Sweet corn breeding

Sweet corn breeding at VNUA, from inbred-line development and test crosses to multi-location testing and official recognition.

Where the program stands

Co-author of the officially recognized fresh-eating sweet corn hybrids VNUA168 and FC369 and the waxy-sweet hybrid MH81, all three with Pham Quang Tuan as main author. Varieties
Selection of parents from 42 tropical sweet corn inbred lines by multi-trait index and combining ability. Ecological Genetics and Genomics, 2024
Diversity, gene action and combining ability of 30 white-, purple- and black-kernel supersweet inbred lines, with one elite parent per kernel color. Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology, 2026
SSR markers linked to the sh2 and su1 sweetness genes, identified in sweet corn lines. Vietnam Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 2023

The toolkit

In use on sweet corn

Multi-trait selection indices

MGIDI ranks lines and hybrids on many traits at once.

In use on sweet corn

Combining ability and gene action

Line × tester analyses show which traits to improve through the parents and which through heterosis.

Development and Selection of Color-Diverse White-, Purple- and Black-Kernel Supersweet Maize (Zea mays L.): Genetic Diversity, Gene Action and Combining Ability for Elite Parents and Hybrids 2026

In use on sweet corn

Molecular markers

SSR markers linked to the sh2 and su1 sweetness genes, identified in sweet corn lines.

Identification of SSR Markers Linked to sh2 and su1 Genes in Sweetcorn Lines 2023

In use on sweet corn

Machine learning on trial data

Machine-learning trait importance is combined with combining-ability analysis to rank supersweet inbred lines (manuscript under review).

Machine Learning and Combining-Ability Analysis Prioritize Breeding Potential in Super Sweet Corn Inbred Lines 2026, under review

Next: moving to sweet corn

Image-based phenotyping

Camera-based measurement of seeds and plants, developed on rice, wheat and soybean at ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute.

Next: moving to sweet corn

Satellite remote sensing and UAV imaging

Satellite mapping with Sentinel-2, Landsat and Sentinel-1 was built in Ph.D. research on Robusta coffee at Kyushu University; satellite and drone imaging of sweet corn trials is the next step.

Interpretable Multi-Sensor Mapping of Coffee Production Systems in Dak Lak, Vietnam: Performance, Spatial Generalization, and Uncertainty 2026

Planned

Smartphone imaging

Measuring ears and kernels on the farm with a phone camera.

Next: moving to sweet corn

Genome to phenome and breeding digital twins

A framework that links genomic prediction, simulation and field data to breeding decisions, published with sweet corn as the worked case; the genomic-prediction pipeline was first built for sweetpotato.

Sweet corn grants

Member 2024–2028 Research and development of high-quality fresh-eating sweet corn varieties for Hanoi City's agricultural product brand (CT04/01-2024-5) Hanoi People's Committee
Member 2023–2026 Breeding of anthocyanin-rich fresh-eating sweet corn varieties for northern provinces Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
Secretary 2022–2024 Development of breeding materials for specialty sweet corn based on phenotype and molecular markers (T2022-41-06TĐ) VNUA
Member 2021–2025 Research and breeding of purple waxy corn and super-sweet corn varieties for northern provinces (ĐTĐL.CN-09/21) Ministry of Science and Technology
Principal investigator 2018–2019 Screening and developing corn materials for hybrid fruit-corn breeding based on phenotype and molecular markers (T2018-18-20VB) VNUA

Papers on sweet corn and specialty corn

15 published, 1 accepted and 5 under review.

Nguyen Trung Duc* & Pham Quang Tuan. (2026). "Genetic Basis and Breeding Strategies for Bicolor Supersweet Corn: A Review." Accepted for publication in Vietnam Journal of Agricultural Sciences.

AcceptedIn Vietnamese with English abstract
Nguyen Trung Duc* & Pham Quang Tuan. (2026). "Development and Selection of Color-Diverse White-, Purple- and Black-Kernel Supersweet Maize (Zea mays L.): Genetic Diversity, Gene Action and Combining Ability for Elite Parents and Hybrids." Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology.

DOI
Nguyen Trung Duc*. (2026). "From mechanistic models to breeding digital twins: Predictive plant improvement for a changing climate." Ecological Genetics and Genomics. 40, 100504.

DOI Summary
Pham Quang Tuan, Nguyen Thi Nguyet Anh, Vu Thi Xuan Binh, Vu Van Liet & Nguyen Trung Duc*. (2024). "Evaluation and Selection of Superior Anthocyanin-Rich Fruit Corn Hybrids." Vietnam Journal of Agricultural Sciences. 22(8), 981-991.

In Vietnamese with English abstract
Nguyen Trung Duc*, Nguyen Thi Nguyet Anh, Pham Quang Tuan & Vu Van Liet. (2024). "Evaluation of White, Purple, Black Super Sweet Corn Genetic Resources for Specialty Corn Breeding Program." Vietnam Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development. No. 481, 3-13.

In Vietnamese with English abstract
Nguyen Trung Duc*, Pham Quang Tuan, Nguyen Thi Nguyet Anh & Vu Van Liet. (2024). "Phenotypic diversity and selection of superior tropical sweetcorn inbred lines by multivariate method and combining ability analysis." Ecological Genetics and Genomics. 30, 100215.

