Advancing Bromegrass Breeding Through Imaging Phenotyping and Genomic Selection: A Review

Area of Science:

• Plant breeding
• Agronomy
• Genetics

Background:

• Bromegrasses (Bromus spp.) are vital temperate forage crops, but genetic gains in yield are low.
• Limited breeding efforts have focused on abiotic stress tolerance and resource-use efficiency.
• Climate change poses challenges to forage production, impacting bromegrass yield.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review bromegrass breeding achievements and challenges.
• To assess climate change impacts on bromegrass.
• To explore high-throughput imaging and genomic selection for improving bromegrass.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of bromegrass breeding, climate change impacts, and advanced breeding technologies.
• Analysis of genetic gain in smooth and meadow bromegrass.
• Evaluation of high-throughput imaging techniques (visual, infrared, hyperspectral, chlorophyll fluorescence) and genomic selection.

Main Results:

• Overall genetic gain in bromegrass yield is low, attributed to genetic complexity and limited breeding efforts.
• Climate change factors like warming, heat, and drought negatively affect bromegrass yield.
• High-throughput imaging and genomic selection can assess complex traits and improve breeding accuracy.

Conclusions:

• Advanced technologies like high-throughput imaging and genomic selection offer potential for significant genetic improvement in bromegrass.
• These methods can enhance forage yield, quality, and adaptation to environmental stresses.
• Future bromegrass breeding programs can benefit from integrating these innovative approaches for wider adaptation.