Statement of Work for Maize Winter Nursery.docx

Statement of Work for Maize Off-Season Nursery Production Needs, Fall 2025 – Spring 2026 We have determined that Hawaii provides the best opportunity for winter nursery in respect to the likelihood of high quality and quantity seed returns from a US based vendor. Hawaii offers flexibility in planting time to accommodate our desired fall planting window, and the an environment that is conducive to growing and harvesting maize germplasm that originates from tropical locations (i.e., late maturing, photoperiod sensitive corn germplasm).

Contractor will provide for all field activities including land, land preparation, planting, monitoring, weed and pest control, pollination services, irrigation, fertilization, harvest and for drying and shelling if needed, phytosanitary certificate, Ag inspections, fumigation to meet APHIS standards for import/or shipping within or to the US and preparation for shipping. Contractor will provide information on containers and weight sufficient for USDA to procure shipping services via FedEx and/or UPS. Scientists, at their discretion, will travel to monitor progress of work. Contractor will provide brief report of crop development progress in weekly or every two-intervals prior to flowering, and photos as the crop develops.

For the nursery rows, shoot bagging and pollinations will be done according to USDA breeder’s instructions. Hand-harvesting will be done by plot when grains have dried sufficiently, and the ears will be allowed to dry to approximately 13%-15% moisture. Dried ears and/or seeds will be prepared for shipping according to USDA breeder’s instructions.

A date of mid-September is provided here in acknowledgment of the fact that weather can play a role in when nurseries can be planted, but the goal is to plant as early as close to that time feasible.

The planting will consist of 240 nursery rows comprised of 70 20-foot/6-meter rows, 90 15-foot/4-meter rows and 80 10-foot/3-meter rows:

- 50 rows for sib mating, 20-foot/6.0 m long rows planted with up to 30 kernels per row. Chain sibbing will be performed using each plant once as a male and as a female.

- 20 rows for cross-pollination, 20-foot/6.0 m long rows planted with up to 30 kernels per row. Rows will be planted in a 4 female:6 male pattern, and pollen from the male rows will be used to pollinate the female rows.

- 90 rows for cross-pollination, 15-foot/4-meter long rows planted with up to 20 kernels per row. Rows will be planted in a 4 female:6 male pattern, and pollen from the male rows will be used to pollinate the female rows

- 20 rows for self-pollination, 10-foot/3-meter rows planted with up to 15 kernels per row. All possible self-pollinations will be made in these rows.

- 60 rows for cross-pollination, 10-foot/3-meter rows planted with up to 15 kernels per row. Rows will be planted in a 4 female:6 male pattern, and pollen from the male rows will be used to pollinate the female rows