Progress 10/01/16 to 09/30/17
Outputs
Target Audience:Formal Classroom instruction in Molecular Genetics (GENE 315), Genetics Seminar (GENE 440), and Genes and Genomes (GENE 486) to diverse student population (37 undergraduate students) including Caucasian, Hispanic, native American, Asian, female and male students during Fall 2016 and Spring 2017. Hosted a field/greenhouse tour of research projects and alfalfa breeding methods to 7 NMSU undergraduate students (AGRO 462, Plant Breeding) on Oct. 25, 2016. Coordinated Future Farmers of America Agronomy Career Development Event competition with 40 participants on March 31, 2017 including Caucasian, Hispanic, native American, female and male students. Provided research progress updates to NM Hay Association Board of Directors (9 individuals) on Jan 12 and Sept 22, 2017. Assisted with organization, coordination, and moderating of Southwest Hay and Forage Conference, Ruidoso, NM Jan. 12-13, 2016, Ruidoso, NM. Approximately 105 Ag. industry and farmer clientele were present including Caucasian, Hispanic, native American, females and males.. Presented two posters to Ag. research scientists at the Crop Science Society of America annual conference Nov. 6-9, 2016, Phoenix, AZ. Presented research results on DNA marker assisted selection research to improve alfalfa drought resilience to several hundred Ag. Industry personnel and farmers at the Western Alfalfa and Forage Symposium (Nov. 29, 2017, Reno, NV). Changes/Problems:This is the final report of a previous Hatch project which was funded in 2012-2017. A new project has been submitted and approved for 2017-2022. Details of that project are associated with accession number 1012275. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Research projects assigned to two NMSU M.S. degree candidates and one Ph.D. candidate were partially supported on this project in 2017. One student is actively involved in DNA marker genotyping of several hundred elite alfalfa plants for conventional DNA marker assisted selection research to improve alfalfa drought tolerance. The other two students were involved in seed production efforts to initiate field-based and laboratory phenotyping of a new large alfalfa mapping population for association mapping of QTL influencing forage yield during drought, seedling salt-tolerance, and seedling pathogen resistance. This association mapping population was planted in fall 2017 at three locations, and forage yield data collection under deficit irrigation management will begin in 2018. Lab-based evaluations in 2017 have identifed three QTL for seedling salt-tolerance and one QTL for resistance to Phytophthora root rot in this new population. The above work will provide an important component of each student's M.S. thesis and Ph.D. dissertation research. Two NMSU undergraduate students, including one underrepresented minority, received training in agronomy, plant breeding and genetic techniques. One M.S. student and one undergraduate student completed their degrees in 2017. Another undergraduate student has recently been employed by the Bureau of Land Management. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Semi-annual reports of our research progress have been provided to a key alfalfa industry collaborator who is very interested in utilizing DNA MAS to improve alfalfa drought resilience. Research progress updates were also provided to NM Hay Association Board of Directors (9 individuals) in January and September 2016. In November 2017, a presentation describing the outcome of our DNA MAS research was presented to several hundred Ag. Industry personnel and farmers at the Western Alfalfa and Forage Symposium (Reno, NV). In addition, each year the program publishes an Experiment Station Research Report that describes alfalfa variety performance results across the state. This report is made available online, as well as, in hard copy at the Southwest Hay and Forage Conference to provide hay growers in NM, AZ, and TX with information to help them identify the most suitable varieties for their particular growing region. Results were also presented at professional meetings including two posters at the ASA, CSSA, and SSSA Annual Meeting in Phoenix, AZ in Nov. 2016. A peer-reviewed pubilication which intergrated the results of five alfalfa forage yield QTL mapping projects has also been accepted for publication in the journal, Crop Science. Specifically, this work identified specific regions of the alfalfa genome that influence forage biomass in diverse environments, and potential candidate genes impacting yield were also identified. Such results will provide useful information for designing future MAS based breeding work to improve alfalfa productivity. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?This is the final report of a previous Hatch project which was funded in 2012.Future research for a new 2017-2022 Hatch project will continue to utilize traditional breeding strategies to improve alfalfa drought resilience. For superior populations that are developed, we will seek alfalfa seed industry collaborators to assist us with commercializing and marketing new cultivars. DNA MAS approaches, including more advanced association mapping and genome selection methods, will also be evaluated for their potential to improve alfalfa yield during drought stress, as well as, to identify genes impacting salt tolerance and resistance to important pests and pathogens of alfalfa. In this regard, we have developed an elite association mapping population for this purpose, and planted it at three locations in the western U.S. for field-based yield evaluations. Lastly, we will also evaluate the potential of diploid alfalfa germplasm to enhance productivity of commercial tetraploid alfalfa populations.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective 1: Evaluate and enhance alfalfa germplasm using conventional and hybrid based breeding procedures to improve profitability of alfalfa production in the southwest U.S. Developing alfalfa cultivars that perform well under highly variable soil moisture conditions can help NM hay growers reliably meet the feed demands of the region's dairy livestock industry. The NMSU alfalfa cultivar, NuMex Bill Melton, was developed for hay production in arid and semiarid environments of the southwest that possess high variable soil moisture. This cultivar is a very high performing variety in four NM field test locations. Seed of this variety was commercially marketed in New Mexico beginning in late fall 2015, and 600 acres have been planted to-date. Forage yield of multiple elite alfalfa varieties were evaluated under control (C) irrigation management, flood irrigated every 14-days; deficit (D) management irrigated every 28-days; and early termination (ET) management, irrigated normally for only the first half of each growing season. Relative to the C treatment, average yield reductions of 44% and 46% were observed in the D and ET treatments, respectively, over three years. Variety by irrigation treatment interactions were detected in 2015, but not 2016 or 2017. A significant variety by year interaction was only detected in the ET treatment, and indicated that termination of irrigation during the second half of the 2015 growing season impacted the relative performance of varieties in 2016 and 2017 (post-stress) as compared to 2015 (pre-stress). Results indicate that breeding for resumed productivity after long periods of irrigation termination is needed to maximize farmer management options during drought. Objective 2: Introgress DNA marker alleles associated with enhanced forage and root biomass productivity during drought into commercial germplasm to improve alfalfa's resilience to water stress. In previous work we used DNA marker genetic fingerprinting of alfalfa to identify multiple quantitative trait loci (QTL) that contribute to alfalfa forage and root biomass productivity and water use efficiency (WUE) during drought. Several of these QTL have transferred from their non-elite donor parent background into elite genetic backgrounds using DNA marker assisted selection (MAS) and phenotypic selection for vigorous plants after three years of field deficient irrigation management. Ten new populations derived from this research have been evaluated in field trials during 2015 to 2017 at Las Cruces, NM. Under Control (C) irrigation management, five populations outperformed the drought resilient NuMex Bill Melton cultivar by up to 6%. Under Early Termination (ET) management, nine populations outperformed NuMex Bill Melton by up to 9%. Under Deficit (D) management, none of the populations outperformed NuMex Bill Melton. Additional data indicate that all MAS populations exhibited significantly greater fall dormancy (i.e. their forage productivity diminished under shorter daylengths in the fall) when compared to NuMex Bill Melton. Objective 3: Identify and characterize novel alleles of drought tolerance associated DNA markers and candidate genes within genetically broad-based cultivars and NPGS germplasm for their ability to enhance alfalfa productivity in drought-prone environments. Based on previous work which identified 25 QTL that influence alfalfa drought resilience, we conducted additional DNA marker genetic fingerprinting of 510 plants from five elite NMSU alfalfa breeding lines. Based on these results, selected plants possessing targeted desirable DNA markers were intermated to develop 30 elite dormant, semidormant, and nondormant alfalfa populations. Three field studies were planted in October 2015 to evaluate these materials. Heavy rain destroyed one field study (semidormant elite) and new seed was regenerated for those 12 populations during 2016 and the study was replanted in fall 2017. Forage yield data from the nondormant and dormant elite populations were collected over six harvests under deficit irrigation management in 2016 and 2017. Four of eight elite nondormant MAS-derived populations exceeded the yield of the elite base population by 1 to 16%. All eight elite dormant MAS-derived populations outperformed the elite base population by 8 to 51%. Results indicate that the markers we have identified currently have the greatest potential to immediately improve drought resilience of dormant elite alfalfa populations.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Ray, I and L. Singh. (2016) Genotype by Irrigation Management Interactions in Elite Alfalfa Germplasm". ASA, CSSA, and SSSA Annual Meeting.Phoenix, AZ. November 8, 2016.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Singh, L. and I., Ray. (2016) Impact of Phenotypic Selection on the Frequencies of SSR-Defined Genomic Regions Associated with Drought Tolerance in Alfalfa. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA Annual Meeting. Phoenix, AZ. November 7, 2016.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Ray, I.M., M.J. Monteros, B. Julier, M.K. Sledge, and E.C. Brummer. (Accepted) Identification of consensus regions associated with shoot biomass production in the Medicago genome. Crop Sci. Accepted.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Singh, L. (2017). Improving biomass productivity of alfalfa under water limited environments: DNA marker assisted breeding and performance evaluation under variable irrigation strategies. M.S. Thesis. New Mexico State University.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Ag. Exp. Station Research Report
Lauriault, L. M., Ray, I., Pierce, C., Burney, O., Flynn, R. P., Marsalis, M. A., O'Neill, M. K.. (2017). The 2016 New Mexico Alfalfa Variety Test Report. Las Cruces, NM: Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, New Mexico State University. http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/variety_trials/AVT16.pdf
|
Progress 10/01/12 to 09/30/17
Outputs
Target Audience:Undergraduate and graduate courses in Agronomy and/or Genetics have been taught each semester (2012-2017) including: Molecular Genetics (GENE 315), Genetics Seminar (GENE 440), Genes and Genomes (GENE 486), and AGRO 610 (Advanced Crop Breeding) to a diverse student population (total: 145 undergraduates and 13 graduate students) including Caucasian, Hispanic, native American, African-American, Asian, female and male students. These students were majoring in Agronomy, Biochemistry, Biology, Genetics, Horticulture, and Plant and Environmental Sciences. Field/lab tours were also regularly hosted for visiting scientists (national and international) and for an undergraduate plant breeding class. Each year we also help coordinate the New Mexico Future Farmers of America Agronomy Career Development Event competition. This event hosts from 38 to 57 participants/yr including, Caucasian, Hispanic, native American, female and male students. Results of our work have also been shared with several hundred farmers and Ag. Industry clientele via the following venues: NM Hay Association Board of Directors, Southwest Hay and Forage Conference, NMSU farmer field days, forage management workshops, and the Western Alfalfa and Forage Symposium. Attendees included Caucasian, Hispanic, Native American, African-American, females and males. Results have also been shared with Ag. research scientists at the Crop Science Society of America annual conference, National Association of Plant Breeders Conference, and the North American Alfalfa Improvement Conference. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Over the duration of this project, four NMSU Master of Science (MS) degree candidates and two doctoral (PhD) candidates were partially supported. Three of the MS candidates and one Ph.D. candidate have completed their degrees, and their research focused primarily on genotyping and field-based phenotyping of alfalfa populations developed by older conventional DNA marker assisted selection (MAS) methods. The remaining one MS and one PhD candidates are currently engaged in conducting research that utilizes more advanced DNA marker technologies, including evaluating the potential of association mapping and genomic selection to improve alfalfa drought resilience and seedling salt-tolerance, and seedling pathogen resistance. This project also partially supported three NMSU undergraduate students, including one underrepresented minority. Each of these students received training in agronomy, plant breeding and genetic techniques. Two of these undergraduates have completed their degrees and are pursuing graduate studies at Cornell and Colorado State University. The third student was recently employed by the Bureau of Land Management. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The drought resilient NMSU alfalfa variety, NuMex Bill Melton, was released with commercial seed sales commencing on a limited basis in late 2015. As of spring 2017, this variety is being grown on 600 acres in New Mexico. Annual reports of our research progress are provided to key alfalfa industry collaborators who are interested in utilizing DNA marker assisted selection (MAS) to improve alfalfa productivity. Research progress updates were also provided to the NM Hay Association Board of Directors (9 individuals) in January and September of each year. We have also presented the outcomes of our DNA MAS research to 7 visiting scholars, and several hundred Ag. Industry personnel and farmers at the Western Alfalfa and Forage Symposium (2013 and 2017), the S.W. Hay and Forage Conference (each year), NM and AZ forage workshops (2013 and 2015), and NMSU Ag. Experiment Station farmer field days (2013, 2015). Each year our project analyzes all data for multiple alfalfa variety trials grown at five to six locations throughout New Mexico. Based on these results, an Experiment Station Research Report that describes the performance of diverse alfalfa cultivars across the state is published. This report is made available online, as well as, in hard-copy at the Southwest Hay and Forage Conference to provide hay growers in NM, AZ, and west TX with information to help them identify the most suitable varieties for their particular growing region. Results were also presented at professional meetings including three posters and three invited presentations at the: ASA, CSSA, and SSSA Annual Meetings (2016); National Association of Plant Breeders Annual Meeting (2014); and the North American Alfalfa Improvement Conference (2014). Our program also assists with organizing and moderating the Southwest Hay and Forage Conference, in January of each year. Approximately 100 to 140 Ag. industry and farmer attendees are present each year Three Master of Science and one Doctoral candidates completed their degrees in plant breeding and genetics during 2012-2017. Results were published as three theses and one dissertation. Four peer-reviewed journal articles, targeted primarily to plant breeders and geneticists, and which represented research that was partially supported by Hatch funds, were also published. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?This is the final report of a previous Hatch project which was funded in 2012-2017.Future research for a new 2017-2022 Hatch project will continue to utilize traditional breeding strategies to improve alfalfa drought resilience.For superior populations that are developed, we will seek alfalfa seed industry collaborators to assist us with commercializing and marketing new cultivars. DNA MAS approaches, including more advanced association mapping and genome selection methods, will also be evaluated for their potential to improve alfalfa yield during drought stress, as well as, to identify genes impacting salt tolerance and resistance to important pests and pathogens of alfalfa. In this regard, we have developed an elite association mapping population for this purpose, and planted it at three locations in the western U.S. for field-based yield evaluations. Lastly, we will also evaluate the potential of diploid alfalfa germplasm to enhance productivity of commercial tetraploid alfalfa populations.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective 1: Evaluate and enhance alfalfa germplasm using conventional and hybrid based breeding procedures to improve profitability of alfalfa production in the southwest U.S. Developing alfalfa cultivars that perform well under highly variable soil moisture conditions can help NM hay growers reliably meet the feed demands of the region's dairy livestock industry. The NMSU alfalfa cultivar, NuMex Bill Melton, was developed for hay production in arid and semiarid environments of the southwest that possess highly variable soil moisture. Seed of this variety was commercially marketed in New Mexico beginning in late fall 2015, and 600 acres have been planted as of June 2017. To evaluate yield stability of alfalfa varieties under variable irrigation regimes, forage yield of multiple elite alfalfa varieties was evaluated in 2015-2017 under control (C) irrigation management, flood irrigated every 14-days; deficit (D) management irrigated every 28-days; and early termination (ET) management, irrigated normally for only the first half of each growing season. Relative to the C treatment, average yield reductions of 44% and 46% were observed in the D and ET treatments, respectively, over three years. Variety by irrigation treatment interactions were detected in 2015, but not 2016 or 2017. Yield reductions were progressively greater over time in the ET regime relative to the D and C regimes. The variety by year interaction was greatest in the ET treatment which indicated that termination of irrigation during the second half of the 2015 growing season significantly impacted the relative performance of varieties in 2016 and 2017 (post-stress) as compared to 2015 (pre-stress). These results indicate that breeding for resumed forage productivity after long periods of irrigation termination is needed to develop cultivars that can provide farmers with maximum flexibility in their irrigation management options during drought. Objective 2: Introgress DNA marker alleles associated with enhanced forage and root biomass productivity during drought into commercial germplasm to improve alfalfa's resilience to water stress. In previous work we used DNA marker genetic fingerprinting of alfalfa to identify 25 quantitative trait loci (QTL) that influenced alfalfa forage and root biomass productivity during drought stress in a non-elite fall dormant population. In alfalfa, greater fall dormancy is manifested in dormant populations by reduced forage growth as day lengths diminish and temperatures decline during September to December. Semidormant and nondormant populations, however, exhibit progressively less sensitivity to day length and temperature, and hence, are capable of producing more forage during fall months. In this regard, several of the biomass QTL were transferred from their fall-dormant non-elite donor parent background into three elite semidormant genetic backgrounds using DNA marker assisted selection (MAS). First- and second-generation MAS-derived populations were initially evaluated in 2011-2013 under Deficit (D) irrigation management conditions. In first-generation MAS populations (50% semidormant elite background), selection for high shoot and high root biomass markers, and selection against low shoot and low root biomass markers benefitted forage productivity by 1 to 19% in the D study, although none of these populations yielded as well as their elite cultivar parent. Some second-generation MAS populations (75% elite semidormant background) outperformed their original semidormant cultivar parent by 3 to 14% in the D study. In 2014, after three years of deficit irrigation management, the most productive second-generation populations were subjected to phenotypic selection to identify the most vigorous plants. These plants were intermated to generate 10 new populations, which were planted and evaluated in field trials during 2015 to 2017 at Las Cruces, NM under three different irrigation managements. Under Control (C) irrigation management, four populations outperformed their parent cultivar by up to 6%. Under Early Termination (ET) management, nine populations outperformed their parent cultivar by up to 9%. Under Deficit (D) management, only one population outperformed its parent cultivar. Additional data indicated that all of MAS-derived populations exhibited significantly greater fall dormancy (i.e. their forage productivity diminished under shorter day lengths in the fall) when compared to their semidormant cultivar parents. Results suggest that genetic factors influencing fall dormancy in the original non-elite population may be impacting the immediate usefulness of these biomass markers in semidormant elite alfalfa backgrounds, particularly under deficit irrigation management. In this regard, selection for reduced fall dormancy (i.e. ability to continue forage growth in the fall) may be necessary to maximize the impact of the biomass QTL in semidormant populations. Results also indicate that the biomass QTL markers previously identified may be very useful for developing alfalfa varieties with improved yield potential under irrigation termination management scenarios. Objective 3: Identify and characterize novel alleles of drought tolerance associated DNA markers and candidate genes within genetically broad-based cultivars and NPGS germplasm for their ability to enhance alfalfa productivity in drought-prone environments. Based on previous work which identified 25 QTL that influence alfalfa drought resilience (see objective 2), we determined that three of the biomass QTL were in close proximity to the ERECTA candidate gene. Research conducted in 2010-2013 indicated that selection for different ERECTA alleles using DNA markers significantly impacted the number of leaf stomata, leaf thickness, and water-use efficiency of alfalfa. These results suggest that the ERECTA gene may be a useful target for future MAS approaches to improve alfalfa drought resilience. We also conducted additional DNA marker genetic fingerprinting of 510 plants from five elite NMSU alfalfa breeding lines (i.e. second generation MAS populations described in Objective 2) that possessed some of the 25 biomass QTL. Selected plants possessing targeted desirable DNA markers were intermated to develop 43 elite dormant, semidormant, and nondormant alfalfa populations. Three field studies were planted in fall 2015 to evaluate these materials. Heavy rain destroyed one field study (semidormant elite populations). Consequently, new seed was regenerated for the 27 semidormant elite populations during 2016 and that study was replanted in fall 2017. Forage yield data from the eight nondormant and eight dormant elite populations were collected over six harvests under deficit irrigation management in 2016 and 2017. Four of eight elite nondormant MAS-derived populations exceeded the yield of the elite nondormant base population by 1 to 16% over two years.When we evaluated the presence of the biomass markers in a dormant elite background over two years, all eight elite dormant MAS-derived populations outperformed the elite dormant base population by 8 to 51%. Collectively, these results indicate that the biomass markers that were originally identified in a fall dormant non-elite genetic background have the greatest immediate potential to improve drought resilience of fall dormant elite alfalfa populations. Opportunities also exist to utilized these biomass markers to improve nondormant elite alfalfa populations to some extent.
