Research

Background

A consistent feed supply is key to beef producer profitability. Environmental challenges such as too much rain, not enough rain, too much heat, or not enough heat all impact forage production for grazing and winter-feeding purposes.

Alfalfa is one of the most popular forages used for beef production, grown on roughly 3 million acres across Alberta, either alone or in mixtures. With high feed value, productivity, and ability to fix nitrogen it is often referred to as the “queen of forages,” although it must be managed for bloat risk and is susceptible to stresses including winterkill, drought, flooding, or high salinity.

Previous research employed gene editing techniques (not introducing new genes, but rather altering genes already present as happens in traditional plant breeding but in a more specific manner) to improve the tolerance of alfalfa to drought and flooding conditions. This project builds on that work by seeking to further understand the mechanisms contributing to drought and flooding tolerance in alfalfa and move early-stage germplasm closer to field and feeding trials.

Objectives

• Further evaluate drought and flooding tolerance mechanisms in alfalfa genotypes through metabolomic profiling
• Analyze cell wall composition differences between alfalfa genotypes that are drought and flooding tolerant and those that are susceptible
• Evaluate the nutritional quality of alfalfa genotypes with improved drought and flooding tolerance
• Develop non-transgenic populations of drought and flooding tolerant alfalfa to be evaluated in further trials with the goal of eventual commercialization

Implications of the Research

This project has the potential to provide a source of drought and flooding tolerant alfalfa germplasm for the development of new alfalfa cultivars with enhanced productivity under less than ideal growing conditions.