Chromosome-scale assembly of the highly heterozygous genome of red clover (Trifolium pratense L.), an allogamous forage crop species

Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) is used as a forage crop due to a variety of favorable traits relative to other crops. Improved varieties have been developed through conventional breeding approaches, but progress could be accelerated and gene discovery facilitated using modern genomic methods. Existing short-read based genome assemblies of the ~420 Megabase (Mb) genome are fragmented into >135,000 contigs with numerous errors in order and orientation within scaffolds, likely due to the biology of the plant which displays gametophytic self-incompatibility resulting in inherent high heterozygosity. A high-quality long-read based assembly of red clover is presented that reduces the number of contigs by more than 500-fold, improves the per-base quality, and increases the contig N50 statistic by three orders of magnitude. The 413.5 Mb assembly is nearly 20% longer than the 350 Mb short read assembly, closer to the predicted genome size. Quality measures are presented and full-length isoform sequence of RNA transcripts reported for use in assessing accuracy and for future annotation of the genome. The assembly accurately represents the seven main linkage groups present in the genome of an allogamous (outcrossing), highly heterozygous plant species.

The CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Modulation of SQUAMOSA PROMOTER-BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE 8 in Alfalfa Leads to Distinct Phenotypic Outcomes

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is the most widely grown perennial leguminous forage and is an essential component of the livestock industry. Previously, the RNAi-mediated down-regulation of alfalfa SQUAMOSA PROMOTER-BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE 8 (MsSPL8) was found to lead to increased branching, regrowth and biomass, as well as enhanced drought tolerance. In this study, we aimed to further characterize the function of MsSPL8 in alfalfa using CRISPR/Cas9-induced mutations in this gene. We successfully generated alfalfa genotypes with small insertions/deletions (indels) at the target site in up to three of four MsSPL8 alleles in the first generation. The efficiency of editing appeared to be tightly linked to the particular gRNA used. The resulting genotypes displayed consistent morphological alterations, even with the presence of up to two wild-type MsSPL8 alleles, including reduced leaf size and early flowering. Other phenotypic effects appeared to be dependent upon mutational dosage, with those plants with the highest number of mutated MsSPL8 alleles also exhibiting significant decreases in internode length, plant height, shoot and root biomass, and root length. Furthermore, MsSPL8 mutants displayed improvements in their ability to withstand water-deficit compared to empty vector control genotypes. Taken together, our findings suggest that allelic mutational dosage can elicit phenotypic gradients in alfalfa, and discrepancies may exist in terms of MsSPL8 function between alfalfa genotypes, growth conditions, or specific alleles. In addition, our results provide the foundation for further research exploring drought tolerance mechanisms in a forage crop.

Bulky forage from legume-cereal mixtures in cattle rations

The results of our own scientific research on the use of advanced technologies for the procurement, storage and use of voluminous forage prepared from legume-cereal grass mixtures, as well as silos preserved with new generation biological preparations Biosib and Biotrof-111 are presented. The ways and methods of improving the structure of sown areas during the cultivation of perennial legume-cereal grass mixtures with the inclusion of an unconventional forage crop - the eastern goat's rue are considered in order to increase the energy and protein nutritional value of voluminous forages. The possibility of using the energy feed additive Bergafat T-300 in winter rations for feeding highly productive fresh cows has been shown. The book can serve as a scientific and methodological guide for drawing up effective programs and long-term plans for the development of forage production and feeding of cattle.

Cynodon dactylon Pers.: A Review on Forage Crop and Medicinal Herb

Cynodon dactylon is a forage crop besides being a medicinal herb which has been holding a sacred position in our Indian culture. Its survival capacity in any ecological succession has forced it to exist as medicinal plant containing a broad spectrum of secondary metabolites like Cyanidin, Luteolin, apigenin having several therapeutic uses. The review paper has been designed in coordination with research articles to compile the various properties of the plant like its thriving capacity in tropical and subtropical regions where it can alter ecosystem by effecting nutrient cycles and community composition, diverse chemical composition, and therapeutic uses to name some such as diabetes, atherosclerosis etc., which could be used as an area of further research for mankind and environmental benefits.