Publications
|
Progress 10/01/15 to 09/30/16
Outputs
Target Audience:Formal Classroom instruction in Molecular Genetics (GENE 315), Genetics Seminar (GENE 440), and Advanced Crop Breeding (AGRO/HORT 610) to diverse student population (~29 undergraduate students and 7 graduate student) including Caucasian, Hispanic, native American, Asian, female and male students. Hosted a field/lab tour of research projects to 1 alfalfa breeder from Alforex Seeds on June 13, 2016, and 10 NMSU undergraduate students (AGRO 462, Plant Breeding) on Aug. 23 and Oct. 25, 2016. Coordinated FFA Crops Judging Contest with 49 participants on April 8, 2016. Provided research progress updates to NM Hay Association Board of Directors (9 individuals) on Jan 15, Sept 21, 2016. Provided 20 minute presentation to ~120 farmers and other industry representatives at the Southwest Hay and Forage Conference. Ruidoso, NM on Jan. 15, 2016. Presentation was titled: Opportunities to Improve Alfalfa Drought Resilience". Changes/Problems:Heavy rainfall and hail in late October 2015 destroyed one of three newly planted NMSU field studies associated with DNA marker assisted selection. For the 12 populations that were lost, new seed produced by hand-crossing in 2016 to replant this study in 2017. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Research projects assigned to two NMSU Master of Science degree candidates were partially supported on this project in 2016. One student is actively involved in DNA marker genotyping of several hundred elite alfalfa plants for DNA marker assisted selection research to improve alfalfa drought tolerance. The other student is involved in seed production efforts to initiate field-based and laboratory phenotyping of a large alfalfa mapping population for association mapping of drought and salt-tolerance QTL. This work will provide an important component of their M.S. thesis research. Two NMSU undergraduate students, including one underrepresented minority, received training in agronomy, plant breeding and genetic techniques. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?NMSU hosted field/lab tours of research projects to alfalfa breeders from private industry (June 13, 2016). Research progress updates provided to NM Hay Association Board of Directors (9 individuals) on Jan 14 and Sept 21, 2016. Similar updates provided to ~120 farmers and other industry representatives at the Southwest Hay and Forage Conference (Jan. 15, 2016). In addition, each year the program publishes an Experiment Station Technical Report that describes alfalfa variety performance results across the state. This report is made available online, as well as, in hard copy at the Southwest Hay and Forage Conference to provide hay growers in NM, AZ, and TX with information to help them identify the most suitable varieties for their particular growing region. Research results associated with breeding efforts to improve alfalfa drought resilience were also presented at professional meetings including two posters at the ASA, CSSA, and SSSA Annual Meeting in Phoenix, AZ. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Concerning objective 1: NMSU will continue to coordinate with a California seed grower to produce additional certified seed of the drought resilient alfalfa cultivar, NuMex Bill Melton, for commercial sale in 2017. Research to monitor the impact of different water-conservation irrigation management treatments on the performance of multiple elite alfalfa populations will continue to identify those with greatest yield stability and performance. Ultimately we will impose selection within the best populations to identify superior plants which will be used as parents to generate new breeding populations with improved productivity in drought-prone environments. Concerning objective 2: Third year field data will be collected from multiple advanced NMSU MAS-derived breeding lines and industry cultivars to measure forage productivity under control and deficit irrigation management conditions in 2017. Second year yield data will also be collected on 6 of the NMSU breeding lines for advanced yield trial evaluation at Tucumcari, NM under municipal waste water application. Four of these advanced breeding lines will also be evaluated in a new alfalfa variety trial planted at Los Lunas, NM. Concerning objective 3: More than 400 plants were screened for targeted DNA markers in 2015/16. Plants possessing various combinations of desirable DNA markers were intermated, or crossed to elite cultivars, to develop a new series of 40 elite populations. These materials have variable fall dormancies, and were developed to expand the impact of our DNA marker assisted breeding program to encompass a wider range of production environments in the western U.S. Sixteen of these populations and check cultivars were planted in 2015 and will be evaluated for second year performance under deficit irrigated field conditions in 2017. Twenty four of these populations will be planted in fall 2017 for yield evaluation under deficit irrigation management in 2018-2020.