Source: CORNELL UNIVERSITY submitted to
EXPANDING THE COVER CROP BREEDING NETWORK: NEW SPECIES AND TRAITS FOR ORGANIC GROWERS
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
ACTIVE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1026683
Grant No.
2021-51300-34899
Cumulative Award Amt.
$3,000,000.00
Proposal No.
2021-02952
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2021
Project End Date
Feb 28, 2026
Grant Year
2021
Program Code
[113.A]- Organic Agriculture Research & Extension Initiative
Project Director
Moore, V.
Recipient Organization
CORNELL UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
ITHACA,NY 14853
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Cover crops are essential to the long-term sustainability of organic cropping systems because they suppress weeds, improve soil and water quality, supply nitrogen, and provide resources for beneficial organisms such as pollinators. Unlike cash crops, cover crops have not been bred for the traits that organic farmers need, and farmers have limited variety options and regional performance information. Our established team of organic and cover crop experts will expand a successful breeding and research program to include new cover crop species and address more traits of interest to organic growers. We will work with organic farmers and seed companies to breed new varieties of hairy vetch (Vicia villosa), winter pea (Pisum sativum), crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum), and cereal rye (Secale cereale). Using classical breeding, marker-based selection, and participatory breeding, we will select varieties for agronomic traits of interest including weed suppression, early vigor, biomass production, winter hardiness, seed yield, disease and insect resistance, soft and non-shattering seed, and early flowering. Through release of new varieties and enhanced knowledge of regional cover crop adaptation, we will improve the ability of organic farmers to choose the cover crops best adapted to their region and cropping system.Our work directly addresses legislatively-defined OREI goals 1, 6, and 8 by facilitating development of organic production methods, conducting on-farm research, and developing new/improved seed varieties for organic systems. This project is unique because our network of research and farm sites ensures that our work is applicable across multiple regions, scales, and organic cropping systems.
Animal Health Component
40%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
20%
Applied
40%
Developmental
40%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
2011644108175%
2011570108125%
Knowledge Area
201 - Plant Genome, Genetics, and Genetic Mechanisms;

Subject Of Investigation
1644 - Winter annual legumes; 1570 - Rye;

Field Of Science
1081 - Breeding;
Goals / Objectives
The major goals of this project are to breed cover crops for improved weed control and fertility management, and to facilitate farmer adoptionof regionally appropriate cover crop varieties.The project objectives are to:Breed and release winter legume cover crops for traits of interest to organic growers.Improve winter survival using breeding nurseries, on-farm participatory plant breeding, high-throughput phenotyping, and optimal planting date studies.Select for early vigor, high biomass, disease resistance, and early maturity.Screen advanced breeding lines across the US to define regional and national winners for public variety release.Adapt a successful coordinated, multi-site model to establish a national cereal rye cover crop breeding program.Screen diverse germplasm for allelopathic ability.Select cereal rye for traits of interest to organic growers, including early vigor/establishment, early maturity, biomass production, and weed suppression.Screen advanced breeding lines across the US to define regional and national winners for public variety release.Address barriers to the organic production of cover crop seed.Conduct a seed yield pathway analysis for crimson clover to improve seed yield.Identify seed weevil resistance in the hairy vetch germplasm.Use marker-assisted selection to develop hairy vetch cultivars with soft seed and reduced pod shatter.Compile data on cover crop variety performance and support farmer Extension and educational tools.Aggregate cover crop variety trial data from historical and future trials and farmer knowledge and experience.Exchange knowledge about variety performance with farmers, seed companies, and extension personnel through organic field days and participatory research.Structure variety performance data for integration with cover crop decision tools already available to organic farmers and extension personnel.
Project Methods
Vetch breeding nurseries. Six locations will host vetch breeding nurseries. For each plant, fall vigor, spring vigor, maturity, determinacy, disease, seed weight, and biomass at seed harvest will be recorded. Marker screening will be used to select for soft seed and low pod shatter. The best 2% of plants will advance to the next generation.Pea breeding nurseries. Nine locations will host pea breeding nurseries. Promising lines for traits of interest will be crossed in greenhouses and bulked into biparental families until the F3 generation. We will use the same methods described for vetch to measure fall vigor, spring vigor, maturity, disease, seed weight, and biomass at seed harvest. Through participatory plant breeding, organic farmers will host nurseries, pick biparental families of greatest interest for their operations, and select the best lines for harvest. Cold stress evaluation in growth chambers will be used to accelerate varietal improvement for winter hardiness, allowing up to three cycles of screening and selection per year. Peas will also be evaluated in disease nurseries for resistance to Aschochyta blight, white mold, and powdery mildew to inform selection and identification of resistant parents for new crosses.Rye breeding nurseries & allelopathy screening. In Year 1 of the project, we will conduct a preliminary in vitro screening of rye accessions from our breeding program, commercially available varieties, and the National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS). Rye material with the greatest allelopathic potential will be crossed to northern-adapted varieties to form the base breeding populations for the two northern nurseries. We will conduct rye selection nurseries at four locations representing hardiness zone 4-7. Phenotyping will be conducted as described previously for vetch, and each site will select the top 5% of individuals for advancement each year based on fall and spring vigor, winter survival, and maturity timing. In addition, NC and MD will conduct a field bioassay for allelopathy, in which the four breeding locations send seed of their top lines to be assessed for weed suppressive ability in a field with uniform weed pressure. Additional traits such as winter survival, biomass, heading date, and leaf rust resistance will be recorded on entries. These data will be used to select the best families from each breeding nursery.Advanced Line Trials. Seed from top selections in breeding nurseries will be increased each year. Lines with adequate seed after increase will be distributed to 14 advanced line trial sites. At each location, data will be collected on emergence, fall vigor, spring vigor, percent stand count at green up, and winter damage. Locations will collect biomass at one to two harvest dates that represent typical cover crop incorporation dates in theirregion andrecord maturity score, disease resistance, and vigor scores at harvest.All advanced breeding lines will be evaluated for seed yield in typical seed production regions. Data collected on each plot will include emergence, spring stand count, maturity rating, seed weight, biomass at seed harvest, viable seed, hard seed, and thousand seed weight. In Years 3-4, SeedLinked will coordinate on-farm testing on winter pea and cereal rye winter survival and overall performance using a triadic comparison model. We will conduct a trial with 40 growers per crop in USDA hardiness zones 3-5. An additional trial will define seeding dates that optimize winter survival in pea.Crimson clover seed yield. Seed yield will be studied from populations representing variability in seed yield from the past breeding program of crimson clover. The date of first flower will be recorded for each plant. At peak flowering, the number of stems per plant and inflorescences per stem will be recorded. Data on seed traitswill be used in path coefficient analysis to determine the direct and indirect influence of these variables on seed yield. DNA will be analyzed at WI to identify SSR markers, determine selfing rates among individuals, and include in correlations with seed yield.Bruchid beetle resistance. We will screen diverse lines of hairy vetch for resistance to bruchid beetle. We will plant 85 maternal lines that had the lowest numbers and 15 lines with the highest numbers of adult bruchid emergence. Bruchid populations will be monitored weekly around the trial. Once the first plant flowers in the nursery, researchers will visit every three days to determine date to first flower and date to first green pod of each plant in the trial. Six half-sibling progenies from each maternal line will be harvested, dried, and threshed, and seeds will be rated for bruchid presence. Remnant seed from plants with the lowest bruchid presence ratings will be entered into our nationwide vetch breeding nurseries to generate advanced breeding lines with bruchid resistance.Variety trial data aggregation. We will aggregate cover crop variety trial data following standard meta-analysis methods. Scientific literature databases, such as Web of Science, will be searched using keywords "cover crop" or "catch crop" or "green manure" combined with "variety." General web searches using the same keywords will seek grey literature, such as extension publications and presentations. Growers and researchers with known cover crop experience will be personally contacted and messages will be sent to grower listservs such as OGRAIN and researcher networks such as the cover crop councils (CCCs) to request information about historical and ongoing trials. Minimum criteria for data inclusion will include: 1) multiple varieties of at least one cover crop species tested and 2) location and year of the trial to associate with weather data and soil type.Evaluation of project impacts. Project impacts will be evaluated in terms of (1) the breadth and efficacy of stakeholder outreach, (2) the development of improved cover crop varieties that meet the needs of organic farmers, and (3) the generation of scientific knowledge to enhance future cover crop breeding efforts. Impacts of outreach activities will be measured in terms of both number of stakeholders reached and self-identified changes in knowledge or behavior. For example, we will track the number of attendees present at field days, presentations, and workshops associated with the project. We will conduct annual surveys of focus group participants regarding their use of named cover crop varieties. We will also track the number of page views for digital media and the number of citations for relevant publications. To evaluate the degree to which our cover crop varieties meet stakeholder needs, we will conduct participatory variety evaluation at regional field days. While viewing advanced line trial plots, farmers, seed company representatives, and extensionists will complete a standardized survey to identify their top two preferred varieties, least preferred variety, and provide any comments. In addition, we will work with SeedLinked to conduct on-farm variety trials to determine winter survival ability and evaluate overall performance of our breeding material. After the release of new cover crop varieties, we will work with companies to track regional seed sales as a proxy for cultivar adoption. To evaluate scientific knowledge and overall progress towards our project objectives, we will conduct annual in-person team meetings. They will take place in March of each year and will rotate between collaborating sites (NC in 2022, NY in 2023, OR or MN in 2024). These meetings will include presentations of preliminary results, a review of research progress, and facilitated discussions on research challenges and critical project needs. The advisory panel will be invited to annual meetings to provide feedback.

