A5066276136- Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock
- Wheat and Barley Genetics and Pathology
- Genetics and Plant Breeding
- Genetic Mapping and Diversity in Plants and Animals
- Turfgrass Adaptation and Management
- Bioenergy crop production and management
- Ruminant Nutrition and Digestive Physiology
- Yeasts and Rust Fungi Studies
- Plant Pathogens and Resistance
- Plant and fungal interactions
- Plant Disease Resistance and Genetics
- Plant pathogens and resistance mechanisms
- Agroforestry and silvopastoral systems
- Insect Utilization and Effects
- Horticultural and Viticultural Research
- Animal and Plant Science Education
- Greenhouse Technology and Climate Control
- Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics
- Botanical Research and Chemistry
- Plant Pathogens and Fungal Diseases
- Plant responses to water stress
AgResearch
2019-2025
University of Canterbury
2025
Teagasc - The Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority
2015-2024
Trinity College Dublin
2015
Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) is known for its large taproot, nitrogen fixation capabilities and production of forage high in protein digestibility. It has the potential to strengthen temperate pastural systems against future adverse climatic events by providing higher biomass during periods water deficit. Being outcrossing self-incompatible, red a highly heterozygous species. If evaluated utilized correctly, this genetic diversity can be harnessed develop productive, persistent...
In perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L), annual and seasonal dry matter yield (DMY) nutritive quality of herbage are high priority traits targeted for improvement through selective breeding. Genomic prediction (GP) has proven to be a valuable tool improving complex may further enhanced the use multi-trait (MT) models. this study, we evaluated relative performance MT models improve predictive ability DMY key traits, using two different training populations (TP1, n = 463 TP2, 517) phenotyped...
Abstract Key message Genomic selection using white clover multi-year-multi-site data showed predicted genetic gains through integrating among-half-sibling-family phenotypic and within-family genomic were up to 89% greater than half-sibling-family alone. selection, an effective breeding tool used widely in plants animals for improving low-heritability traits, has only recently been applied forages. We explored the feasibility of implementing ( Trifolium repens L.), a key forage legume which...
Genomic selection (GS) can accelerate genetic gains in breeding programmes by reducing the time it takes to complete a cycle of selection. Puccinia coronata f. sp lolli (crown rust) is one most widespread diseases perennial ryegrass and lead reductions yield, persistency nutritional value. Here, we used large population assess accuracy using genome wide markers predict crown rust resistance investigate factors affecting predictive ability. Using these data, ability for reached maximum 0.52....
Forage nutritive value impacts animal nutrition, which underpins livestock productivity, reproduction and health. Genetic improvement for traits in perennial ryegrass has been limited, as they are typically expensive time-consuming to measure through conventional methods. Genomic selection is appropriate such complex traits, enabling cost-effective prediction of breeding values using genome-wide markers. The aims the present study were assess potential genomic a range multi-population...
We here report a study characterising the potential for edible insects to act as prebiotic by altering bacterial composition of human faecal microbiome, using batch cultures inoculated with adult donors. Black field cricket nymphs, grass grub larvae, and wax moth larvae were subjected an in vitro digestion simulate oral, gastric, small intestinal stages digestion. The digested material was then dialysed remove molecules such amino acids free sugars removal nutrients through upper...
Prior knowledge on heading date enables the selection of parents synthetic cultivars that are well matched with respect to time heading, which is essential ensure plants put together will cross pollinate. Heading individual can be determined via direct phenotyping, has a and labour cost. It also inferred from family means, although spread in days within families demands roguing first generation synthetics. Another option predict molecular markers. In this study we used large training...
Heading and aftermath heading are important traits in perennial ryegrass because they impact forage quality. So far, genome-wide association analyses this major species have only identified a small number of genetic variants associated with date that overall explained little the variation. Some possible reasons include rare alleles large phenotypic affects, allelic heterogeneity, or insufficient marker density. We established panel multiple genotypes from full-sib families. This ensured were...
Abstract Increasing the efficiency of current forage breeding programs through adoption new technologies, such as genomic selection (GS) and phenomics ( Ph ), is challenging without proof concept demonstrating cost effective genetic gain (∆G). This paper uses decision support software DeltaGen (tactical tool) QU-GENE (strategic tool), to model assess relative five methods. The effect on ∆G ($) integrating GS into an among half-sib (HS) family phenotypic strategy was investigated....
Perennial grasses are a global resource as forage, and for alternative uses in bioenergy raw materials the processing industry. Marginal lands can be valuable perennial biomass grass production, if cope with adverse abiotic environmental stresses such drought waterlogging.In this study, two species, reed canary (Phalaris arundinacea) cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata) were subjected to waterlogging stress study their responses insights improving tolerance. Physiological recorded, reference...
Asexual Epichloë are endophytic fungi that form mutualistic symbioses with cool-season grasses, conferring to their hosts protection against biotic and abiotic stresses. Symbioses maintained between grass generations as hyphae vertically transmitted from parent progeny plants through seed. However, endophyte transmission the seed is an imperfect process where not all seeds become infected. The mechanisms underpinning varying efficiencies of poorly understood. Host gene expression in response...
Opportunities exist to accelerate genetic gain in forage breeding using genome-wide selection approaches. In this study, we evaluated rapid cycle recurrent genomic (GS) as a means of improving for value annual yield. A small population tetraploid half-sib families was seasonal yield over two years, and the maternal parent plants were genotyped prediction models developed. The GS model had predictive ability 0.23. An initial round among-family based on field evaluations within-family...
Genomic selection (GS) integrates DNA marker and trait data to develop a model that enables prediction of performance (genomic-estimated breeding values; GEBVs) based on genotype alone. GS has been shown improve the efficiency effectiveness programmes, especially for complex traits such dry matter yield (DMY). DMY were generated from training population 200 white clover half-sibling (HS) families assessed in multi-location field trials two years. We after integrating genotyping-by-sequencing...
Abstract White clover ( Trifolium repens L.), an economically important forage legume in temperate pastures, provides quality herbage and plant‐available nitrogen. Enhancing breeding efforts to improve dry matter (DM) yield vegetative persistence will increase on‐farm value of this forage. To genetic gain for such traits, tools like genomic selection have proven be highly valuable other crops. However, its success relies on a sufficiently large training population key fundamentals selective...
This study assessed the genetic diversity in 928 individuals from 40 diploid populations of Lolium perenne using nuclear simple sequence repeat markers, including 22 accessions Irish ecotypes, seven European ecotypes and 11 released varieties. High levels allelic were determined, with intra-population variation accounting for majority variation. The deviated Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium had relatively high inbreeding coefficients. Two major gene pools ecotypic defined by unweighted pair group...
Abstract Forage nutritive value impacts animal nutrition, which underpins livestock productivity, reproduction and health. Genetic improvement for traits has been limited, as they are typically expensive time-consuming to measure through conventional methods. Genomic selection is appropriate such complex traits, enabling cost-effective prediction of breeding values using genome-wide markers. The aims the present study were assess potential genomic a range in multi-population training set,...
Simulation offers a way to explore questions about implementation, value and impacts of various breeding methodologies for pasture species in New Zealand (NZ). We present genetic modelling farm system-based economic simulations demonstrating the potential genomic selection (GS) high-throughput phenotyping (HTP) improve outcomes perennial ryegrass, assess farmers. Predicted gain (∆G) from half-sibling family without GS ranged up 4.9% per cycle, depending on pressure. Including within-family...