Development of a high energy red clover
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Author / Producer
Date
2019
Publication Type
Conference Paper
ETH Bibliography
yes
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Abstract
Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) is one of the most important forage legumes in grassland agroecosystems worldwide. Although red clover has a high biomass potential and is particularly valued for its high protein content, its herbage lacks the high-energy carbohydrates required to meet the productivity potential of modern livestock breeds. Like most plants, red clover accumulates diurnal starch in its leaves during the day as a temporary carbon store of photosynthesis, but harvesting this starch is challenging. To develop a harvestable high-starch agronomic trait in red clover, a reverse genetic pipeline was established to identify beneficial alleles in the gene encoding the starch degradation enzyme GWD1 which naturally accumulate starch. Within the targeted region, we were able to identify several rare and common variants. Of these variants, one that was present at a rate of approximately 25% in the original population contributed to a starch increase of 20% in selected populations enriched for this allele. Implementation of such a high starch trait in forage production is envisioned to maximize the energy content and protein absorption of forage crops in order to deliver a higher proportion of the feed intake from environmentally sustainable and locally produced roughage.
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Publication status
published
External links
Book title
Improving Sown Grasslands Through Breeding and Management
Journal / series
Volume
24
Pages / Article No.
406 - 408
Publisher
Agroscope
Event
EGF-EUCARPIA Joint Symposium 2019
Edition / version
Methods
Software
Geographic location
Date collected
Date created
Subject
Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.); digestibility; glucan water dikinase (GWD1)
Organisational unit
03969 - Studer, Bruno / Studer, Bruno
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