Progress 09/01/23 to 08/31/24

Outputs
Target Audience:Our efforts reached a wide range of target audiences, including farmers, seed producers, seed companies, extension professionals, conservation/agricultural industry professionals, policymakers, other cover crop and plant breeding researchers, and undergraduate and graduate students. The project reached these audiences across multiple regions including the West, Northern Plains, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast. Changes/Problems:During FY2024, leadership of all CCB Network breeding programs changed. Collaborator Kissing Kucek secured a position as USDA-ARS Research Geneticist specializing in annual grass cover crop breeding, and as such, she assumed direction of the CCB Network cereal rye breeding program. In turn, USDA-ARS Research Geneticist Neal Tilhou assumed leadership of the CCB Network hairy vetch breeding program, with oversight from Co-PD Riday. With the retirement of Co-PD McGee, CCB Network coordinator Solveig Hanson assumed direction of the CCB Network winter pea breeding program. Finally, direction of the CCB Network crimson clover program transitioned to Marnin Wolfe of Auburn University. Co-PD Leon hired Postdoctoral Fellow Satransky to characterize root vs. shoot cereal rye allelopathy and quantify rye-to-rye allelopathy for high and low allelopathic lines. Co-PD McGee retired during FY2024, but her staff completed fall increases of CCB Network winter pea material. Unfortunately, a miscommunication resulted in the failure to plant a spring increase of CCB material. Researcher Mulkey (MN) again contributed F3 winter pea crosses to supplement previous CCB selections in 2024-25 nurseries. In addition, Dr. Kevin McPhee (Montana State University) has agreed to assist with winter pea increases in 2025, to replace the seed increase capacity that Co-PD McGee has provided. A Materials Transfer Agreement is in progress, led by Co-PD Riday, to grant CCB Network collaborators permission to breed with, trial, and increase material derived from Co-PD McGee's crosses. Winter pea variety and germplasm releases have been delayed due to Co-PD McGee's retirement, but these processes will resume after completion of the aforementioned MTA. Some locations experienced pest pressure, weed pressure, or weather conditions that limited their ability to collect data. In ND, a winter with unusually low (or absent) snow cover resulted in complete winterkill of winter pea nurseries and trials at both research station and on-farm sites. This winterkill considerably reduced both FTE allotted to the ND sites and outreach opportunities at those sites. The IA on-farm winter pea nursery was challenged by cool weather, slow pea maturity, and aggressive weed growth, rendering selection impossible. On-farm winter pea nurseries have been winnowed to two for the FY2025 season; we've selected sites with reliable winter survival pressure and precedent of successful selection. Deer pressure and volunteer clover, respectively, rendered impossible the harvest of the University of Georgia pilot crimson clover nursery and NC crimson clover advanced line trial. Finally, pea weevil damage decreased seed yields in the large-plot winter pea increases undertaken by the WA PMC. These complications notwithstanding, the vast majority of CCB Network nurseries and trials were established successfully and yielded valuable data and germplasm. On-farm participatory variety trials used commercial winter pea varieties instead of CCB Network varieties, due to delays with germplasm release to the National Plant Germplasm System. Under the MTA currently being guided by Co-PD Riday, the CCB Network will have freedom to trial germplasm with on-farm collaborators and thus to integrate CCB Network advanced lines into 2025-26 on-farm trials. With the aid of collaborator Jiang's expertise and thermal imaging instruments, we are currently phenotyping hairy vetch accessions for bruchid damage. We will complete phenotyping this year, and if bruchid-resistant vetch lines are identified, they will be targeted for field and/or greenhouse planting in 2025. Publications summarizing four years of advanced line testing in crimson clover and winter pea were planned for 2023 publication, but these were delayed due to personnel transitions. Data for both crops have been re-analyzed to include 2022-23 data, providing more robust results, and publications will be submitted in 2024-25. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?As part of this project, several graduate students and postdoctoral researchers were hired and trained on a wide range of field, laboratory, greenhouse, data analysis, and management skills. This included: 1 Postdoctoral researcher and 1 Master's student in North Carolina focused on rye allelopathy evaluation in laboratory and field conditions 1 Postdoctoral researcher in Wisconsin focused on analysis of marker and genomic data in charity vetch and crimson clover 1 PhD student in New York focused on winter survival and adaptation to northern environments in winter pea and cereal rye 1 PhD student in Wisconsin focused on breeding rye and understanding vetch toxicity to livestock 1 Master's student in Oregon focused on crimson clover seed yield pathway analysis 1 graduate student in Missouri was trained on conducting and analyzing field-based trials 3 undergraduate students in Wisconsin were hired to screen papers for inclusion in the project's cover crop variety performance database 1 undergraduate student in North Carolina learned about breeding nurseries, including making selections, seed harvest, and cleaning methods 1 undergraduate student in New York conducted thermal imaging analysis to investigate the genetic basis of bruchid resistance in hairy vetch Technicians, research support specialists, and undergraduate students were hired and trained across many project locations, and were trained in a wide range of activities including protocol development, planting research plots using cone-seeder drills, nursery and variety trial management and data collection, seed processing, and forage analysis. Finally, Co-PD Reberg-Horton's team hosted a new collaborator from University of Georgia for mentorship in crimson clover and hairy vetch nursery establishment. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Collaborators hosted and/or presented project results at at least six field days in Minnesota, New York, Oregon, and Wisconsin. These events were attended by farmers, seed producers, and employees from multiple seed companies selling cover crop seed. Collaborators shared variety performance information and engaged in one-on-one meetings with 4 seed companies interested in licensing cover crop varieties from the breeding network. To ensure communication with companies unable to attend in-person field days, CCB Network Advanced Line Trial results were disseminated via email to a list of 32 seed industry contacts. Finally, Co-PD Riday and collaborator Kissing Kucek are continuing the release process for hairy vetch variety 'CCB Nitrous' with Mountain View Seeds. PD Moore and collaborators represented the Cover Crop Breeding Network at the following events which reach farmers, seed growers, researchers, extensionists, and seed company representatives: Culinary Breeding Network Variety Showcase - Moore and Hanson (Oct 2023) New York Soil Health Cover Crop Field Walk - Moore and Hanson (Oct 2023) Oregon Clover Commission Meeting - Hayes (Oct 2023) New York Soil Health Alliance - Hanson (Nov 2023) Western New York Soil Health Alliance - Hanson (Dec 2023) University of Minnesota Winter Growers Meeting - Ehlke (2024) Oregon Seed Association Annual Meeting - Hayes (Jan 2024) Soil Health Collaborative - Kissing Kucek (Jan 2024) Northeast Cover Crop Council - Hanson (Feb 2024) Western Cover Crop Council - Hanson (March 2024) Oregon Seed Association - Hanson and Kissing Kucek (April 2024) Cover Crop Breeding Field Walks - Moore and Hanson (April-May 2024) Hyslop Farm Field Day - Hayes (May 2024) Spring Cover Crop Research Update - Riday and Kissing Kucek (June 2024) Cornell Seed Growers Field Day - Moore and Hanson (June 2024) PMCs have included information about Cover Crop Breeding Network efforts in their newsletters and annual reports to increase awareness among NRCS field staff and the public about the activities and benefits of this important work. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Objective 1: Breed and release winter legume cover crops for traits of interest to organic growers. Crimson clover, hairy vetch and winter pea breeding nurseries will be planted and evaluated across collaborating sites. After an initial screening nursery at the University of Georgia in 2023-24, that site will host two crimson clover nurseries with divergent breeding goals in 2024-25. In addition to four winter pea breeding nurseries on research stations, on-farm participatory pea breeding nurseries will be planted on two farms in the Upper Midwest. Seed increase will be conducted across species as in 2023-2024, with PMC's in KS, MO, and OR increasing 9 lines of hairy vetch and 12 lines of crimson clover. Advanced breeding line trials for legume species will continue at previous locations. The first year of on-farm participatory winter pea trials will continue, with a winter 2024-25 webinar on the CCB Network's winter pea breeding and research, along with instructional videos at each rating period. A second year of on-farm trials will be launched in August 2025 using the SeedLinked platform, this time using CCB Network advanced lines pending successful seed production. A publication summarizing five years of advanced line testing in hairy vetch was published in 2024, and similar publications for crimson clover and winter pea are in preparation with plans to publish in 2024-25. Objective 2: Adapt a successful coordinated, multi-site model to establish a national cereal rye cover crop breeding program. Collaborator Kissing Kucek arranged the first nationwide cereal rye variety trial for cover crop performance in the fall of 2024, sourcing 23 named varieties to be planted at ND, NC, OR, WI, and OK for fall vigor, winter survival, spring vigor, flowering time, biomass, forage quality, and/or seed yield. Cereal rye breeding nurseries with varied breeding goals with respect to planting date, flowering time, and allelopathy will be planted and evaluated in Minnesota (early flowering, high allelopathy), New York (early flowering, low allelopathy), and Wisconsin (planting after silage, late flowering, low allelopathy; planting after grain corn, late flowering, high allelopathy). Concurrent field allelopathy screens in NC will inform selection for high and low allelopathy in MN and NY nurseries. Nurseries selecting for high allelopathy will be planted in MD and NC; in addition, NC will host a nursery breeding for strong agronomic performance in mid-south conditions. Finally, MN, NC, NY, and WI will increase populations harvested from 2023-24 cereal rye nurseries. Cereal rye advanced line trials comprising 22 entries will be added at 6 sites: MD, MO, NC, NY, OK, and WI. Entries include two bulks from 2023-24 CCB Network nurseries, experimental lines from Florida and Kentucky breeding programs, and 15 commercially available cultivars. Cereal rye advanced line trials use single-row plots, so to validate biomass yield against strip-scale plots, cereal rye biomass yield trials were planted in OR, ND, and WI using a subset of commercial cultivars. In New York, 2023-24 and two-year 2022-24 cereal rye variety x planting date data will be evaluated, and reports will be published. Objective 3: Address barriers to the organic production of cover crop seed. Co-PD Hayes will continue seed yield field experiments with crimson clover and hairy vetch. Hayes and graduate student Hale will finalize development of a pathway model for crimson clover seed yield. In addition, Hayes and graduate student Hale will analyze the diversity of seed yield components in 29 accessions originating from the USDA-NPGS. Evaluation of seed samples from the New York vetch bruchid nursery will be evaluated for bruchid infestation with leadership from collaborator Jiang. Lines with low infestation rates will be identified, and further evaluation in the field and/or greenhouse will be initiated. Collaborators Riday and Kissing Kucek will use the newly developed size-based marker to rapidly screen for soft seeded genotypes for inclusion in Fall 2024 hairy vetch breeding nurseries. This size-based marker was used in the 2023-2024 cycle and successfully increased the beneficial QTL frequency from 18% to 57% in the Wisconsin population. Also, a spring-planted Maryland nursery was screened for individuals with the QTL, resulting in a population with a beneficial (soft seed associated) QTL rate of 86%. Populations from these two entries are being tested in advanced line trials to validate QTL effects. Objective 4: Compile data on cover crop variety performance and support farmer Extension and educational tools. Collaborator Kissing Kucek's team will complete the Systematic Review with the National Agricultural Library to gather historical cover crop variety trial data. After filtering down to a few thousand papers that meet inclusion criteria, a database structure will be determined, and data from included papers will be inputted. The database will be hosted by National Ag Library and made publicly available.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective 1: Breed and release winter legume cover crops for traits of interest to organic growers Breeding Nurseries In Fall 2023, 5 crimson clover (CC), 5 hairy vetch (HV), and 5 winter pea (WP) nurseries were planted in locations across the US: GA, MD, MN, NC, ND, NY, and WI. Data were collected on emergence, vigor, winter survival, disease resistance, flowering time, and seed yield. Data were analyzed across traits of interest and selection recommendations were made for each breeding locations. For the outcrossing species (CC and HV), a balanced bulk of seed was created from each nursery site for entry into Fall 2024 advanced line trials and for seed increase. In addition, selected CC individuals were included in a half-sib trial to investigate seed yield of promising breeding lines. Seed Increase In Fall 2023 through Spring 2024, 8 populations of CC, 11 populations of HV, and 40 lines of WP were increased at NRCS Plant Materials Centers (PMCs) and ARS stations in KS, MO, OR, and WA. Advanced Breeding Line Trials In Fall 2023, advanced breeding line trials were planted in 14 locations across the US: AK, AL, GA, MD, MN, MO, NC, NY, OK, OR (2 locations), TX, WA, and WI. These locations include PMC, university, and ARS sites. The trials included crimson clover (28 entries), hairy vetch (40 entries), and winter pea (40 entries). Data collection included emergence, vigor, winter survival, disease resistance, flowering time, and biomass production. Winter Pea Variety x Planting Date Trial In Fall 2023, a third year of winter pea variety x planting