selection of germplasm that possess the traits to meet the program goals. The goal is to combine in a single variety or hybrid an improved combination of desirable traits from the parental germplasm. These important traits may include higher yield, resistance to diseases and insects, better stalks and roots, tolerance to drought and heat, and better agronomic quality.

#Inbred corn line LH283 is a yellow dent corn with superior characteristics, and provides an excellent parental line in crosses for producing first generation (F.sub.1) hybrid corn. This inbred is best adapted for the Northcentral region of the United States.

#Inbred corn line LH283 was developed from the cross Va99.times.LH82 by selfing and using the ear-row pedigree method of breeding. Yield, stalk quality, root quality, ear retention, disease tolerance, late plant greenness, late plant intactness, ear retention, pollen shedding ability, silking ability and corn borer tolerance were the criteria used to determine the rows from which ears were selected. Selfing and selection were practiced within the above F.sub.1 cross for seven generations in the development of LH283. During the development of the line, crosses were made to inbred testers for the purpose of estimating the line's general and specific combining ability, and evaluations were run by the Williamsburg, Iowa Research Station. The inbred was evaluated further as a line and in numerous crosses by the Willaimsburg, Iowa Research Station and other research stations across the Corn Belt. The inbred has proven to have a very good combining ability in hybrid combinations and to produce hybrids which are better adapted for several environments within the Corn Belt.

#The inbred has shown uniformity and stability for all traits, as described in the following variety description information. It has been self-pollinated and ear-rowed a sufficient number of generations, with careful attention to uniformity of plant type to ensure homozygosity and phenotypic stability. The line has been increased both by hand and sibbed in isolated fields with continued observation for uniformity. No variant traits have been observed or are expected in LH283.