Spring vetch Mega mixed crops productivity at different seeding rates

Spring vetch is the most well-known annual legume forage crop. With the cultivation and application of various methods and terms of harvesting crops, not only for green fodder and hay, but also for haylage, silage, grain-growing, the requirements for the quality of the mown mass were reduced, but the need to create non-growing crops suitable for machine harvesting increased. In the gene pool of spring vetch, there are no forms with a strong, resistant to lodging stem, so the only way to solve the problem is to support the supporting culture. According to the results of research for two years, for the cultivation of vetch for green mass, the best option is vetch mixed with oats with a seeding rate of 1.2 million vetch, oats of 3 million germinating seeds per hectare. For grain cultivation, the best option is a mixture of vetch and oats with a seeding rate of 1.8 million and 3 million germinating seeds, respectively. For obtaining a grain crop for seed-growing purposes, the best option for two years of research is vetch mixed with spring wheat with a seeding rate of 1.8 and 3 million germinating seeds per hectare.

Productivity of seed peas Nemchinovsky 50 in mixed crops with cereals

Abstracts. Peas is the best-known annual legume forage crop. Creation of a new variety of seed peas Nemchinovsky 50 is a breeding approach to solve the problem of vegetable protein and the production of high-quality feed with a high protein content in grain and in concentrated feed with a high content of essential amino acids (lysine, tryptophan). The analysis of long-term data showed that under various agrometeorological conditions of environmental testing, the variety was characterized by resistance to lodging and major diseases, good productivity in comparison with the previously bred variety Nemchinovsky 100. The increase in yield was facilitated by its high productivity (laying of fertile nodes), the number of seeds in a pod (4-5 pieces), the mass of 1000 seeds is at the level of 180-190 g with a protein content in the grain about 26-28%.

The Search For Source Material Of Phacelia Tanacetifolia Benth For Breeding For Fodder Productivity

The genetic resources of wild populations of the valuable forage crop Phacelia tanacetifolia Benth. in different ecological conditions of the southern Srednerusskaya Upland were studied. Selected source material for breeding for fodder productivity.In the Vorskla natural-territorial complex the individuals which on the average 6.9-27.7% exceeded the individuals in other cenopopulations by height and bush size. The forms with high potential fodder qualities are distinguished: low hairiness of leaves and stems, dry matter content - 20.9-21.6%, protein - 19.4-20.4%, crude fat - 2.1-2.3%, soluble carbohydrates - 34.6-36.5%, green matter yield - 2,32-2,44 kg*(m2)-1, seeds - 0,032-0,038 kg*(m2)-1. The seeds of the best forms were collected and transferred to the collections of Federal Williams Reserch Center for Forage Production and Agroecology, All-Russian Research Institute of Phytopathology, Belgorod State University for breeding of new disease resistant forage varieties.

The Extent and Economic Significance of Cultivated Forage Crops in Developing Countries

Forage grasses and legumes are the principal source of nutrition for most ruminant livestock in developing countries. Raising yields of forage crops can increase the availability and affordability of livestock products as well as reduce pressure on increasingly scarce land resources by enabling greater herd densities on existing pasture. However, the economic significance of cultivated forage crops in developing countries is not well-understood. We provide estimates of the present area and production value of cultivated forage crops as well as review evidence on the extent of adoption of CGIAR-derived improved varieties of cultivated forage species and their economic impact in developing countries. There are at least 159 million hectares under cultivated forage crops producing yield worth around $63 billion per year (at 2014-2016 prices). Latin America accounts for about 85% of this forage crop area. CGIAR forage breeding programs have developed and helped disseminate improved varieties of Brachiaria, Stylosanthes, Vigna unguiculata, and Calliandra spp., which by 2015 had been adopted on over 12 million hectares producing economic benefits of over $5.8 billion/year.

Evaluation of the Morpho-Physiological, Biochemical and Molecular Responses of Contrasting Medicago truncatula Lines under Water Deficit Stress

Medicago truncatula is a forage crop of choice for farmers, and it is a model species for molecular research. The growth and development and subsequent yields are limited by water availability mainly in arid and semi-arid regions. Our study aims to evaluate the morpho-physiological, biochemical and molecular responses to water deficit stress in four lines (TN6.18, JA17, TN1.11 and A10) of M. truncatula. The results showed that the treatment factor explained the majority of the variation for the measured traits. It appeared that the line A10 was the most sensitive and therefore adversely affected by water deficit stress, which reduced its growth and yield parameters, whereas the tolerant line TN6.18 exhibited the highest root biomass production, a significantly higher increase in its total protein and soluble sugar contents, and lower levels of lipid peroxidation with greater cell membrane integrity. The expression analysis of the DREB1B gene using RT-qPCR revealed a tissue-differential expression in the four lines under osmotic stress, with a higher induction rate in roots of TN6.18 and JA17 than in A10 roots, suggesting a key role for DREB1B in water deficit tolerance in M. truncatula.