date trials were planted in 3 locations in the northern US: MN, ND, and NY. The trial included 4 winter pea varieties and 4 planting dates between late August and mid-October. Data collection included emergence, vigor, winter survival, biomass production, and seed yield. Data were analyzed by graduate student Raksha Thapa (NY). The NY and MN trials yielded spring biomass data and grain yield data, respectively, but a harsh winter in ND resulted in complete winterkill. On-Farm Variety Trials On-farm participatory trials of commercially available winter pea varieties were planned for launch in Fall 2024. This included coordination with SeedLinked, recruitment of 70 trial participants in USDA hardiness zones 3-6, and development of a protocol. Variety Release Collaborator Kissing Kucek submitted internal USDA-ARS paperwork to release 'CCB Nitrous' as a hairy vetch variety, which was approved internally through the PVP committee. Objective 2: Adapt a successful coordinated, multi-site model to establish a national cereal rye cover crop breeding program In Fall 2023, 7 cereal rye nurseries were planted in MD, MN, NY (3 nurseries), and NC (2 nurseries). Data were collected on emergence, vigor, winter survival, flowering time and seed yield. Data were analyzed and selections were made for separate early-maturing and late-maturing nurseries for Fall 2024 planting. Allelopathy nurseries in MD and NC collected data on lettuce presence and damage, which were compiled into an allelopathy index. Lines with highest allelopathy index advanced to 2024-2025 MD and NC allelopathy nurseries. Balanced bulks from selected 2023-24 cereal rye nurseries were entered into the first year of cereal rye advanced line trials, planted in Fall 2024. Selections from 2023-24 MN and NY early-flowering nurseries were sent concurrently to North Carolina for 2024-25 field allelopathy testing and to 2024-25 early-flowering nurseries; field allelopathy results will inform nursery selection Co-PD Leon and Postdoctoral Fellow Satransky continued laboratory and field experiments to characterize cereal rye germplasm for allelopathic activity. Graduate student Warris characterized crop and weed susceptibility to rye lines varying in allelopathic activity under greenhouse conditions. Results show that heritability of rye allelopathy is high enough to justify breeding efforts for this trait. Furthermore, it was discovered that the sensitivity of crop or weed species to rye allelochemicals depends on the specific combination between target plant species and the allelopathic characteristics of each cereal rye genotype. A cereal rye variety trial was planted for a second year in Fall 2023. It included 14 varieties, including three NC advanced lines with improved allelopathy, and was planted on four planting dates at 6 locations in NY. Objective 3: Address barriers to the organic production of cover crop seed Co-PD Hayes conducted seed yield trials of 28 CC and 34 HV breeding lines and cultivars to identify those with high seed yield. Hayes conducted seed yield experiments with 72 half-sib families of crimson clover to identify early generation material with high seed yield. Data was collected on seed yield, total biomass, seed number, 1000 seed weight and harvest index. Percent defoliation from disease was collected on hairy vetch. Researcher Hanson completed analysis of previous half-sib crimson clover seed yield data. Hayes and graduate student Kimber Hale conducted pathway analysis of multi-site crimson clover space-planted nurseries to detect physiological drivers of seed yield in crimson clover. To investigate genetic components of bruchid beetle resistance in hairy vetch, an analytical pipeline was developed that combines imaging and thermal retention to detect intact versus bruchid-damaged seeds. Seed samples from the 2021-22 NY vetch bruchid nursery are being processed and then destructively examined for bruchid infestation, in order to validate this novel analytical method. Collaborators selecting for soft seed and reduced pod shatter collected hairy vetch seed, pods, and tissue samples for DNA analysis. Collaborator Kissing Kucek evaluated all selected hairy vetch from the 2023 cycle (n=800) for hard seed and pod shatter. Collaborator Kissing Kucek and Co-PD Riday evaluated 1200 soft seed and low shatter genotypes of vetch in Prairie du Sac, WI. Researcher Tilhou has identified a major QTL which reduces hard seed in hairy vetch. Prior breeding progress for hard seed has been slow and labor intensive. Collaborators Raasch, Riday, and Kissing Kucek developed a size-based marker to rapidly screen for soft seeded genotypes in the hairy vetch breeding program. Objective 4: Compile data on cover crop variety performance and support farmer Extension and educational tools PD Moore and collaborator Kissing Kucek continued efforts to develop a cover crop variety trial database. Collaborator Kissing Kucek collaborated with National Agricultural Library, USDA - Foreign Agricultural Service and Embrapa to conduct a systematic review of historical and current cover crop variety trial data. Over 18,000 papers were identified in the initial screen from the National Ag Library, and Collaborator Kissing Kucek hired three students to help screen the papers for inclusion in the database.

Publications

  • Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Tilhou, N., L. Kissing Kucek, B. Carr, A. Marion, J. Douglas, J. Englert, S. Ali, J. Raasch, S. Bhamidimarri, S. Mirsky, M.J. Monteros, S. Krogman. 2023. Genome-wide association mapping in hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) discovers a large effect locus controlling seed dormancy. Frontiers in Plant Science.
  • Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Tilhou, N., L. Kissing Kucek, B. Carr, J. Douglas, J. Englert, S. Ali, J. Raasch, S. Bhamidimarri, S. Mirsky, M.J. Monteros, H. Riday. 2024. Pooled DNA sequencing in hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) reveals QTL for seed dormancy but not pod dehiscence. Frontiers in Plant Science.
  • Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Rebong D, Henriquez Inoa S, Moore VM, Reberg-Horton SC, Mirsky S, Murphy JP, Leon RG 2023. Breeding allelopathy in rye (Secale cereale) for weed suppression. Weed Science.
  • Type: Other Journal Articles Status: Submitted Year Published: 2024 Citation: Thapa, R., S. Hanson, J. Hua, and V.M. Moore. Breeding for cold tolerance in common annual legume cover crops. Crop Science (Submitted)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Kissing Kucek, L. et al. Cover Crop Breeding Strategies. ASA-CSA-SSSA, St. Louis, MO, October 2023.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Moore, V. et al. Plant Breeding for Complex Systems. National Academies Panel Exploring Linkages Between Soil Health and Human Health. Sept 2023.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Hanson, S. et al. Breeding for Biomass and Beyond: Cover crop breeding progress and potentials. Keystone Crops & Soil Conference. Harrisburg, PA, Nov 2023.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Reberg-Horton, C. and Henriquez Inoa, E. Soil Health Resources: Cover Crop Selector Tools and a Farmer-Driven Coalition. Organic Commodities and Livestock Conference. Mount Olive, NC, March 2024.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Hanson, S. et al. Toward 40 million cover cropped acres: Breeding fall-sown cover crops for ecosystem services and farm system compatibility. Cornell Plant Breeding Symposium. April 2024.


