Theme 1: Grassland Ecology
Publication Date
2023
Location
Covington, KY
Description
As climates change and economic as well as ecological pressures to produce more ruminant product on less land in the Anthropocene increase, the importance of using cutting-edge methods for forage legume improvement grows. The immediate return rate and turnaround on investment is likely greater for multi-species incorporation into grasslands but focusing on intraspecific variability and diversity could also contribute. The role of forage legumes in cultivated pasture and rangeland biodiversity as well as stability depends on genetics as well as management. Their epigenetics, however, may become increasingly important as climatic extremes and ecological pressures grow due to human-induced factors. Unfortunately, in many cases, forage legume epigenetics remain a black box. As we deal with the need for increasingly diverse forage legume species, should we be planning for this future in which genetic selection and improvement must also factor in epigenetic impacts in diverse edaphoclimatic and management systems?
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
The Importance of Forage Legume Epigenetics in the Anthropocene
Covington, KY
As climates change and economic as well as ecological pressures to produce more ruminant product on less land in the Anthropocene increase, the importance of using cutting-edge methods for forage legume improvement grows. The immediate return rate and turnaround on investment is likely greater for multi-species incorporation into grasslands but focusing on intraspecific variability and diversity could also contribute. The role of forage legumes in cultivated pasture and rangeland biodiversity as well as stability depends on genetics as well as management. Their epigenetics, however, may become increasingly important as climatic extremes and ecological pressures grow due to human-induced factors. Unfortunately, in many cases, forage legume epigenetics remain a black box. As we deal with the need for increasingly diverse forage legume species, should we be planning for this future in which genetic selection and improvement must also factor in epigenetic impacts in diverse edaphoclimatic and management systems?
