United Kingdom
March 24, 2016
Greater profitability and reduced environmental impact from livestock farming are key objectives for a new three year forage breeding research project that started in February 2016 at IBERS Aberystwyth University.
Facilities at the National Plant Phenomics Centre at IBERS will be combined with the latest genomic selection techniques and plot trials in what is described as a compressed breeding approach to create more nutrient efficient ryegrasses
Ultimately, this research will give livestock farmers the opportunity to produce quality forage with lower nitrogen and phosphate fertiliser inputs, thereby saving costs whilst reducing any negative environmental impact caused by nutrient leaching, run–off and potential greenhouse gas emissions.
“IBERS has led the way in developing and applying innovative plant breeding techniques over the last three decades, producing many of the leading forage grasses and clovers now on the official Recommended Lists,” says Paul Billings, managing director of Germinal GB.
“This latest project will build on that heritage, drawing on this established genetic material as well as new germplasm, to create new varieties with the added advantage of nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and phosphorus use efficiency (PUE).
“This is an example of vital near–market research that will deliver tangible benefits, not only for livestock farmers but also for the environment. Both aspects are important in the context of long term sustainable livestock farming.”
IBERS plant breeders will use a combination of conventional and innovative marker–assisted (MAS) approaches to improve the speed and precision of selecting varieties for NUE and PUE. The work will apply to both perennial ryegrass and white clover, where the potential for greater NUE and PUE has already been identified.
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