Progress 09/01/22 to 08/31/23

Outputs
Target Audience:Our efforts reached a wide range of target audiences, including farmers, seed producers, seed companies, extension professionals, conservation/agricultural industry professionals, policymakers, other cover crop and plant breeding researchers, and undergraduate and graduate students. The project reached these audiences across multiple regions including the West, Northern Plains, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast. Changes/Problems:In January 2023, Dr. Solveig Hanson was hired to serve as program manager in a permanent Research Support Specialist position reporting to PD Moore. Researcher Hanson is responsible for network-wide nursery and trial coordination, analysis and selection for crimson clover and pea, and support of CCB Network outreach, publications, and variety release. In August 2022, Co-PD Ryan passed all Cornell-based CCB Network activities to PD Moore. Co-PD Ryan continues to conduct cover cropping systems research synergistic to the efforts of the CCB Network. Postdoctoral researcher Rebong left his position with Co-PD Leon and has not yet been replaced. Co-PD McGee is beginning to phase out of CCB Network participation, as planned. While she was unable to contribute early-generation crosses for 2023-24 winter pea nurseries, researcher Mulkey (MN) contributed 24 F3 winter pea crosses in their stead. In addition, Dr. Kevin McPhee (Montana State University) has agreed to assist with winter pea increases in 2024, to replace the seed increase capacity that Co-PD McGee has provided. Some individual locations had pest pressure, weather conditions, or personnel challenges that limited their ability to plant or collect data. One of three participatory winter pea nurseries failed to establish due to late planting. For Fall 2023, researcher Mulkey (MN) custom-planted this nursery at an earlier date to ensure establishment. Fall 2022 advanced line trials planted in Fairbanks, Alaska failed to survive. To test viability of this location for future trials, Fall 2023 trials were sown in Fairbanks, AK and Palmer, AK using cultivars rather than CCB breeding material, and in both monoculture and biculture with triticale. After several years of unsuccessful crimson clover seed increases at Prosser, WA, we are happy to report that 2022-23 crimson clover at the Corvallis, OR PMC were successful. 2023-24 increases will use that site as well. Hairy vetch weediness (due to hard seed) and rodent damage is hampering the ability of the Aberdeen, ID PMC to properly increase hairy vetch seed, and therefore this site will be dropped for future seed increases. On-farm participatory variety trials were deferred from Fall 2023 to Fall 2024, to allow for USDA-ARS germplasm release of the CCB winter pea lines targeted for these trials. Trial planning with SeedLinked is underway. The timeline for research into hairy vetch bruchid beetle resistance was extended, as PD Moore and graduate student Everest concluded that a higher-throughput phenotyping method for bruchid screening was necessary. A collaboration with Dr. Yu Jiang, Cornell School of Integrated Plant Science-Horticulture was initiated and successful preliminary tests performed. With the aid of his lab's advanced seed imaging technology and expertise, we aim to identify bruchid-resistant vetch lines for field and/or greenhouse planting in 2024. Publications summarizing four years of advanced line testing in crimson clover and winter pea were planned for 2023 publication, but these were delayed due to personnel transitions. Data for both crops are being re-analyzed to include 2022-23 data, providing more robust results, and publications will be submitted in 2024. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?As part of this project, several graduate students and postdoctoral researchers were hired and trained on a wide range of field, laboratory, greenhouse, data analysis, and management skills. This included: 1 PhD student in New York focused on winter survival and adaptation to northern environments in winter pea and cereal rye 1 Master's student in New York focused on vetch bruchid until December 2022 1 Postdoc and 1 graduate student in North Carolina focused on rye allelopathy evaluation in laboratory and field conditions 1 Master's student in Oregon focused on crimson clover seed yield pathway analysis 1 Postdoc in Wisconsin focused on analysis of marker and genomic data 1 undergraduate student in Wisconsin was mentored in a senior project which developed methods for measuring canavanine, a known toxic compound in vetch A research support specialist was hired to handle cover crop breeding network project management. Technicians, research support specialists, and undergraduate students were hired and trained across many project locations, and were trained in a wide range of activities including protocol development, planting research plots using cone-seeder drills, nursery and variety trial management and data collection, seed processing, and forage analysis. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Collaborators hosted and/or presented project results at least seven field days in NY, Minnesota, and MD. These events were attended by farmers, seed producers, and employees from multiple seed companies selling cover crop seed. At some field days, we conducted participatory variety evaluation in which participants were asked to identify varieties of greatest interest to their farm or company and why. Collaborators also shared variety performance information and engaged in one-on-one meetings with 3 seed companies interested in licensing cover crop varieties from the breeding network. Collaborators Riday and Kissing Kucek established an MTA with Mountain View Seeds and are developing a license for new hairy vetch line 'CCB Nitrous.' PD Moore also presented project results to farmers, researchers, extension, industry, and/or policymakers at the following events: Cover Crop Field Tour for NY State Congresspeople & Staffers (Oct 2022) Danforth Plant Science Center (Dec 2022) Cornell Seed Growers Conference (Dec 2022) New York Soil Health Summit (Dec 2022) Penn State Cover Crops Series (Feb 2023) Farm Bill Field Hearing with US Congresspeople & Staffers (April 2023) Cover Crop Breeding Field Walks (April-May 2023) Collaborators represented the Cover Crop Breeding Network at the following events which reach farmers, seed growers, and seed company representatives: Oregon Clover Commission Meeting - Hayes (Oct 2022) Oregon Seed Association Annual Meeting - Hayes (Jan 2023) State and National Soybean Boards Workshop - Mirsky (Jan 2023) National Predictive Modeling Tool Initiative - Mirsky (Feb 2023) Northeast Cover Crop Council - Mirsky (Feb 2023) Soil Health Collaborative - Kissing Kucek (Feb 2023) Southern Cover Crop Council - Reberg-Horton (Feb 2023) Organic Commodities and Livestock Conference - Reberg-Horton (March 2023) Grass Seed Field Tour - Ehlke (June 2023) PMCs have included information about Cover Crop Breeding Network efforts in their newsletters and annual reports to increase awareness among NRCS field staff and the public about the activities and benefits of this important work. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Objective 1: Breed and release winter legume cover crops for traits of interest to organic growers. Crimson clover, hairy vetch and winter pea breeding nurseries will be planted and evaluated across collaborating sites. A new crimson clover breeding site will be added at the University of Georgia. In addition to research station breeding nurseries, on-farm participatory pea breeding nurseries will be planted on four farms in the Upper Midwest, including a new site in ND. Seed increase will be conducted across species as in 2022-2023, with PMCs in KS, MO, and OR increasing 10 lines of hairy vetch and 8 lines of crimson clover. Advanced breeding line trials will continue at previous locations, plus new locations in Oklahoma and Alabama. On-farm participatory variety trials conducted in coordination with SeedLinked will be planned and coordinated for planting in Fall 2024. A publication summarizing five years of advanced line testing in hairy vetch was submitted in 2023, and similar publications for crimson clover and winter pea are in preparation with plans to publish in 2024. A third year of the winter pea planting date x variety trial will be planted and evaluated in 4 locations: Minnesota, New York, North Dakota, and Washington. Objective 2: Adapt a successful coordinated, multi-site model to establish a national cereal rye cover crop breeding program. Cereal rye breeding nurseries will be planted and evaluated in Minnesota (1 nursery) and New York (2 nurseries). After selection for agronomic traits, half-sib family seed samples will be sent to NC for allelopathy screening, allowing selection for high or low allelopathy in 2024-25 nurseries. Field allelopathy screens will be carried out in NC and MD, and high allelopathy lines will be identified for advancement or use as parents. Seed will be increased for lines with favorable allelopathy and field performance traits, including the three advanced lines validated for allelopathy in 2022-23. In New York, 2022-23 cereal rye variety x planting date data will be evaluated, and a second year of the multi-site experiment will be planted at 6 NY sites in Fall 2023. The 2023-24 cereal rye variety x planting date experiment will test 14 varieties - including three high allelopathy lines from NC - over four planting dates. Objective 3: Address barriers to the organic production of cover crop seed. Co-PD Hayes (Oregon) will continue seed yield field experiments with crimson clover and hairy vetch. Hayes and graduate student Hale will develop a pathway model for crimson clover seed yield. Seed samples from the New York vetch bruchid nursery will be evaluated for bruchid infestation by collaborator Jiang. Lines with low infestation rates will be identified, and further evaluation in the field and/or greenhouse will be initiated. Collaborators Riday and Kissing Kucek will use the newly developed size-based marker to rapidly screen for soft seeded genotypes for inclusion in Fall 2024 hairy vetch breeding nurseries. Objective 4: Compile data on cover crop variety performance and support farmer Extension and educational tools. Collaborator Kissing Kucek is beginning a Systematic Review with the National Agricultural Library to gather historical cover crop variety trial data.