Principal Investigator: James Anderson
Organization: University of Minnesota, Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics
Award Amount: $215,930
Start Date: 7/1/2014 | End Date: 12/31/2017
Project Manager: Jeff Berg (Jeffrey.Berg@state.mn.us)
FINAL PUBLISHED RESEARCH PAPER is available in Agronomy 2019, Volume 9 Issue 6
Field Pennycress Overview Factsheet (Forever Green Initiative, PDF)
Research Objectives
Improve the overall agronomic performance of pennycress by selecting and breeding plants that express desirable traits for it to be grown as a cash crop.
- Early maturity
- High yielding and profitable
- Large basal width (high amounts of above-ground biomass)
- Maximum crop water use efficiency
- Very winter-hardy
Based on the outcome of the breeding program, a genomic selection model* will be created. The gene selection model will help speed up future pennycress breeding programs by allowing specific (desirable) gene sequence to be easily identified for future breeding activities.
Background
Field pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.) is a winter annual with the potential to be an outstanding cover crop and profitable alternative oilseed crop within Minnesota’s traditional corn/soybean rotation. Cover crops, in general, provide crucial environmental services including nutrient scavenging, weed suppression, soil erosion protection and runoff reduction. Field pennycress may offer Minnesota farmers all of those benefits as well as being a profitable oil seed crop that can be harvested right before planting a soybean crop.
Project Description
Researchers began by selecting pennycress seeds from various locations across Minnesota, the Midwest, Canada, South America and Europe. The plants that exhibit early maturity, high yield, large amounts of biomass and winter hardiness will be used during in-field agronomic and yield trials at various research locations across Minnesota. The most vigorous plants from the in-field trials will be used to increase the amount of seed available for commercial planting. Upon the conclusion of the breeding effort, a gene selection model will be created using the project data and results. This gene selection model will be used to select the most desirable pennycress lines to grow.
*Genomic selection is a new approach for improving quantitative traits in large plant breeding populations that uses whole genome molecular markers (high density markers and high throughput genotyping)
Initial seeds were collected from various locations across Minnesota, the Midwest, Canada, South America and Europe and planted in the fall of 2013. Seventy unique individual plants will be grown in single 5 ft. rows in two replications and only plants that exhibit early maturity, high yield, large amounts of biomass and winter hardiness will be used in future research.
Data collected from the initial planting included vigor, percent germination, percent flowering, number of days to maturity, percent winter survival, yield, and basal width (as a measure of above-ground biomass and soil coverage).
Breeding for early maturity
Plants will be assessed for:
- Number of days to first flower
- Number of days to complete maturity as defined by dried seed pods
Plants selected for further trials will be those that express early maturity.
Breeding for high yield
Individual plant rows will be hand-cut and allowed time to dry before the seed is harvested. Evaluation of total seed yield will be on a per row basis.
Breeding for large basal width to provide maximum crop water use
Researchers will:
- Select plants expressing a large basal width and use them in agronomic and yield trials
- Plant the top 5 performers from the agronomic and yield trials to evaluate crop water usage based on soil water content and soil sample data at specific times throughout the plant’s life cycle
Plants selected for further trials will be those that express large basal width and maximum crop water usage.
Breeding for winter hardiness
Plants per row will be counted in the fall and compared to plant counts in the spring as a measure for winter hardiness.
Plants selected for further trials will be those that express superior winter hardiness.
Developing a model for gene selection
Gene sequence data and yield data from field trials will be used to create a model that will allow for the prediction of overall plant performance when two individual plants are crossed. The model will allow the plant breeder to select the best performing plants, with the best traits, and thus will increase the efficiency of future breeding programs because the model takes a lot of the “guess-work” out of plant breeding.
Within three years the following items will be completed:
- Seed stock from the five field pennycress lines that were identified for expressing early maturity, high yield, large basal width (crop water use efficiency), and superior winter hardiness.
- In conjunction with Forcella et al. (another Clean Water funded project), conclusive evidence on the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus uptake by field pennycress and amount of nutrient loss due to water runoff.
- A peer-reviewed journal article on desirable field pennycress traits for cover crop and oilseed production and one peer-reviewed journal article on field pennycress varieties that are viable agronomic options for double-cropping.
- A gene selection model specifically targeted towards seed yield
Farmers:
- The University of Minnesota Research and Outreach Centers will host three field days focusing on the field pennycress double-crop system. The locations include Morris, Lamberton, and Waseca.
- Development and distribution of a field pennycress grower’s guide on how and when to plant field pennycress.
Students:
- Support of a postdoctoral research associate who will be directly involved in the field pennycress research.
- Host on-campus seminars for students and the public to attend
Scientific community:
- Publication of peer-reviewed journal articles
- Presentations at scientific meetings
