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Breeding for Improved Winter Survival in Forage Grasses

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Plant and Microbe Adaptations to Cold in a Changing World

Abstract

In temperate regions, winter survival is the most important trait for perennial forage grasses and winter cereals. Germplasm, properly adapted to the seasonal photoperiod and temperature regimes, is a prerequisite for developing high-yielding and persistent cultivars. Winter kill can be due to many types of abiotic and biotic stress, of which freezing is considered the most important. Freezing tolerance is used as a proxy for winter survival and several artificial freezing test methods have been developed and are being used in research and breeding. Cold acclimation (hardening) induces expression of a cascade of cold-responsive genes, which completely alters the physiological and metabolic states of the plants leading to improved freezing tolerance. Although a wealth of information about cold-responsive genes and transcriptional changes induced by cold have been gathered from model species, we are a long way from being able to transfer and utilize this knowledge for improvement of winter survival in forage crops. This chapter describes the main challenges associated with breeding for improved winter survival in forage grasses. Techniques used to quantify freezing tolerance, genetic control of freezing tolerance, results from selection experiments and breeding, and the status of genomic and molecular marker resources established in major species are presented. Also, the additional (new) challenges posed by the ongoing climate changes, e.g., dehardening and rehardening in a more irregular winter climate, are addressed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, CIGENE, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, 1432, Ås, Norway

    Dr. Odd Arne Rognli

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  1. Dr. Odd Arne Rognli
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Correspondence to Odd Arne Rognli .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Crop Breeding Research Division, NARO Hokkaido Agricultural Research Center, Sapporo, Japan

    Ryozo Imai

  2. Crop Breeding Research Division, NARO Hokkaido Agricultural Research Center, Sapporo, Japan

    Midori Yoshida

  3. Silviculture & Forest Ecology Studies, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Agriculture, Sapporo, Japan

    Naoyuki Matsumoto

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Rognli, O. (2013). Breeding for Improved Winter Survival in Forage Grasses. In: Imai, R., Yoshida, M., Matsumoto, N. (eds) Plant and Microbe Adaptations to Cold in a Changing World. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8253-6_17

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