Climate change means UK grasslands are being affected more frequently by flooding and drought conditions. IBERS scientists have responded to the challenge by identifying advantageous root ideotypes with increased drought and flooding tolerance. Their research has drawn on their understanding of rooting behaviour in perennial forage grasses and related Festuca species. For example, grasses from north African Festuca species had a faster and deeper rooting phenotype, but they were not easy to digest and therefore not desirable as a forage grass.

Through crossbreeding with Festuca and chromosome painting techniques, our scientists have developed a more productive and digestible perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and an Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum). These new varieties contain a small chromosome segment which had been introgressed by repeated crossing and selection. This modification has also led to increasing the rooting depth and root growth of the Festuca parent, resulting in the production of two new Festulolium varieties with increased resilience to drought and flooding - the AberNiche Italian ryegrass and the AberRoot perennial ryegrass. In addition, because these grasses have deeper rooting systems, soil compaction is reduced and soil porosity increased, which in turn reduces water and nutrient runoff from grasslands and, therefore, the risk of flooding and watercourse contamination. In other words, it has been possible to combine an increase in agricultural productivity and more local geoengineering to reduce environmental and societal risks from excessive nutrient and water runoff.