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Breeding for sustainable use

Arthur Wolleswinkel

ETS Field Days 7th Oct 2015

Helsingör DK

Breeding:

Bring new genetics,

Takes time,

Quality and Innovation

Answer users needs

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Today’s programme

Research within Barenbrug

The Breeding cycle

Breeding objectives

Innovations for sustainable use

Research and Breeding in the world

R&D activities in 15 countries

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Barenbrug Research in Europe

• Breeding sites network covering most local climatic conditions• Breeding sites network covering most local climatic conditions

VETROV

CROPVALE

Breeding and testing stations Barenbrug:

- Wolfheze NL- Mas Grenier Fr- Connantre Fr- Brasov Ro- Cropvale UK

Cooperations:

- Oseva Uni CZ- Boreal FIN- AFBI NI- Landlab Italy

• Turf and forage specialist

• Top performing varieties

• Quality product: germination

and purity

• Network of breeding stations

and trials

• Strong link with

development team and seed

production team

Research stategy

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Leisure, parks and lawn

Sport : soccer, golf

Turf producers

Revegetation and environment

Research strategy

Response to environmental

changes and society concerns

Climate change: Drought

heat

Less water

Environmental: Less

fertilisers and chemical input

Reduce clippings

More about this later…

Research strategy: sustainability

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Breeding cycle

We search the perfect grass but …. How????

Collection

Technology

Technology helps understand what we can not see

Genetic diversity within the ryegrass genius

Breeding cycle

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Selection of elite material

New breeding line

Market potential

Yes

PreBasic seed production to enter official trials

In House turf trials: 3 years

Crossing in Isolation

RecycledNo

Breeding cycle

Harvest

Breeding cycle : Time

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• Perennial ryegrass

• Tall Fescue

• Kentucky Bluegrass

• Fine Fescue

•Creeping red fescue

•Slender fescue

•Chewing fescue

• Other species:

•Koeleria, Hard and Sheep

fescues, Bermuda grass, Turf

Cocksfoot, Deschampsia,

Agrostis

Breeding objectives: Which species ?

Breeding objectives

QualityQuick germination

Turf quality

Disease

Innovations

Stoloniferousryegrass

Rhizomatous TF

Annual rye grass

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• Turf quality : sod density and leaf fineness

• Wear tolerance

• Seed Yield

• Disease and insect resistance

• Low input : Water ; fertilisers ; chemicals

• Germination and speed of establishment

• Salt tolerance

• Innovations

Breeding objectives

Turf quality

Extended testing system around Europe within different climatic zones

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Wear tolerance

Shade tolerance and wear

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Drought tolerance

In the field controlled with irrigation

Under controlled environment

Perennial ryegrass

Root system

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Disease tolerance as turf

Grey leaf spot on ryegrassRed Thread on red fescue test in Climate control room

Red Thread on red fescue in the field

Disease tolerance as plants

Crown rust on plantsStem rust on plantsStem rust very important for seed production

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Nematodes screening

Use of Endophyte

Insect tolerance/resistance

• Reduce leavesextension

• More tillering

• Less mowing

• Reduce cost

Plant growth habit

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Quick establishment = less weeds

Kentucky Blue grass

Salt tolerance

Salt damage turf grassSalt screening of species for toleranceScreening in the field using specific sites

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Seed production

Seed production screeningGood seed production for growers

Poa Pratensis Ryegrass

Are we making progress?

(source: french variety list 2014)

Ryegrass improvements from 1990 to 2014

Sport index Lawnindex

Summerturf quality

Rust tolerance

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• Stoloniferous ryegrasses

Stoloniferous growth habitPlants are very wide

Quick ground cover

Less weed infestation

Ability to recover after damage/stress

Innovations

Slide 30

Kentucky Bluegrass ( Poa pratensis) Turf

Important turf species, global

Sports and lawn

Also used as forage

•Rhizomes ( vegetative)•Variable chromosome numbers basic genome = 7, n: 28-147

•apomict

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More focus on sustainability = low input

• Less use of fertilizers

• Less use of chemicals

• Less mowing

• Less use of water

Less use of fertilizers and chemicals

Fertilizers: less N requiring species like Frc/Frl and better mixture combinations

Reduced use of herbicides and fungicides

Barenbrug selects varieties with high diseasetolerance! (no fungicides needed)

See EU variety lists

Be aware of disease ratings!

In particular fescues

Quick establishing turf prevents ingression of weeds(no herbicides needed)

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Fusarium tolerance

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Less Mowing

Maintenance related

Low bio mass producing cultivars

Ecological benefit: low carbon emissions by infrequent maintenance

Economical benefit: more cost savings by infrequent use of labour and machinery

Fine leaved LpGolf

Broader leaved LpSports fieldsdiploid

Slow Fast growing

Broader leaved LpSports fieldstetraploid

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Less use of Water

Extreme weather -> changing climate with more drought and longer heat periods

High water demands in a period with a water deficit

Grass plants with high Water Use Efficiency are required: e.g. more fine fescues (Festuca rubra spps.) in the North, Tall fescues or smooth stalked meadowgrasses in East and South.

Be aware of the right varieties!

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Split plot design; 4 replications

block 10 block 9 block 4 block 3

block 11 block 8 block 5 block 2

block 12 block 7 block 6 block 1

Low water level = 0% ETc

Medium water level = 33% ETc

High water level = 66% ETc

Low water level = 0% ETc

Medium water level = 33% ETc

High water level = 66% ETc

Slide 42

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Others species

Koeleria macrantha: Barkoel Looks like ryegrass

Well adapted to low maintenance

Drought and heat tolerance

Slow growth = no thatch

Slower establishment

Turf Cocksfoot: Barmedal Drought and heat tolerance

Adapted to low maintenance

area

Good combination with TallFescue

50% Barmedal50%Tall Fescue

Perennial ryegrass

Conclusion

Breeding takes time and investment

Consider genetic variability

Think on longer term, so is sustainability

Breeding = Passion for Grass…!!!!