Crop Science and Plant Breeding - Forage Crops
Goals
Breeding Goals
Long term goals in breeding that require inputs from fundamental research include:
- Incorporation of genomics assisted breeding to accelerate genetic gain.
- Exploiting genome sequence data to better understand traits and direct crosses
- Use of new technology (drones, machine learning, AI) for phenotyping in the field.
- Breeding targets for zero carbon and climate friendly farming – carbon sequestration, root growth, resilience to climate change, persistency.
- Improvement of nutrient use efficiency to reduce inputs.
- Breeding forages with improved quality traits that reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.
- Novel uses of forage crops, pulses and oats, such as extraction of protein for monogastric feed
and plant-based diets.
- Improved resilience of grain quality traits (oats) as demanded by millers and end-users.
- Multistress tolerance & resilience to sudden adverse weather events (drought, waterlogging).
- Improvement of breeding efficiency (accuracy of selection) using high throughput phenotyping.
- Pre-breeding to identify novel alleles and increase genetic diversity.
- Understanding of adaptation- matching phenology to environment.
- Development of benchmarks for farmers and crop growth models.
- The addressing of the agricultural productivity gap through improvements in crop yield and yield stability.
- New methods of plant breeding (gene editing, speed breeding) and recombination control
Current Projects
Current Projects
Core Strategic Programme in Resilient Crops BBSRC (2017-2022)
BBS/E/W/0012843A http://www.resilientcrops.org
Oat domestication - understanding the origin of a European cereal
Funder: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
Grant number: BB/S008195/1 (2018-2021)
Genetic improvement of pea to replace soyabean in the diets of poultry and monogastric livestock (PeaGen) BBSRC Link BB/P017517 https://www.pgro.org/peagen-project/ (2017-22)
Food BioSystems Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) (2019-2021) https://research.reading.ac.uk/foodbiosystems/
Oat Breeding (industrial funding from Senova)
Pulse Breeding (industrial funding from UK Pulses)
Nitrogen and sulphur fertiliser management for yield and quality in winter and spring oats (NoatS) AHDB 2018-2022
The influence of genotype, environment and management factors on yield development, grain filling and grain quality in oats (Walsh Fellowship)
Understanding milling efficiency in oats: developing tools to improve grain quality (Walsh Fellowship)
“Grazing tolerant red clover for future livestock farming”. CIEL Seed Funding (2020-2021). Germinal with IBERS (£50K)
“Red clover as a cash crop: Protein for monogastric farm animals and metabolites for human health (RC-Promo)”. WEFO SMARTExpertise 2020/82292 (2020-2022) IBERS, Germinal Holdings Ltd, Blue Sky Botanics – (£264K)
“Improved resistance of red clover to soil borne pathogens for sustainable livestock production”. WEFO SMARTExpertise 2017/COL/008 (2018-2021) IBERS, Germinal Holdings Ltd and Hybu Cig Cymru – (£250K)
“Maximising the value of commercial forage grass seed production”. Innovate UK/BBSRC 93314-562353/TS/R005133/1 (2017-2020) Germinal Holdings and IBERS - Co-I (£207K)
“EUCLEG - Breeding forage and grain legumes to increase EU's and China's protein self-sufficiency”. EU Horizon 2020 (H2020-SFS-2016-2 727312-2). 38 partners (2017-2021) - (€5M) - http://www.eucleg.eu
“Genetics of crown rot resistance in red clover” KESS II PhD studentship (2017-2020) IBERS and Germinal Holdings – (£52K)
“Genomic selection for utilisation, seed production and animal health traits in white clover” (2017-2021) Teagasc Walsh Fellowship – (€145K)
Completed Projects
Recently completed projects
BBBSRC-LINK, AHDB, Developing enhanced breeding methodologies for oats for human health and nutrition (InnovOat) 2014- 2019 Industry partners Senova and BOBMA http://www.innovoat.uk/
Optimising oat yield and quality to deliver sustainable production and economic impact (Opti-Oat) Innovate UK 2014-2018 https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=BB%2FM02749X%2F1
UKRI-NRC Prototyping Root System Architecture in Avena: Technologies for Environmental Sustainability and Food Security BB/S020926/1
“Novel strategies for genetic improvement of disease resistance in perennial ryegrass”. Innovate UK/BBSRC 47055-329315/ BB/M028267/1. (2015-2020) Germinal Holdings and IBERS (£730K)
“Comparative population genomics of red clover domestication and improvement” BBSRC-IPA BB/L023563/1 with TGAC and Germinal Holdings (2014-2017) (£741K)
“Genomics-assisted breeding for fatty acid content and composition in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) BBSRC LINK1 award (with Germinal Holdings and Hybu Cig Cymru) BB/K017160/1 (2013-2018) (£999,435)
GIANT-LINK: Genetic improvement of miscanthus as a sustainable feedstock for bioenergy in the UK (£6.4M)
MUST: Miscanthus upscaling technology (£1.8M)