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective 1: Evaluate and enhance alfalfa germplasm using conventional and hybrid based breeding procedures to improve profitability of alfalfa production in the southwest U.S. Developing alfalfa cultivars that perform well under highly variable soil moisture conditions can help NM hay growers reliably meet the feed demands of the region's dairy livestock industry. The NMSU alfalfa cultivar, NuMex Bill Melton, was developed for hay production in arid and semiarid environments of the southwest that possess high variable soil moisture. This cultivar was the top performing variety in two NM field locations in 2014, 2015, and 2016. Seed of this variety was commercially marketed in New Mexico beginning in late fall 2015. Forage yield of multiple elite alfalfa varieties were evaluated under control (C) irrigation management, flood irrigated every 14-days; deficit (D) irrigation management, irrigated every 28-days; and early termination (ET) irrigation management, irrigated for only the first half of each growing season. Relative to the C treatment, average yield reductions of 44% and 39% were observed in the D and ET treatments, respectively. Variety by irrigation treatment interactions were detected in 2015, but not 2016 - due to nonsignificant variation among varieties in the C and ET treatments in 2016. A significant variety by year interaction was only detected in the ET treatment, and indicated that termination of irrigation during the second half of the 2015 growing season impacted the relative performance of varieties in 2016 (post-stress) as compared to 2015 (pre-stress). Results indicate that breeding for resumed productivity after long periods of severe moisture stress is needed to maximize farmer management options for growing alfalfa during periods of drought. Objective 2: Introgress DNA marker alleles associated with enhanced forage and root productivity during drought into commercial germplasm to improve alfalfa's resilience to water stress. In previous work we have used DNA marker genetic fingerprinting of alfalfa to identify multiple quantitative trait loci (QTL) that contribute to alfalfa forage and root biomass productivity and water use efficiency during drought. Several of these QTL have transferred from their non-elite donor parent background into elite genetic backgrounds using DNA marker assisted selection (MAS), and subsuquent phenotypic selection for vigorous plants after three years of field deficient irrigation management. Ten new populations derived from this research have been evaluated in field trials during 2015 and 2016 at Las Cruces, NM. Under Control (C) irrigation management, nine populations outperformed the drought resilient NuMex Bill Melton cultivar by up to 11%. Under Early Termination (ET) management, all 10 populations outperformed NuMex Bill Melton by up to 10%. Under Deficit (D) management, four populations outperformed NuMex Bill Melton by up to 8%. Six of these populations were also evaluated in 2016 at Tucumcari, NM (250 miles NE of Las Cruces, NM) where NuMex Bill Melton outperformed each of them; perhaps due to greater daylength sensitivity in the newly developed breeding lines. Objective 3: Identify and characterize novel alleles of drought tolerance associated DNA markers and candidate genes within genetically broad-based cultivars and NPGS germplasm for their ability to enhance alfalfa productivity in drought-prone environments. Based on previous work which identified 25 QTL that influence alfalfa drought resilience, we conducted additional DNA marker genetic fingerprinting of >400 plants from five elite NMSU alfalfa breeding lines. Based on these results, selected plants possessing desirable DNA markers were intermated to develop 30 elite dormant, semidormant, and nondormant alfalfa populations. Three field studies were planted in October 2015 to evaluate these materials. Heavy rain destroyed one field study (semidormant elite) and new seed was regenerated for those 12 populations during 2016. Forage yield data from the nondormant and dormant elite populations were collected over six harvests under deficit irrigation management in 2016. Five of eight elite nondormant MAS-derived populations exceeded the yield of the elite base population by 1 to 20%. All eight elite dormant MAS-derived populations outperformed the elite base population by 8 to 43%.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Farmer Workshop Presentation
Ray, I. (2016) Opportunities to Improve Alfalfa's Drought Resilience. Southwest Hay & Forage Conference. Ruidoso, NM. January 15, 2016.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Wang, J., Zhao, Y., Ray, I., Song, M. (2016). Transcriptome responses in alfalfa associated with tolerance to intensive animal grazing. Scientific Reports, 6:19438. doi:10.1038/srep19438
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Experiment Station Technical Report
Lauriault, L. M., Ray, I., Pierce, C., Burney, O., Flynn, R. P., Marsalis, M. A., O'Neill, M. K.. (2016). The 2015 New Mexico Alfalfa Variety Test Report. Las Cruces, NM: Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, New Mexico State University. http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/variety_trials/AVT15.pdf
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Ray, I and L. Singh. (2016) Genotype by Irrigation Management Interactions in Elite Alfalfa Germplasm". ASA, CSSA, and SSSA Annual Meeting.Phoenix, AZ. November 8, 2016.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Singh, L. and I., Ray. (2016) Impact of Phenotypic Selection on the Frequencies of SSR-Defined Genomic Regions Associated with Drought Tolerance in Alfalfa. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA Annual Meeting. Phoenix, AZ. November 7, 2016.
