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Agronomy
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Genetic Variation and Breeding Strategies for Efficient Sustainable Production of...
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Genetic Variation and Breeding Strategies for Efficient Sustainable Production of Forage Crops

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Crop Breeding and Genetics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 January 2020) | Viewed by 10399

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Danny Thorogood

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Plas Gogerddan, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, UK

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Forages contribute significant value to global crop production: for example, they account for 10% of the total European Union crop output. The global trends currently predict increases in meat and animal product consumption, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) experiencing rapid growth and development. At the same time, evidence is mounting that animal husbandry is one of the most inefficient agricultural production methods and is associated with a range of significant negative environmental phenomena.

The challenge to forage crop breeders, if the demand of animal products is to continue, is to mitigate the negative consequences of the animal production systems through crop improvement. For perennial forage crops, most of which are out-crossing species, this is particularly challenging, as only additive genetic variation can be exploited for important complex agronomic traits such as yield, nutritive quality, nutrient use efficiency, and abiotic and biotic stress resistance.

This Special Issue seeks original contributions that address strategies to maximise the amount of genetic variation that can be exploited in forage crops through new breeding methodologies and technologies. In particular, research that addresses major climate change and environmental stewardship issues through reduced greenhouse gas emissions, reduced chemical inputs and run-off, and increased abiotic and biotic stress resistance is welcomed.

Dr. Danny Thorogood
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agronomy is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • breeding methodology
  • non-additive genetic variation
  • nutrient use efficiency
  • abiotic stress resistance
  • biotic stress resistance
  • reduced inputs
  • climate change mitigation
  • climate change resilience

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Review

24 pages, 959 KiB  
Review
DNA-Based Assessment of Genetic Diversity in Grassland Plant Species: Challenges, Approaches, and Applications
by Miguel Loera-Sánchez, Bruno Studer and Roland Kölliker
Agronomy 2019, 9(12), 881; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy9120881 - 12 Dec 2019
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 5465
Abstract
Grasslands are wide-spread, multi-species ecosystems that provide many valuable services. Plant genetic diversity (i.e., the diversity within species) is closely linked to ecosystem functioning in grasslands and constitutes an important reservoir of genetic resources that can be used to breed improved cultivars of [...] Read more.
Grasslands are wide-spread, multi-species ecosystems that provide many valuable services. Plant genetic diversity (i.e., the diversity within species) is closely linked to ecosystem functioning in grasslands and constitutes an important reservoir of genetic resources that can be used to breed improved cultivars of forage grass and legume species. Assessing genetic diversity in grassland plant species is demanding due to the large number of different species and the level of resolution needed. However, recent methodological advances could help in tackling this challenge at a larger scale. In this review, we outline the methods that can be used to measure genetic diversity in plants, highlighting their strengths and limitations for genetic diversity assessments of grassland plant species, with a special focus on forage plants. Such methods can be categorized into DNA fragment, hybridization array, and high-throughput sequencing (HTS) methods, and they differ in terms of resolution, throughput, and multiplexing potential. Special attention is given to HTS approaches (i.e., plastid genome skimming, whole genome re-sequencing, reduced representation libraries, sequence capture, and amplicon sequencing), because they enable unprecedented large-scale assessments of genetic diversity in non-model organisms with complex genomes, such as forage grasses and legumes. As no single method may be suited for all kinds of purposes, we also provide practical perspectives for genetic diversity analyses in forage breeding and genetic resource conservation efforts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Variation and Breeding Strategies for Efficient Sustainable Production of Forage Crops)
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15 pages, 751 KiB  
Review
Factors Underlying Seed Yield in Red Clover: Review of Current Knowledge and Perspectives
by Tim Vleugels, Helga Amdahl, Isabel Roldán-Ruiz and Gerda Cnops
Agronomy 2019, 9(12), 829; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy9120829 - 1 Dec 2019
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4654
Abstract
Red clover is a valuable forage crop, but often copes with unsatisfactory seed yield. Management practices to increase seed yield include fertilization, adequate weed and pest control, the synchronization of flowering through pre-cutting in spring, and the application of plant growth regulators to [...] Read more.
Red clover is a valuable forage crop, but often copes with unsatisfactory seed yield. Management practices to increase seed yield include fertilization, adequate weed and pest control, the synchronization of flowering through pre-cutting in spring, and the application of plant growth regulators to prevent lodging. Seed yield problems may have variable underlying reasons, such as inadequate pollination, fertility or genetic problems, or a combination of such traits. In this review paper, we summarize the results of recent publications that shed new light on the traits explaining seed yield differences between red clover genotypes. The main seed yield components are the number of flower heads per plant and the seed yield per flower head. Seed yield differences between diploid and tetraploid red clover are largely explained by the lower seed number per head. Recent research showed that, although inadequate pollination can lead to poor seed yield in certain areas, pollination cannot explain differences in seed yield between genotypes, cultivars, or ploidy levels. Correspondingly, corolla tube dimensions are not associated with seed yield, in spite of what is often believed by seed producers. On the other hand, fertility problems such as aberrations during male meiosis tend to occur more frequently in tetraploid genotypes and/or genotypes with low seed yield. A recent genetic study revealed 34 candidate genes for seed development, which opens perspectives for marker-assisted breeding. A final and remarkable finding is the occurrence of self-fertility in tetraploid red clover and its association with high seed yield. Breeders should be aware that selection for seed yield in tetraploid red clover may lead to unintentional selection for self-fertility, with possible consequences for inbreeding. The implications of recent findings for seed yield breeding and for the creation of novel tetraploids are discussed. Future research opportunities are considered. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Variation and Breeding Strategies for Efficient Sustainable Production of Forage Crops)
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