DOI
Pham Quang Tuan, Nguyen Thi Nguyet Anh, Vu Thi Xuan Binh, Vu Van Liet & Nguyen Trung Duc. (2023). "Evaluation and Determination of Sweet Corn Hybrids for Fresh Eating Purpose in Ha Noi City." Vietnam Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development. 38-47.

In Vietnamese with English abstract
Nguyen Trung Duc*, Nguyen Quoc Trung, Pham Quang Tuan, Nguyen Thi Nguyet Anh, Pham Thu Hang, Pham Xuan Hoi & Vu Van Liet. (2023). "Identification of SSR Markers Linked to sh2 and su1 Genes in Sweetcorn Lines." Vietnam Journal of Agricultural Sciences. 21(2), 149-160.

In Vietnamese with English abstract
Nguyen Trung Duc*, Pham Quang Tuan, Nguyen Thi Nguyet Anh, Nguyen Quoc Trung & Vu Van Liet. (2023). "Genetic Diversity of Specialty Corn Germplasms Reveal by Agronomic Traits and SSR Markers." Vietnam Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development. No. 450, 18-29.

In Vietnamese with English abstract
Nguyen Trung Duc*, Nguyen Thi Nguyet Anh, Pham Quang Tuan & Vu Van Liet. (2023). "Agronomic Performance and Genetic Diversity of Newly Developed S4 Temperate and Tropical Sweet Corn Lines." Vietnam Journal of Science and Technology. 65(7), 47-52.

In Vietnamese with English abstractDOI
Pham Quang Tuan, Nguyen Trung Duc*, Nguyen Thi Nguyet Anh, Vu Thi Xuan Binh & Vu Van Liet. (2022). "Development and Selection of Anthocyanin-Rich Fruit Corn Lines." Vietnam Journal of Agricultural Sciences. 20(7), 853-862.

In Vietnamese with English abstract
Nguyen Thi Nguyet Anh, Nguyen Trung Duc, Vu Van Liet & Pham Quang Tuan. (2022). "Heterosis and Combining Ability for Yield and Quality of Some Purple Waxy Corn and Sweet Corn Inbred Lines." Vietnam Journal of Agricultural Sciences. 20(5), 563-575.

In Vietnamese with English abstract
Nguyen Thi Nguyet Anh, Vu Van Liet, Pham Quang Tuan & Nguyen Trung Duc. (2022). "Agronomic Characteristics, Yield and Quality of the Hybrids Crossed between Purple Corn and Sweet Corn." Vietnam Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development. No. 426-427, 11-21.

In Vietnamese with English abstract
Pham Quang Tuan, Nguyen Trung Duc, Nguyen Thi Nguyet Anh, Vu Van Liet, Vu Thi Xuan Binh & Lyu Ronghua. (2022). "Application analysis of novel purple sweet corn inbred line development for hybrid nutrient-rich fruit corn breeding." Journal of Southern Agriculture. 53(7), 1843-1854.

DOI
Pham Quang Tuan, Nguyen Trung Duc, Nguyen Thi Nguyet Anh, Vu Thi Xuan Binh, Vu Van Liet, Lyu Ronghua, Zou Chenglin & Lyu Jiaming. (2022). "Heterosis, combining ability on yield, yield components and quality traits of purple sweet corn." Journal of Southern Agriculture. 53(5), 1193-1206.

DOI
Nguyen Trung Duc*, Pham Quang Tuan, Nguyen Thi Nguyet Anh & Vu Van Liet. (2020). "Phenotypes and Molecular Markers Studies on Selected Sweet Corn Inbred Lines for Fruit Corn Breeding." Vietnam Journal of Agricultural Sciences. 18(12), 1102-1113.

In Vietnamese with English abstract
Nguyen Trung Duc* & Pham Quang Tuan. (2026). "Combining Ability of Supersweet Corn Inbred Lines and Multi-Trait Selection of Bicolor Hybrids." Revision submitted to Vietnam Journal of Agricultural Sciences.

Revision submittedIn Vietnamese with English abstract
Nguyen Trung Duc* & Pham Quang Tuan. (2026). "Beyond Sweetness: Genetics and Breeding Strategies for Next-Generation Sweet Corn." Under review at Vietnam Journal of Agricultural Sciences.

Under review
Nguyen Trung Duc* & Pham Quang Tuan. (2026). "Machine Learning and Combining-Ability Analysis Prioritize Breeding Potential in Super Sweet Corn Inbred Lines." Submitted to Euphytica.

Submitted
Nguyen Trung Duc* & Pham Quang Tuan. (2026). "Identifying Superior Specialty Corn Hybrids through Multi-Trait Stability, Multivariate Structure and Machine-Learning Trait Importance." Revision submitted to Discover Plants.

Revision submitted
Nguyen Trung Duc* & Pham Quang Tuan. (2026). "A Review of Phenotype-Centered Breeding Logic in the Genomic Era: Lessons from Edible Maize." Under review at Vietnam Journal of Agricultural Sciences.

Under reviewIn Vietnamese with English abstract