Genetic Variation Assessment in Forage Grass Systems

Assessing genetic variation in forage grass systems underpins efforts to enhance productivity, resilience to environmental stress and nutritional quality for livestock. Modern studies employ genome-wide markers to reveal patterns of diversity, population structure and adaptive potential across germplasm collections. Techniques such as high-throughput sequencing, genotyping by sequencing and molecular marker analyses (including single nucleotide polymorphisms and microsatellites) enable precise characterisation of allelic richness, linkage disequilibrium and quantitative trait loci associated with key agronomic traits. Integrating these molecular insights with field phenotyping accelerates breeding programmes by guiding the selection of genetically diverse parental lines, identifying unique or redundant accessions for conservation and informing the management of core collections. This holistic approach has global significance for sustaining forage production under climate change and for optimising genetic resources to meet regional livestock demands.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have generated exceptionally dense marker datasets in tropical forage grasses. A comprehensive analysis of over 574 Napier grass genotypes produced more than 114,000 single nucleotide polymorphism markers, revealing three major clusters with significant within- and between-cluster diversity and low to moderate differentiation among germplasm collections. Detailed mapping of quantitative trait loci for biomass yield offered tangible targets for marker-assisted selection. Earlier work in a related genotyping-by-sequencing initiative on 105 Napier grass accessions uncovered nearly 1,000 highly informative SNPs and highlighted differing patterns of linkage disequilibrium between independent collections. Together, these findings demonstrate the power of high-density genomic profiling to resolve fine-scale population structure, guide core set development and underpin future association studies.

Genetic Variation Assessment in Forage Grass Systems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in genetic variation assessment in forage grass systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP): A variation at a single base position in genomic DNA among individuals.

Genotyping by sequencing (GBS): A high-throughput technique that identifies genetic variants by sequencing reduced-representation libraries.

Linkage disequilibrium (LD): The non-random association of alleles at different loci in a population.

Quantitative trait locus (QTL): A genomic region that contributes to variation in a quantitative trait, such as biomass yield.

Simple sequence repeat (SSR): A short, tandemly repeated DNA motif used as a highly polymorphic genetic marker.

References

1. Analysis of global Napier grass (Cenchrus purpureus) collections reveals high genetic diversity among genotypes with some redundancy between collections. Scientific Reports (2023).
2. Genotyping by sequencing provides new insights into the diversity of Napier grass (Cenchrus purpureus) and reveals variation in genome-wide LD patterns between collections. Scientific Reports (2019).
3. Molecular Markers Improve Breeding Efficiency in Apomictic Poa Pratensis L.. Agronomy (2018).
4. Genotyping-By-Sequencing Reveals Population Structure and Genetic Diversity of a Buffelgrass (Cenchrus ciliaris L.) Collection. Diversity (2020).