Developing new tools for pasture plant breeding

Biotechnology Provides New Tools for Plant Breeding

Biotechnology in its broadest sense refers to the use of living organisms or their components to provide useful products. This definition can include activities as diverse as making wine, beer, or bread; composting organic materials; releasing parasitic wasps to control insect pests; breeding plants or animals; and producing crops and livestock. In fact, agriculture itself can be considered to ...

New Plant Breeding Techniques

Application of Genomic Tools in Plant Breeding

Plant breeding has been very successful in developing improved varieties using conventional tools and methodologies. Nowadays, the availability of genomic tools and resources is leading to a new revolution of plant breeding, as they facilitate the study of the genotype and its relationship with the phenotype, in particular for complex traits. Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies are al...

Pasture Quality Measurement Tools for Decision Making

Pasture quality is an important component in grazing and livestock management and a key driver of animal performance. Accurate, real-time information on pasture quality can help farm managers in decision making. This study investigated the potential applicability of optical sensors to estimate pasture quality parameters in the field, these have been trialled as part of the P21 Feed Programme, c...

Interspecific Hybridisation and Polyploidisation as Tools in Ornamental Plant Breeding

Interspecific hybridisation and polyploidy are recognized as the most important sources of evolution and domestication of flowering plants. In ornamental plant breeding these phenomena go hand in hand and can be observed in the breeding history of many ornamental crops (Rosa, Chrysanthemum, Gladiolus, Alstroemeria, Lilium, orchids etc). With lily as model crop techniques developed for overcomin...