Applied Genetics and Genomics in Alfalfa Breeding - MDPI

This article is

• freely available
• re-usable

Agronomy 2012, 2(1), 40-61; doi:10.3390/agronomy2010040

Review

Xuehui Li and E. Charles Brummer *

The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, 2510 Sam Noble Parkway, Ardmore, OK 73401, USA

* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received: 22 February 2012; in revised form: 2 March 2012 / Accepted: 6 March 2012 / Published: 15 March 2012

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Genomics Technologies on Crop Breeding Strategies)

Download PDF Full-Text [403 KB, uploaded 15 March 2012 11:10 CET]

Abstract: Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), a perennial and outcrossing species, is a widely planted forage legume for hay, pasture and silage throughout the world. Currently, alfalfa breeding relies on recurrent phenotypic selection, but alternatives incorporating molecular marker assisted breeding could enhance genetic gain per unit time and per unit cost, and accelerate alfalfa improvement. Many major quantitative trait loci (QTL) related to agronomic traits have been identified by family-based QTL mapping, but in relatively large genomic regions. Candidate genes elucidated from model species have helped to identify some potential causal loci in alfalfa mapping and breeding population for specific traits. Recently, high throughput sequencing technologies, coupled with advanced bioinformatics tools, have been used to identify large numbers of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in alfalfa, which are being developed into markers. These markers will facilitate fine mapping of quantitative traits and genome wide association mapping of agronomic traits and further advanced breeding strategies for alfalfa, such as marker-assisted selection and genomic selection. Based on ideas from the literature, we suggest several ways to improve selection in alfalfa including (1) diversity selection and paternity testing, (2) introgression of QTL and (3) genomic selection.

Keywords: alfalfa; breeding; phenotypic selection; QTL mapping; association mapping; marker-assisted selection; genomic selection

MDPI and ACS Style

Li, X.; Brummer, E.C. Applied Genetics and Genomics in Alfalfa Breeding. Agronomy 2012, 2, 40-61.

AMA Style

Li X., Brummer E.C. Applied Genetics and Genomics in Alfalfa Breeding. Agronomy. 2012; 2(1):40-61.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Li, Xuehui; Brummer, E. Charles. 2012. "Applied Genetics and Genomics in Alfalfa Breeding." Agronomy 2, no. 1: 40-61.