|
Progress 10/01/14 to 09/30/15
Outputs
Target Audience:Formal Classroom instruction in Molecular Genetics (GENE 315), Genetics Seminar (GENE 440), and Genes and Genomes (GENE 486) to diverse student population (~31 undergraduate students and 1 graduate student) including Caucasian, Hispanic, native American, Asian, female and male students. Provided research progress updates to NM Hay Association Board of Directors (9 individuals) on Jan 14, Sept 29, and Nov 17, 2015. Provided 30 minute presentation to ~70 farmers and other industry representatives at the Arizona Alfalfa and Forage Crops Workshop. Univ. Arizona Maricopa Ag. Center. Maricopa, AZ on March 25, 2015. Presentation was titled: Opportunities to Improve Alfalfa Drought Tolerance". Hosted a field/lab tour of research projects to alfalfa breeders from Alforex Seeds on Aug 6, 2015. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?One NMSU Master of Science degree candidate was partially supported on this project in 2015. This student is actively involved in DNA marker genotyping of several hundred elite alfalfa plants for anticipated DNA marker assisted selection research to improve alfalfa drought tolerance. This work will provide an important component of his M.S. thesis research. Two NMSU undergraduate students, including one underrepresented minority, received training in plant breeding and genetic techniques. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?NMSU provided research progress update to NM Hay Association Board of Directors (9 NM alfalfa hay growers) on Sept. 26, 2015. NMSU provided 30 minute presentation on "Opportunities to Improve Alfalfa Drought Tolerance" to approximately 70 farmers and other industry representatives at the Arizona Alfalfa and Forage Crops Workshop. Univ. Arizona Maricopa Ag. Center, Maricopa, AZ on March 25, 2015. NMSU hosted a field/lab tour of this research project to 4 alfalfa breeders from Alforex Seeds on August 6, 2015. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Concerning objective 1: NMSU will coordinate with a California seed grower to produce additional certified seed of the drought resilient alfalfa cultivar, NuMex Bill Melton, for commercial sale in 2016. Concerning objective 2: Second year field data will be collected from 10 advanced NMSU breeding lines and 14 cultivars to measure forage productivity under limited irrigation management conditions in 2016. First year yield data will also be collected on 7 of the NMSU breeding lines for advanced yield trial evaluation at Tucumcari, NM under municipal waster water application. Concerning objective 3: Approximately 250 elite alfalfa plants will be subjected to DNA marker genetic fingerprinting using markers that are associated with enhanced drought resistance. Plants possessing desirable DNA markers will be intermated to develop a new series of elite DNA MAS populations for future yield evaluations under drought stressed field conditions. Dissemination of results: NMSU will provide a 30 minute presentation on "Opportunities to Improve Alfalfa Drought Resilence" to approximately 100 farmers and industry representatives at the January 2016 S.W. Hay Conference. Results of this work will also be presented at the North American Alfalfa Improvement Conference in Madison, WI in summer 2016.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective 1: Evaluate and enhance alfalfa germplasm using conventional and hybrid based breeding procedures to improve profitability of alfalfa production in the southwest U.S. The NMSU alfalfa cultivar, NuMex Bill Melton, was developed for hay production in arid and semiarid environments of the southwestern U.S. that possess both abundant and limited irrigation capabilities. Seed of this cultivar is being commercially produced as part of an exclusive release agreement between the New Mexico Agricultural Experiment Station and a member of the alfalfa seed industry. In 2014, our industry cooperator in California produced certified-class seed of NuMex Bill Melton. This seed was made available for sale to NM farmers in fall 2015. Objective 2: Introgress DNA marker alleles associated with enhanced forage and root productivity during drought into commercial germplasm to improve alfalfa's resilience to water stress. In previous work we have used DNA marker genetic fingerprinting of alfalfa to identify multiple quantitative trait loci (QTL) that contribute to alfalfa forage and root biomass productivity and water use efficiency (WUE) during drought. Several of these QTL have transferred from their non-elite donor parent background into elite genetic backgrounds using DNA marker assisted selection (MAS). Results from work conducted in 2011-2013 indicate that MAS improved forage productivity during drought stress, on average, by 5 to 13%. In 2014, vigorous plants were selected from field plots of 10 MAS-derived populations, and other NMSU breeding lines, that had been subjected to 3 years of drought stress. Seed was produced from these 10 populations in 2014 and 2015 under cage isolation. In fall 2014, the populations were planted at Las Cruces, NM, along with 14 commercial cultivars and evaluated for forage yield productivity under limited irrigation management conditions in 2015. These first year field results indicate that 7 of the NMSU breeding lines possessed superior forage yields (2 to 13%) as compared to the best drought tolerant check cultivar, NuMex Bill Melton. These 7 populations were also planted in 2015 at the NMSU Tucumcari Ag. Science Center (~250 miles NE of Las Cruces, NM) for advanced yield trial evaluation in 2016. Objective 3: Identify and characterize novel alleles of drought tolerance associated DNA markers and candidate genes within genetically broad-based cultivars and NPGS germplasm for their ability to enhance alfalfa productivity in drought-prone environments. Based on previous work which identified 25 QTL that influence alfalfa drought resilience, we conducted additional DNA marker genetic fingerprinting of 510 plants from five elite NMSU alfalfa breeding lines. After these DNA marker results are analyzed we will identify individuals that possess desirable QTL alleles and will intermate selected plants to develop a new series of elite DNA MAS populations for future yield evaluations under drought stress.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Ray, I.M., Yuanhong, H., E L., Meenach, C.D., et al. 2015. Identification of Quantitative Trait Loci for Alfalfa Forage Biomass Productivity during Drought Stress. Crop Sci. 55:2012-2033.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Wang, J., Zhao, Y., Ray, I., Song, M. (Accepted). Transcriptome responses in alfalfa to intensive animal grazing. Sci. Rep. In Press.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Lauriault, L.M., I.M. Ray, C.A. Pierce, R.P. Flynn, M.A. Marsalis, M.K. ONeill, and O. Burney. 2014. The 2014 New Mexico alfalfa variety test report. New Mexico Ag. Exp. Stn. Research Report. http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/variety_trials/AVT14.pdf.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Farmer Workshop Presentation
Ray, I.M. 2015. Opportunities to Improve Alfalfa Drought Tolerance. Arizona alfalfa and Forage Crops Workshop. Univ. Arizona, Maricopa Ag. Center, Maricopa, AZ. March 25, 2015.
