Plant Breeding for Intercropping in Temperate Field Crop Systems: A Review.

Monoculture cropping systems currently dominate temperate agroecosystems. However, intercropping can provide valuable benefits, including greater yield stability, increased total productivity, and resilience in the face of pest and disease outbreaks. Plant breeding efforts in temperate field crops are largely focused on monoculture production, but as intercropping becomes more widespread, there is a need for cultivars adapted to these cropping systems.

Genetic Transformation of Recalcitrant Upland Switchgrass Using Morphogenic Genes.

Switchgrass () is an excellent feedstock for biofuel production. While genetic transformation is routinely done in lowland switchgrass, upland cultivars remain recalcitrant to genetic transformation. Here we report the establishment of an efficient and reproducible transformation protocol for two upland cultivars, 'Summer' and 'Blackwell', by ectopic overexpression of morphogenic genes, () and ().

Functional Analysis of the Gene in the Tetraploid Switchgrass (.) by CRISPR/Cas9-Directed Mutagenesis.

Tillering is an important biomass yield component trait in switchgrass (.). ()/ () gene is a known regulator for tillering/branching in several plant species; however, its role on tillering in switchgrass remains unknown.

Characterization of BdCBF genes and genome-wide transcriptome profiling of BdCBF3-dependent and -independent cold stress responses in Brachypodium distachyon.

Freezing stress substantially reduces crop yields and limits plant distribution. The identification of genes critical for cold acclimation is thus of great importance. C-repeat binding factors (CBFs) are transcription factors that play key regulatory roles in the cold acclimation process, which dramatically increases freezing tolerance in plants.

Targeted mutagenesis in tetraploid switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) using CRISPR/Cas9.

The CRISPR/Cas9 system has become a powerful tool for targeted mutagenesis. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a high yielding perennial grass species that has been designated as a model biomass crop by the U.

Brassinosteroid signaling network: implications on yield and stress tolerance.

The steroidal hormone brassinosteroids (BRs) play important roles in plant growth and development. Genetic, genomic and proteomic studies in Arabidopsis have identified major BR signaling components and elucidated the signal transduction pathway from the cell surface receptor kinase BRI1 to the BES1/BZR1 family of transcription factors. BRs interact with other plant hormones in coordinating gene expression and plant growth and development.

Ice recrystallization inhibition proteins of perennial ryegrass enhance freezing tolerance.

Ice recrystallization inhibition (IRI) proteins are thought to play an important role in conferring freezing tolerance in plants. Two genes encoding IRI proteins, LpIRI-a and LpIRI-b, were isolated from a relatively cold-tolerant perennial ryegrass cv. Caddyshack.

Visualization by atomic force microscopy and FISH of the 45S rDNA gaps in mitotic chromosomes of Lolium perenne.

The mitotic chromosome structure of 45S rDNA site gaps in Lolium perenne was studied by atomic force microscope (AFM) combining with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis in the present study. FISH on the mitotic chromosomes showed that 45S rDNA gaps were completely broken or local despiralizations of the chromatid which had the appearance of one or a few thin DNA fiber threads. Topography imaging using AFM confirmed these observations.

Identification of genes associated with cold acclimation in perennial ryegrass.

Cold acclimation dramatically increases freezing tolerance in many temperate plant species. An understanding of cold acclimation is important for extending adaptation areas of perennial ryegrass. Freezing tolerance is greatly increased in perennial ryegrass cv.

45S rDNA regions are chromosome fragile sites expressed as gaps in vitro on metaphase chromosomes of root-tip meristematic cells in Lolium spp.

Background: In humans, chromosome fragile sites are regions that are especially prone to forming non-staining gaps, constrictions or breaks in one or both of the chromatids on metaphase chromosomes either spontaneously or following partial inhibition of DNA synthesis and have been well identified. So far, no plant chromosome fragile sites similar to those in human chromosomes have been reported.

Methods And Results: During the course of cytological mapping of rDNA on ryegrass chromosomes, we found that the number of chromosomes plus chromosome fragments was often more than the expected 14 in most cells for Lolium perenne L.

Functional and phylogenetic analysis of a DREB/CBF-like gene in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.).

The dehydration-responsive element binding proteins (DREB1)/C-repeat (CRT) binding factors (CBF) function as transcription factors and bind to the DRE/CRT cis-acting element (core motif: G/ACCGAC) commonly present in cold-regulated (COR) genes and subsequently upregulate the expression of such genes in Arabidopsis. We identified a DREB1A/CBF3-like gene, designated LpCBF3, from perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) by using RT-PCR and RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA end).