Managing Crops for Climate Change Can Also Manage Pests
The impacts of climate change are already being felt by farmers in many parts of the world. As such, it is important for us to determine which strategies may help…
Managing for Multifunctionality in Perennial Grain Crops
Abstract: Plant breeders are increasing yields and improving agronomic traits in several perennial grain crops, the first of which is now being incorporated into commercial food products. Integration strategies and management…
Perennial Grain Legume Domestication Phase I: Criteria for Candidate Species Selection
Abstract: Annual cereal and legume grain production is dependent on inorganic nitrogen (N) and other fertilizers inputs to resupply nutrients lost as harvested grain, via soil erosion/runoff, and by other natural…
Effect of Puccinia silphii on Yield Components and Leaf Physiology in Silphium integrifolium: Lessons for the Domestication of a Perennial Oilseed Crop
Abstract: New crops with greater capacity for delivering ecosystem services are needed to increase agricultural sustainability. However, even in these crops, seed yield is usually the main criteria for grain domestication….
Progress and Bottlenecks in the Early Domestication of the Perennial Oilseed Silphium integrifolium, a Sunflower Substitute
Abstract: Silflower (Silphium integrifolium Michx.) is in the early stages of domestication as a perennial version of oilseed sunflower, its close relative. Grain crops with deep perennial root systems will provide…
Development of Perennial Grain Sorghum
Abstract: Perennial germplasm derived from crosses between Sorghum bicolor and either S. halepense or S. propinquum is being developed with the goal of preventing and reversing soil degradation in the…
Toward the Rapid Domestication of Perennial Grains: developing genetic and genomic resources for intermediate wheatgrass.
Chapter 18 from Applied Mathematics and Omics to Assess Crop Genetic Resources for Climate Change Adaptive Traits. Edited by Abdallah Bari, Ardeshir B. Damania, Michael Mackay and Selvadurai Dayanandan CRC Press…
Closing the Gap Between Grasslands and Grain Agriculture
Grasslands are among the biomes that have been most extensively degraded or eliminated by the expansion of agriculture. Grasslands are also threatened by development, poor management, and climate change. This…
Accelerating Silphium Domestication: An Opportunity to Develop New Crop Ideotypes and Breeding Strategies Informed by Multiple Disciplines
Abstract Silphium perfoliatum L. (cup plant, silphie) and S. integrifolium Michx. (rosinweed, silflower) are in the same subfamily and tribe as sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). Silphium perfoliatum has been grown…
Going where no grains have gone before
Abstract: Annual-based arable agroecosystems experience among the greatest frequency, extent and magnitude of disturbance regimes of all terrestrial ecosystems. In order to control non-crop vegetation, farmers implement tillage practices and/or…
A Pipeline Strategy for Grain Crop Domestication
Abstract: In the interest of diversifying the global food system, improving human nutrition, and making agriculture more sustainable, there have been many proposals to domesticate wild plants or complete the…
Useful insights from evolutionary biology for developing perennial grain crops
Abstract: Annual grain crops dominate agricultural landscapes and provide the majority of calories consumed by humanity. Perennial grain crops could potentially ameliorate the land degradation and off-site impacts associated with…