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Progress 10/01/13 to 09/30/14
Outputs
Target Audience: Formal Classroom instruction in Molecular Genetics (GENE 315), Genetics Seminar (GENE 440), and Advanced Plant Breeding (AGRO/HORT 610) to diverse student population (23 undergraduate students and 5 graduate students) including Caucasian, Hispanic, native American, Asian, female and male students. Provided alfalfa research progress updates to NM Hay Association Board of Directors (9 influential NM hay producers) on April 4 and Sept 26, 2014. Provided 20 minute presentation to ~150 plant breeders and industry representatives who attended the National Association of Plant Breeders annual meeting in Minneapolis, MN on Aug. 5-8, 2014. Presentation was titled: Enhancing alfalfa forage productivity during drought. Provided 20 minute presentation to ~70 alfalfa and red clover breeders and industry representatives who attended the North American Alfalfa Improvement Conference in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada on July 9-10, 2014. Presentation was titled: DNA marker assisted breeding for alfalfa forage productivity in drought-stressed and mesic environments. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Completed Ph.D. degree research and dissertation requirements for Gina Babb. Undergraduate student training in plant breeding and genetics for Steven Smalley (under-represented minority) and Micah Funk. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Provided alfalfa research progress updates to NM Hay Association Board of Directors (9 NM alfalfa hay growers) on April 4 and Sept. 26, 2014. Provided 20 minute presentation on progress made using DNA markers to improve alfalfa forage productivity during drought stress. Audience consisted of ~150 plant breeders and industry representatives who attended the National Association of Plant Breeders annual meeting in Minneapolis, MN on Aug. 5-8, 2014. Provided 20 minute presentation on the impact of DNA marker assisted selection to improve alfalfa biomass productivity in water-deficit and well-watered envrionments. Audience consisted of ~70 alfalfa and red clover breeders and industry representatives who attended the North American Alfalfa Improvement Conference in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada on July 9-10, 2014. Interviewed by Hay and Forage Grower Magazine to provide an article to update alfalfa producers on the seed availability and characteristics of the alfalfa cultivar, NuMex Bill Melton, which was selected for improved forage production in water-limited environments. (October 2014 issue). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Submit two scientific journal articles including: (1) Wang, J., Zhao, Y., Ray, I., Song, M. Transcriptome responses in alfalfa associated with tolerance to intensive animal grazing. Submitted to BMC Plant Biology. Manuscript is being revised for resubmission. (2) Ray, I., et al. Identification of QTL for alfalfa forage biomass productivity during drought stress. Submitted to Crop Science, December 18, 2014. Seed increases of 10 elite alfalfa populations, which were selected for plant vigor after 3 years of deficit irrigation management, will also be planted in multiple field studies throughout NM and CA in 2014 and 2015. Continue partnership with private seed company to sell certified seed of NuMex Bill Melton alfalfa to help NM farmers maintain forage production for local dairy industry even when water supplies are limited. Efforts are also underway to conduct genome wide association study to identify DNA markers that are associated with forage biomass production in elite alfalfa germplasm grown under drought stressed field conditions.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective 1: Evaluate and enhance alfalfa germplasm using conventional and hybrid based breeding procedures to improve profitability of alfalfa production in the southwest U.S. The NMSU alfalfa cultivar, NuMex Bill Melton, was developed for hay production in arid and semiarid environments of the southwestern U.S. that possess both abundant and limited irrigation capabilities. Seed of this cultivar is being commercially produced as part of an exclusive release agreement between the New Mexico Agricultural Experiment Station and a member of the alfalfa seed industry. In 2014, our industry cooperator in California produced certified-class seed of NuMex Bill Melton which should be available for sale to farmers in 2015. Objective 2: Introgress DNA marker alleles associated with enhanced forage and root productivity during drought into commercial germplasm to improve alfalfa's resilience to water stress. We employed DNA marker assisted selection (MAS) to transfer 10 DNA markers from an experimental alfalfa population into different elite cultivar backgrounds over two generations. These markers were previously determined to be associated with alfalfa forage yield and root biomass productivity during drought stress. These MAS-derived populations were evaluated in 2011-2013 under limited irrigation (LI) and normal irrigation (NI) management field conditions near Las Cruces, NM. In the first-generation MAS populations, selection for high shoot and high root biomass markers, and selection against low shoot and low root biomass markers, benefited forage productivity by 1 to 19% in the LI study. These same populations, however, yielded similarly to each other in the NI study. To produce the second-generation MAS populations, six of the first-generation MAS populations were each mated to three alfalfa cultivars which possessed varying degrees of drought tolerance. Significant forage yield differences were detected among the six MAS hybrids within each cultivar group in both the LI and NI studies. These results suggested that marker assisted selection impacted alfalfa productivity in all three cultivar genetic backgrounds. Some second-generation MAS populations derived from two of the cultivars outperformed their original cultivar parent by 3 to 14% in the LI study, with the greatest improvement occurring in the cultivar that exhibited the greatest sensitivity to drought stress. In the NI study, some second-generation MAS populations derived from each of the three cultivars outperformed their original cultivar parent by 4 to 6%. The highest yielding second-generation MAS population derived from each cultivar in the LI study was also identified as the top performing population in the NI study indicating that DNA marker assisted breeding approaches can be used to develop alfalfa cultivars with improved forage productivity in both drought-prone and well-watered environments. In 2014, phenotypic selection for plant vigor was practiced in 10 high yielding populations in the LI study. One hundred plants from each population were placed under cage isolation and seed was generated for regional evaluation, including new alfalfa variety trials planted in NM and CA in fall 2014. Objective 3: Identify and characterize novel alleles of drought tolerance associated DNA markers and candidate genes within genetically broad-based cultivars and NPGS germplasm for their ability to enhance alfalfa productivity in drought-prone environments. QTL analysis was conducted within two alfalfa mapping populations grown under water-stressed field conditions. Among 25 QTL identified, each impacted forage yield by 3 to 7 percent, and three QTL. were located in close proximity to the ERECTA gene. This gene has been demonstrated to influence multiple traits associated with water-use effiiciency in the model plant, Arabidopsis, and our results suggest that it may also be responsible for the yield effects noted in alfalfa during drought stress.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Lauriault, L.M., I.M. Ray, C.A. Pierce, R.P. Flynn, M.A. Marsalis, M.K. ONeill, and O. Burney. 2013. The 2013 New Mexico alfalfa variety test report. New Mexico Ag. Exp. Stn. Research Report. http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/variety_trials/2013AlfalfaVarietyReport.pdf.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Babb, G.M. 2014. DNA marker assisted selection to improve drought tolerance in alfalfa. Ph.D. Dissertation. New Mexico State University.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Ray, I., Babb, G., Santantonio, N. (2014). Enhancing alfalfa forage productivity during drought. National Association of Plant Breeders annual meetings, Minneapolis, MN Aug. 5-8, 2014
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Ray, I. (2014). DNA Marker Assisted Breeding for Alfalfa Forage Productivity in Drought-Stressed and Mesic Environments. North American Alfalfa Improvement Conference, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, July 8-10, 2014.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Santantonio, N., C.A. Pierce, I.M. Ray. (2014). Genetic mapping of carbon isotope discrimination in drought stressed tetraploid alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). North American Alfalfa Improvement Conference, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, July 8-10, 2014.
