URBANA, IL (Chambana Today) – When most growers plant corn, they expect neat rows and full, golden ears. But at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, a team of USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists does the opposite — they plant the misfits.

Twisted, speckled, and tassel-covered corn varieties thrive at the Maize Genetics Cooperation Stock Center, where more than 100,000 genetically unique corn lines are grown and preserved. Each carries mutations that offer clues to some of the most valuable traits in modern corn — from disease resistance to enhanced sweetness.

“Compared to the maize collection at the North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station (NCRPIS) in Ames, Iowa, which focuses on natural and breeding-derived diversity, this mutant collection is a functional genomics engine,” says Martin Bohn, professor in the Department of Crop Sciences at Illinois. “These lines let us understand the function of specific genes. It’s the difference between seeing variation and understanding it.”

One example: the gene shrunken2, which gives sweet corn its trademark flavor and shelf life, was first identified in the 1950s by U of I professor John Laughnan. His discovery led to Illini Supersweet Corn — a summertime staple and major commercial success.

“Without the stock center, sweet corn would be a little less sweet,” says Charlie Thompson, vice president and research director at Illinois Foundation Seed, Inc. “We were the first to bring Dr. Laughnan’s hybrids to market. That local discovery made a global impact.”

The stock center’s value extends far beyond flavor. Companies and universities worldwide request seeds from the center to develop corn varieties that can better resist disease, withstand climate stress, and use fertilizer more efficiently. Because it’s part of the USDA’s National Plant Germplasm System, seeds are freely available to any researcher.

At Illinois, crop sciences faculty use the collection to explore genetic solutions to agricultural challenges. Recent work by Bohn and his team shows that corn can select soil microbes that reduce nitrogen loss — insights that could lead to more sustainable farming.

Steve Moose, a fellow crop sciences professor, says the collection also underpins innovations like short-statured corn, which offers better harvest efficiency and resilience. “A lot of industry excitement starts with the basic research we’re able to do because of this resource,” he says.

The ARS facility includes state-of-the-art cold storage, labs, and office space. Scientists carefully track and maintain each line, growing every one on a 12-year cycle to keep seeds fresh. It’s a complex operation, but one that works efficiently and cost-effectively.

Yet, the center now faces an uncertain future. Under the proposed 2026 USDA budget, the Urbana ARS location — home to both the maize and soybean germplasm collections — is on a list of facilities slated for closure and consolidation. The maize center would move to NCRPIS in Iowa.

Experts say that move puts the collection’s integrity at risk. “Transporting 100,000 seed stocks and trying to rebuild this infrastructure elsewhere could damage the resource permanently,” says Bohn. “You touch it, you break it.”

Concerns extend beyond logistics. Urbana offers unmatched expertise, decades of institutional memory, and ongoing collaborations with U of I researchers.

Advocates, including the Illinois Corn Growers Association, are pushing to keep the center in place. “Relocating risks the loss of critical knowledge and slows agricultural progress — all at unnecessary cost,” says Brad Stotler, the group’s government affairs director. “This collection has 72 years of history in Illinois. We should be investing in it, not displacing it.”

While the House appropriations committee has rejected research program terminations, USDA’s plan to relocate — rather than end — the program may allow it to proceed. The final decision now lies with the Senate and full Congress.