Doubled Haploid (DH) technology in maize and other major crop species has become a major tool to accelerate the plant breeding process, among others. However, its availability to smaller, public and specialty breeding programs is limited, as it is for developing countries. Moreover, maize serves as model for various other important crop species without DH system. The objectives of our program are to (i) optimize DH technology in maize regarding haploid induction, haploid identification, and spontaneous haploid genome doubling, (ii) employ DH technology, e.g., to establish exotic introgression DH lines in collaboration with the USDA gene bank in Ames, and (iii) transfer knowledge to other species. PI: Lubberstedt, T. Funding: K.J. Frey Chair in Agronomy, R.F. Baker Center for Plant Breeding, Plant Sciences Institute, USDA OREI, USDA SCRI, NSF P3, FFAR & breeding companies.