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective 1: Breed and release winter legume cover crops for traits of interest to organic growers Breeding Nurseries In Fall 2022, 4 crimson clover nurseries were planted in Maryland (MD) and North Carolina (NC) (3 sites). Data were collected on emergence, vigor, winter survival, disease resistance, flowering time, and seed yield. Researcher Hanson analyzed field data across traits of interest and made selection recommendations for each breeding location. In Fall 2022, 7 hairy vetch nurseries comprising over 10,000 genotypes were planted in MD (2 sites), Minnesota, NY, NC (2 sites), and Wisconsin. Data were collected on emergence, vigor, winter survival, disease resistance, flowering time, and seed yield. Collaborator Kissing Kucek evaluated 800 vetch genotypes for hard seed and pod shatter, used a pedigree model to analyze over 90,000 hairy vetch genotypes for traits of interest, made selection recommendations for each breeding location, and assigned parents for Fall 2023 nursery planting. In Fall 2022, 5 winter pea nurseries were planted at research stations in MD, Minnesota, NY, NC, and North Dakota. Three on-farm winter pea nurseries were planted on collaborator organic farms in Wisconsin and Iowa. Data were collected on emergence, vigor, winter survival, disease resistance, flowering time, and seed yield. Researcher Hanson analyzed field data across traits of interest and made selection recommendations for each breeding location. Seed Increase In Fall 2022 through Spring 2023, 12 lines of crimson clover were successfully increased at the Corvallis, OR Plant Materials Center. Seed yield totaled almost 10 lbs among the 12 lines, averaging 264g per line and 4.72g per plant. All increased lines will be entered in advanced line trials in Fall 2023. During Fall 2023-Summer 2024, the Corvallis, OR PMC will increase 6 crimson clover breeding lines developed during the 2022 harvest season. In the fall of 2022, the Aberdeen, ID, Manhattan, KS, Elsberry, MO, and Corvallis, OR PMCs each established fields to increase a total of 11 promising lines of hairy vetch and twelve lines of crimson clover. Hairy vetch increases at Aberdeen, ID produced a total of 9.6 lbs. of 1 line (the other failed), at Manhattan, KS produced a total of 70 lbs. of 1 line (the other 2 failed), at Elsberry, MO a total of 272.3 lbs. among 2 lines, and at Corvallis, OR a total of 188 lbs. among 4 lines. The PMC increases will be used in further breeding efforts and for advance line testing at other locations. In Fall 2022 and Spring 2023, Co-PD McGee (USDA ARS - Pullman, WA) established fields to increase 40 lines of winter pea for use in breeding nurseries and advanced line trials. In Spring 2023, Co-PD McGee established larger plots to increase 6 winter pea lines in preparation for USDA-ARS germplasm release and on-farm variety trials. Advanced Breeding Line Trials In Fall 2022, advanced breeding line trials were planted in 13 locations across the US: Alaska, Georgia, MD, Minnesota, Missouri, NY, NC, ND, Oregon (OR) (2 locations), Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin. These locations include 4 PMC sites: Americus, GA, Corvallis, OR, Knox City, TX, and Pullman, WA. The trials included crimson clover (12 entries), hairy vetch (43 entries), and winter pea (38 entries). Data collection included emergence, vigor, winter survival, disease resistance, flowering time, and biomass production. Winter Pea Variety x Planting Date Trial In Fall 2022, a second year of winter pea variety x planting date trials were planted in 3 locations in the northern US: Minnesota, NY, and ND. The trial included 4 winter pea varieties and 4 planting dates between late August and mid-October. Data collection included emergence, vigor, winter survival, biomass production, and seed yield. Data were analyzed by graduate student Raksha Thapa (NY). Variety Release Collaborator Kissing Kucek submitted paperwork to release 'CCB Nitrous' as a PVP hairy vetch variety. Objective 2: Adapt a successful coordinated, multi-site model to establish a national cereal rye cover crop breeding program In Fall 2022, 2 cereal rye nurseries were planted, in New York and Minnesota. The NY nursery comprised both early (September 30) and late (October 26) planting dates, while the Minnesota nursery was planted on September 13, 2022. Both nurseries included selections from the NC allelopathy breeding program, in addition to PI accessions with reported adaptation to northern climates. Data were collected on emergence, vigor, winter survival, and seed yield. Data were analyzed by researcher Hanson, and selections were made for separate early-maturing and late-maturing nurseries for Fall 2023 planting. Collaborator Kissing Kucek devised a rye breeding pipeline schematic for future CCB use. Collaborator Leon and postdoctoral fellow Rebong continued laboratory and field experiments to characterize cereal rye germplasm for allelopathic activity. New crosses were made, and progenies of allelopathic x Northern-adapted crosses were evaluated for increased allelopathy in vitro and under greenhouse conditions. For three lines previously selected for high allelopathy, allelopathic properties were confirmed under field conditions, and seed was increased. Graduate student Warris characterized crop and weed susceptibility to rye lines varying in allelopathic activity under greenhouse conditions. A cereal rye variety trial was planted in Fall 2022, which included eight varieties and four planting dates at 6 locations in NYState. Objective 3: Address barriers to the organic production of cover crop seed Co-PD Hayes (Oregon) conducted seed yield trials of advanced breeding lines of crimson clover and hairy vetch to identify breeding lines with high seed yield. Hayes conducted seed yield experiments with half-sib families of crimson clover to identify early generation material with high seed yield. Hayes and graduate student Kimber Hale (Oregon) also conducted replicated, space planted nurseries containing six crimson clover populations in OR, TX, and NC to study seed yield components. Material was harvested and data was collected on seed yield components. Analysis is underway. Seed samples from the 2021-22 New York vetch bruchid nursery were processed, but it was determined that more advanced imaging techniques were needed to accurately and efficiently screen seed samples for bruchid infestation. A collaboration was initiated with Dr. Yu Jiang, Cornell School of Integrated Plant Sciences - Horticulture, who specializes in horticultural image analysis. Dr. Jiang found promising results from preliminary tests of a vetch seed imaging technique, and he is developing a formal protocol to standardize data acquisition and analysis. Collaborators selecting for soft seed and reduced pod shatter collected hairy vetch seed, pods, and tissue samples for DNA analysis. Collaborator Kissing Kucek evaluated 800 vetch genotypes for hard seed and pod shatter. Kissing Kucek and Co-PD Riday grew and phenotyped 1200 soft seed and low shatter genotypes of vetch in Prairie du Sac, WI. They selected the best 3% of plants to advance in subsequent nurseries. Postdoctoral researcher Tilhou identified major QTL for hard seed in hairy vetch. Collaborators Raasch, Riday, and Kissing Kucek developed a size-based marker to rapidly screen for soft seeded genotypes in the hairy vetch breeding program. Objective 4: Compile data on cover crop variety performance and support farmer Extension and educational tools PD Moore and Collaborator Kissing Kucek continued efforts to develop a cover crop variety trial database. Collaborator Kissing Kucek put out a call for historical and current cover crop variety trial data. She compiled data on historical rye, winter pea, and hairy vetch variety testing to identify best lines, and presented results at the Organic Vegetable Producers Conference in 2023.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Ali, S., L. Kissing Kucek, H. Riday, N. Krom, S. Krogman, K. Cooper, L. Jacobs, P. Mehta, M. Trammell, S. Bhamidimarri, T. Butler, M.C. Saha, M.J. Monteros. 2023. Transcript Profiling of Hairy Vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) identified interesting genes for seed qualities. The Plant Genome, 16(2).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Moore, V., T. Peters, B. Schlautman, C. Brummer. 2023. Toward plant breeding for multicrop systems. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120(14).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Poffenbarger, H., M. Castellano, D. Egli, A. Jaconi, V. Moore. 2023. Contributions of plant breeding to soil carbon storage: Retrospect and prospects. Crop Science, 63:990-1018.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Submitted Year Published: 2023 Citation: Tilhou, N., L. Kissing Kucek, B. Carr, A. Marion, J. Douglas, J. Englert, S. Ali, J. Raasch, S. Bhamidimarri, S. Mirsky, M.J. Monteros, S. Krogman. 2023. Genome-wide association mapping in hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) discovers a large effect locus controlling seed dormancy. Frontiers in Plant Science.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Everest, E. L. Kissing Kucek, et al. Screening for Hairy Vetch (Vicia villosa) Genotypes with Resistance to Vetch Bruchid (Bruchus brachialis). ASA-CSSA-SSSA Meetings, Baltimore, MD, Nov 2022.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Thapa, R., L. Kissing Kucek, et al. Evaluation of Planting Dates in Winter Pea (Pisum sativum L.) to Optimize Winter Survival and Biomass Production. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Meetings, Baltimore, MD, Nov 2022.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Moore, V. et al. Plant Breeding for Diverse Cropping Systems. Danforth Plant Science Center, Dec 2022.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Moore, V. et al. Opportunities in Plant Breeding for Soil Health. New York Soil Health Alliance, Dec 2022.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Moore, V. et al. Cover Crop Breeding for the Northern US. Cornell Seed Growers Conference, Dec 2022.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Kissing Kucek, L. et al. Genetic and Environmental Drivers of Legume Cover Crop Performance. Plant and Animal Genome Conference, San Diego, CA, Jan 2023.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Fuller, T., L.M. Koch, L. Kissing Kucek, S. Ali, H. Mangelson, T. Hernandez, T. P.L. Smith, D.M. Bickhart, H. Riday, M.L. Sullivan. 2023. A reference assembly for the legume cover crop, hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth). Gigascience.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Moore, V. et al. Breeding Legumes for Diverse Cropping Systems. Plant and Animal Genome Conference, San Diego, CA, Jan 2023.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Moore, V. et al. Advances in legume cover crop breeding. Penn State Cover Crop Series: Making cover crops pay. Feb 2023.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Kissing Kucek, L. and K. Becker. Cover Crop Varieties and Why They Matter. Organic Vegetable Producers Conference, Madison, WI, Feb 2023.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Reberg-Horton, C. and A. Woodley. Practical Guide to Working with Cover Crops from Species Selection to Residue Management. Organic Commodities & Livestock Conference, Raleigh, NC, March 2023.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Kissing Kucek, L., Hanson, S., and N. Enjalbert. Participatory Plant Breeding. National Association of Plant Breeders, Greenville, SC, July 2023.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Kissing Kucek, L. and L. Bastos Martins. Big Picture of Winter Peas. Albert Lea Seed Winter Grains and Cover Crop Conference, Virtual, July 2023.
