Genomic selection has the potential to accelerate genetic gain in perennial ryegrass breeding, provided complex traits such as forage yield can be predicted with sufficient accuracy.
In this study, we compared modelling approaches and feature selection strategies to evaluate the accuracy of genomic prediction models for seasonal forage yield production.
Overall, model selection had limited impact on predictive ability when using the full data set. For a baseline genomic best linear unbiased prediction model, the highest mean predictive accuracy was obtained for spring grazing (0.78), summer grazing (0.62) and second cut silage (0.56). In terms of feature selection strategies, using uncorrelated single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) had no impact on predictive ability, allowing for a potential decrease of the data set dimensions. With a genome-wide association study, we found a significant SNP marker for spring grazing, located in the genic region annotated as coding for an enzyme responsible for fucosylation of xyloglucans—major components of the plant cell wall. We also presented an approach to increase interpretability of genomic prediction models with the use of Gene Ontology enrichment analysis.
Approaches for feature selection will be relevant in development of low-cost genotyping platforms in support of routine and cost-effective implementation of genomic selection.
Plants of the genus Arachis originated from South America and are cultivated worldwide. The genus Arachis contains 83 species and nine intrageneric taxonomic sections. The cultivated peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) belongs to the Arachis section, the forage peanut (Arachis pintoi Krapov. & W. C. Greg.) belongs to the Caulorrhizae section, and the perennial peanut (Arachis glabrata Benth.) belongs to the Rhizomatosae section. These three peanut species have been developed for use as fodder crops. This review summarizes the forage value of Arachis species. Forage and perennial peanuts can be intercropped with forage species to feed livestock. The cultivated peanut vines and peanut by-products, such as peanut skins and peanut meal, are also high-quality fodder used to feed sheep, cattle, and poultry. A major limiting factor in terms of adopting forage and perennial peanuts as forage crops is their limited resistance to frosts, resulting from their low winter hardiness. Therefore, the feeding value of cultivated peanuts is higher compared to forage and perennial peanuts. This review suggests that Arachis is a suitable forage crop, focusing on their nutritional properties and breeding to increase their performance under cultivation and feeding value.
Grassland is the largest ecosystem on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (QTP) and provides multiple ecosystem functions and services. Understanding the endowment of the QTP grassland and how to revitalize it have profound implications for the sustainable use and efficient conservation of these unique and globally valuable ecosystems. In this paper, we highlight the importance of the QTP grassland in regional and global settings, stress the values of the QTP grassland in ecological and socioeconomic dimensions, and emphasize the actions needed to restore degraded grassland in the QTP region. The QTP is the largest single area of alpine grassland in the world and an important gene pool of alpine biological resources. The QTP grassland covers two critical ecoregions for conserving the best and most representative habitats for alpine biodiversity on the planet. The QTP grassland is also regarded as one of the best carriers and objects of socio-ecological systems in the world. To promote the resilience and sustainability of the QTP grassland through adaptation, different parties need to work together to find feasible options to resist shock, stresses, and disturbance and to maintain the fundamental functions and basic structures of the QTP grassland.
Winter climate change including frequent freeze-thaw episodes and shallow snow cover will have major impacts on the spring regrowth of perennial crops. Non-bloating perennial forage legume species including sainfoin, birdsfoot trefoil, red clover, and alsike clover have been bred for their adaptation to harsh winter conditions. In parallel, the selection of cold-tolerant rhizobial strains could allow earlier symbiotic nitrogen (N) fixation to hasten spring regrowth of legumes.
To identify strains forming nodules rapidly and showing high N-fixing potential, 60 rhizobial strains in association with four temperate legume species were evaluated over 11 weeks under spring soil temperatures for kinetics of nodule formation, nitrogenase activity, and host yield.
Strains differed in their capacity to form efficient nodules on legume hosts over time. Strains showing higher nitrogenase activity were arctic strain N10 with sainfoin and strain L2 with birdsfoot trefoil. For clovers, nitrogenase activity was similar for control and inoculated plants, likely due to formation of effective nodules in controls by endophyte rhizobia present in seeds.
Selection based on nodulation kinetics at low temperature, nitrogenase activity, and yield was effective to identify performant rhizobial strains for legume crops. The use of cold-tolerant strains could help mitigate winter climatic changes.
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