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Progress 10/01/12 to 09/30/13
Outputs
Target Audience: Formal classroom instruction in Molecular Genetics (GENE 315), Genetics seminar (GENE 440), and Genes and Genomes (GENE 486) to diverse student population (approimately 25individuals)including caucasian, hispanic, native american, black, asian,female, and male students. Provided research progress updates to NM Hay Association Board of Directors (9 individuals) on April 5 and November 1, 2013. Provided a 15 minute presentation to ~70 alfalfa producersand industry agronomists who attended theNMSU Artesia Agriculture Science Center Field Day onSept. 19, 2013. Presentation focused on developing high performing alfalfa varieties for variable soil moisture environments. . Provided a 15 minute presentation to ~500 farmers,industry representatives, and university personnell who attended theWestern Alfalfa and Forage Symposium inReno, NV on Dec. 12, 2013. Presentation wastitled:DNA marker assisted breeding to develop alfalfa varieties for a water-challenged future. Hosted alfalfa research plot tours to three alfalfa breeders from the U.S. seed industry and the governments of Oman and China on May 13,October 3, and November 8, 2013.These tours demonstrated alflafa populations developed by DNA marker assistedselection for improved drought tolerance. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Completed Masters degree research and thesis requirements for two students, Christoper Pierce and Nicholas Santantonio. Nearing completion of Ph.D. training for one student, Gina Babb. Undergraduate student training in plant breeding and genetics for Steven Smalley (under-represented minority). Hosted alfalfa research plot tours to three alfalfa breeders from the U.S. seed industry and the governments of Oman and China on May 13,October 3, and November 8, 2013.These tours ranged from 1.5 to 3 hours in-length and discussed processess associated with developing drought tolerant alfafla populations using DNA marker assisted selection, and the outcomes of that reserach. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Provided research progress updates to NM Hay Association Board of Directors (9 individuals) on April 5 and November 1, 2013. Provided a 15 minute presentation to ~70 alfalfa producersand industry agronomists who attended theNMSU Artesia Agriculture Science Center Field Day onSept. 19, 2013. Presentation focused on developing high performing alfalfa varieties for variable soil moisture environments. . Provided a 15 minute presentation to ~500 farmers,industry representatives, and university personnell who attended theWestern Alfalfa and Forage Symposium inReno, NV on Dec. 12, 2013. Presentation wastitled:DNA marker assisted breeding to develop alfalfa varieties for a water-challenged future. Hosted alfalfa research plot tours to three alfalfa breeders from the U.S. seed industry and the governments of Oman and China on May 13,October 3, and November 8, 2013.These tours demonstrated alfalfa populations developed by DNA marker assistedselection for improved drought tolerance What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Spring 2014: Impose phenotypic selection in targeted DNA marker assisted selection populations previously evaluated in yield trials during 2011-2013, transfer selected plants to isolation cages for seed production in summer 2014, followed by planting of this seed in regional forage yield trials in NM and CA in fall 2014 to determine suitability for future cultivar release. A new study involving DNA marker allele mining within three alfalfa cultivars will be initiated in fall 2014. In this study, DNA will be isolated from 600 plants followed by DNA marker genotyping in targeted genome regions that have been previously shown to impact forage biomass production.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The NMSU alfalfa cultivar, NuMex Bill Melton, was developed for hay production in arid and semiarid environments of the southwestern U.S. that possess both abundant and limited irrigation capabilities. Seed of this cultivar is being commercially produced as part of an exclusive release agreement between the New Mexico Agricultural Experiment Station and a member of the alfalfa seed industry. In 2013, our industry cooperator in California produced foundation-class seed of NuMex Bill Melton. Certified seed of this variety should be available to farmers in 2015. In a separate study, we employed DNA marker assisted selection (MAS) to transfer 10 DNA markers from an experimental alfalfa population into different elite cultivar backgrounds over two generations. These markers were previously determined to be associated with alfalfa forage yield and root biomass productivity during drought stress. These MAS-derived populations were evaluated in 2011-2012 under limited irrigation (LI) and normal irrigation (NI) management field conditions near Las Cruces, NM. In the first-generation MAS populations, selection for high shoot and high root biomass markers, and selection against low shoot and low root biomass markers, benefited forage productivity by 3 to 23% in the LI study. These same populations, however, yielded similarly to each other in the NI study. To produce the second-generation MAS populations, six of the first-generation MAS populations were each mated to three alfalfa cultivars which possessed varying degrees of drought tolerance. Significant forage yield differences were detected among the six MAS hybrids within each cultivar group in both the LI and NI studies. These results suggested that marker assisted selection impacted alfalfa productivity in all three cultivar genetic backgrounds. Some second-generation MAS populations derived from two of the cultivars outperformed their original cultivar parent by 6 to 19% in the LI study, with the greatest improvement occurring in the cultivar that exhibited the greatest sensitivity to drought stress. In the NI study, some second-generation MAS populations derived from each of the three cultivars outperformed their original cultivar parent by 6 to 7%. In a different study, DNA marker assisted selection for two unique alleles of the alfalfa ERECTA gene, significantly influenced leaf stomata number and stomatal index and leaf specific mass. We previously demonstrated that the chromosomal region in which this gene resides also influences forage yield during drought stress, as well as, water-use efficiency.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Lauriault, L.M., I.M. Ray, C.A. Pierce, R.P. Flynn, M.A. Marsalis, M.K. ONeill, and T. Place. 2012. The 2012 New Mexico alfalfa variety test report. New Mexico Ag. Exp. Stn. Research Report. (http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/variety_trials/AlfalfaVar2012.pdf).
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2012
Citation:
Ray, I.M., C.A. Pierce, and C.G. Currier. 2012. Registration of NuMex Bill Melton alfalfa for variable soil moisture environments. J. Plant Registrations 6: 1-4.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Pierce, C. 2013. Forage yield potential among sixty-eight semidormant accessions of the perennial alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) core collection. M.S. Thesis. New Mexico State University.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Santantonio, N. 2013. Genetic mapping of carbon isotope discrimination in tetraploid alfalfa. M.S. Thesis. New Mexico State University.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Ray, I.M., G. Babb, C. Pierce. 2013. DNA marker assisted breeding to develop alfalfa varieties for a water-challenged future. In: Proceedings, 2013 Western Alfalfa and Forage Symposium, Reno, NV Dec. 11-13.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Ray, I.M. 2013. Developing high performing alfalfa varieties for variable soil moisture environments. NMSU Artesia Agriculture Science Center Field Day presentation, Sept. 19.
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