  • Type: Other Status: Accepted Year Published: 2023 Citation: CCB Nitrous Hairy Vetch Variety Release approved by USDA-ARS National Programs.


Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/22

Outputs
Target Audience:Our efforts reached a wide range of target audiences, including farmers, seed producers, seed companies, extension professionals, conservation/agricultural industry professionals, policymakers, other cover crop and plant breeding researchers, and undergraduate and graduate students. The project reached these audiences across multiple regions including the West, Northern Plains, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast. Changes/Problems:The team has had difficulties hiring and retaining a program manager. The position was initially hired as a postdoc, and after multiple rounds of searching, a postdoc was hired starting in December 2021, but this individual departed the team for another position in June 2022. Thereafter we decided to recruit a program manager in a permanent staff role and identified a candidate to start in January 2023. Long periods without a dedicated program manager were challenging for the team and led to some delays in achieving project objectives (e.g., publications, variety release, and database development) as some key personnel took on additional management and analysis roles to keep the breeding network operating smoothly. However, we are optimistic that the new hire will remain with the project long-term and her addition to the team will free other collaborators to focus on the full set of project objectives. Some individual locations also had pest pressure, weather conditions, or personnel challenges that limited their ability to plant or collect data. Seed increase of crimson clover has continued to be a challenge. We have attempted to increase seed in Prosser, WA for two years with poor results, which has limited the number of entries that can be tested in our advanced breeding line trials. In 2022-2023 we will attempt to conduct increases in both Prosser and Corvallis to spread risk. COVID restrictions continued to impact the ability to hold field days and participatory evaluations at the PMCs and some other collaborating locations. We hosted our first in-person annual meeting since the COVID pandemic in Corvallis, OR. The meeting was largely successful, but some collaborators were unable to join because of uncertainty around travel policies that were not resolved until close to the date of the meeting. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?As part of this project, several graduate students and postdoctoral researchers were hired and trained on a wide range of field, laboratory, greenhouse, data analysis, and management skills. This included: 1 Postdoc in New York focused on cover crop breeding network project management 1 PhD student in New York focused on winter survival and adpatation to northern environments in winter pea and cereal rye 1 Master's student in New York focused on vetch bruchid 1 Postdoc and 2 graduate students in North Carolina focused on allelopathy evaluation in laboratory and field conditions 1 PhD student in North Carolina graduated and started a job with a seed company focused on emerging crops including winter pea and other cover crop species 1 Master's student in Oregon focused on crimson clover seed yield pathway analysis 1 Postdoc in Wisconsin focused on analysis of marker and genomic data Technicians, research support specialists, and undergraduate students were hired and trained across many project locations, and were trained in a wide range of activities including protocol development, planting research plots using cone-seeder drills, nursery and variety trial management and data collection, seed processing, and forage analysis. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Collaborators hosted and/or presented project results for at least 10 field days in Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, and Wisconsin. These events were attended by farmers, seed producers, and employees from multiple seed companies selling cover crop seed. At some field days, in addition to research presentations, we conducted participatory variety evaluation in which participants were asked to identify varieties of greatest interest to their farm or company and why. Collaborators also shared variety performance information and engaged in one-on-one meetings with 2 seed companies interested in licensing cover crop varieties from the breeding network. PD Moore also presented project results to farmers, researchers, extension, industry, and/or policymakers at the following events: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting (Nov. 2021) Northeast Agribusiness & CCA Conference (Dec. 2021) University of Kentucky Dept. of Plant & Soil Sciences departmental seminar (April 2022) Presentation to Rodale Institute Consulting team (June 2022) Tour & project overview with current US Senator & staff (Aug. 2022) What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Objective 1: Breed and release winter legume cover crops for traits of interest to organic growers. Crimson clover, hairy vetch and winter pea breeding nurseries will be planted and evaluated across collaborating sites. In addition to research station breeding nurseries, on-farm participatory pea breeding nurseries will be planted on three farms in the Upper Midwest. Seed increase will be conducted across species as in 2021-2022. Advanced breeding line trials will continue at previous locations. A new site in Alaska has been recruited and will participate in 2022-2023 trials to test survival under extreme winter conditions. On-farm participatory variety trials conducted in coordination with SeedLinked will be planned and coordinated for planting in Fall 2023. Publications summarizing four years of advanced line testing in crimson clover, hairy vetch and winter pea are in preparation with plans to publish in 2023. A second year of the winter pea planting date x variety trial will be planted and evaluated in 3 locations: Minnesota, New York, and North Dakota. Objective 2: Adapt a successful coordinated, multi-site model to establish a national cereal rye cover crop breeding program. Cereal rye breeding nurseries will be planted and evaluated in Maryland, Minnesota, New York and North Carolina. The first round of field performance experiments for new highly allelopathic lines will be done in NC and MD. The top 10% lines will be selected at the end of the season. Field trials will be conducted to generate data about allelopatic potential and agronomic performance of three lines for cultivar release. This will be done in three NC locations. In New York, the cereal rye variety x planting date experiment will be evaluated and a second year of the experiment will be planted in Fall 2023. A multi-location advanced breeding line trial similar to that conducted for legume species will be planned and initiated in Fall 2023. Objective 3: Address barriers to the organic production of cover crop seed. Co-PD Hayes (Oregon) will continue seed yield field experiments with crimson clover and hairy vetch. Complete data collection and analysis of crimson clover seed yield components. Seed samples from the New York vetch bruchid nursery will be processed and evaluated for bruchid infestation. Lines with low infestation rates will be identified and further evaluation in the field and/or greenhouse will be initiated. Collaborator Kissing Kucek will coordinate the screening of 1000 vetch lines collected from nationwide 2022 nurseries for hard seed and pod shatter. Objective 4: Compile data on cover crop variety performance and support farmer Extension and educational tools. Collaborators will continue efforts to compile cover crop variety performance data and finalize protocols and structure for the database.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective 1: Breed and release winter legume cover crops for traits of interest to organic growers. Breeding Nurseries. In Fall 2021, 4 crimson clover nurseries were planted in Maryland and North Carolina (three sites). Data were collected on emergence, vigor, winter survival, disease resistance, flowering time, and seed yield. PD Moore analyzed field data across traits of interest and made selection recommendations for each breeding location. In Fall 2021, 8 hairy vetch nurseries were planted in Maryland (two sites), New York, North Carolina (two sites), Oregon (two sites), and Wisconsin. Data were collected on emergence, vigor, winter survival, disease resistance, flowering time, seed yield, hard seed, and pod shattering. Collaborator Kissing Kucek analyzed field data across traits of interest and made selection recommendations for each breeding location. In Fall 2021, 5 winter pea nurseries were planted in Maryland, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, and North Dakota. Data were collected on emergence, vigor, winter survival, disease resistance, flowering time, and seed yield. PD Moore analyzed field data across traits of interest and made selection recommendations for each breeding location. Seed Increase. In Fall 2021, 10 lines of crimson clover were increased at the USDA NPGS location in Prosser, WA. Seed yields were relatively low for unknown reasons, and an additional seed increase location at the Corvallis, OR PMC was identified for 2022 crimson clover seed increases. The Corvallis PMC plans to increase 12 crimson clover lines in 2022-2023. In Fall 2021, the Aberdeen, ID, Manhattan, KS, Elsberry, MO, and Corvallis, OR PMCs each established fields to increase eleven promising lines of hairy vetch. Hairy vetch increases at Aberdeen, ID produced a total of 25.9 lbs. among 3 lines, at Manhattan, MS produced a total of 24.15 lbs. among 3 lines, at Elsberry, MO a total of 2.97 lbs. among 2 lines, and at Corvallis, OR a total of over 146 lbs. of 3 lines. In the 2022-2023 seed production season, PMCs in ID, KS, MO, and OR are again increasing 11 lines of hairy vetch. All lines are being planted in fall 2022. PMCs will return the seed to the breeders for further evaluation, another round of seed increase, and/or for field-testing as needed. In Fall 2021 and Spring 2022, co-PD McGee (USDA ARS - Pullman, WA) established fields to increase 70 lines of winter pea for use in breeding nurseries and variety trials. Advanced Breeding Line Trials. In Fall 2021, advanced breeding line trials were planted in 14 locations across the US: Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina (2 locations), North Dakota, Oregon (2 locations), Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin. The trials included crimson clover (13 varieties), hairy vetch (21 varieties), and winter pea (28 varieties). Data collection included emergence, vigor, winter survival, disease resistance, flowering time, and biomass production. Winter Pea Variety x Planting Date Trial. In Fall 2021, winter pea variety x planting date trials were planted in 4 locations in the northern US: Minnesota, Montana, New York, and North Dakota. The trial included 4 winter pea varieties and 4 planting dates between late August and mid-October. Data collection included emergence, vigor, winter survival, biomass production, and seed yield. Data were analyzed by graduate student Raksha Thapa (New York). Objective 2: Adapt a successful coordinated, multi-site model to establish a national cereal rye cover crop breeding program. In Fall 2021, 3 cereal rye nurseries were planted in Maryland, New York, and North Carolina. The New York nursery failed to establish because of late planting due to abnormally wet fall conditions. Data from Maryland and North Carolina were collected on emergence, vigor, winter survival, allelopathic ability, and seed yield. Data were analyzed by personnel at each site. Experiments were conducted in laboratory to characterize cereal rye germplasm for allelopathic activity.Approximately 50 lines were identified as highly allelopathic were crossed under greenhouse conditions with 'Aroostook' and 'ND Gardner'. Resulting lines were screened under laboratory conditions to confirm allelopathic activity. Nurseries of new cross were grown under greenhouse conditions. Three lines that had been selected for allelopathic activity were grown in isolation for seed increase. In New York, a cereal rye variety trial was planted in Fall 2021 as an initial assessment of variety performance at a northern location. However, the trial had limited emergence because of late planting due to abnormally wet fall conditions. A new trial, including multiple planting dates at 6 locations in New York State, was planned for Fall 2022. A protocol was developed for rye nurseries to be planted in northern locations (Minnesota and New York) for evaluation and selection based on agronomic traits. The nurseries were planned for Fall 2022. Objective 3: Address barriers to the organic production of cover crop seed. Co-PD Hayes (Oregon) conducted seed yield trails of advanced breeding lines of crimson clover and hairy vetch and conducted seed yield trails of crimson clover half sib families. Co-PD Hayes and graduate student Kimber Hale (Oregon) also conducted a space planted nursery of crimson clover to study seed yield components. Material was harvested and data is being collected. Plans were made to repeat the study in three additional locations in Fall 2022. PD Moore and graduate student Erika Everest (New York) planted a hairy vetch nursery to evaluate and select for vetch bruchid resistance. The nursery included breeding lines, USDA NPGS accessions, and commercial varieties. Data collection included emergence, date of first flower and first pod set, and presence of vetch bruchids. Seed from each plant was harvested and will be evaluated for bruchid infestation in winter 2022-2023. Vetch bruchid oviposition and infestation were also evaluated in the New York advanced breeding line trial to determine whether breeding lines already showed differences in resistance. Collaborators selecting for soft seed and reduced pod shatter collected hairy vetch seed, pods, and tissue samples for DNA analysis. Collaborator Kissing Kucek (Wisconsin) screened 1002 samples from nationwide 2021 vetch nurseries for visual pod shatter, force to pod shatter, and hard seed. Objective 4: Compile data on cover crop variety performance and support farmer Extension and educational tools. PD Moore and Collaborator Kissing Kucek initiated efforts to develop a cover crop variety trial database. This included searching peer reviewed and extension literature for published variety trials and meeting with other researchers conducting variety trials to request input on the structure of the database and contributions of unpublished variety trial data.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Submitted Year Published: 2022 Citation: Ali, S. et al. Transcript Profiling of Hairy Vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) identified interesting genes for seed qualities. The Plant Genome.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Bastos Martins, L., R.M. Rejesus, C. Reberg-Horton, and R.L Myers. 2021. Understanding the market for cover crop seeds in the United States: Background and potential policy directions. Journal of Soil & Water Conservation 76: 5.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Kissing Kucek, L. et al. Advances in Hairy Vetch Breeding for Cover Crop Use Joint Conference NAAIC, Trifolium, & Grass Breeders, June 8, 2022.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Moore, V. et al. Winter Annual Cover Crop Species and Variety Performance in Multi-Environment Trials. ASA-CSA-SSSA, November 2021.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Muller, K., Kissing Kucek, L. et al. All About Legumes Part I: Cover Crops Practical Farmers of Iowa Annual Meeting. Ames, IA. January 22, 2022.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Muller, K., Kissing Kucek, L. et al. Breeding for Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation in Legume Green Manure Crops: Lessons Learned and Future Challenges. ASA-CSA-SSSA, November 2021.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2022 Citation: Poffenbarger, H., M. Castellano, D. Egli, A. Jaconi, and V. Moore. Contributions of plant breeding to soil carbon storage: Retrospect and prospects. Crop Science.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Moore, V. Forage and cover crop breeding for New York State. Northeast Agribusiness & CCA Conference, Dec. 1. 2021.