Background/context:

Lucerne is the world’s most important perennial forage legume. Continued breeding is required to incorporate multiple pest and disease resistances, as well as additional agronomic traits. It is estimated that there is the potential to increase Australian lucerne areas from the current 3.5 million ha to 105 million ha, if adapted cultivars can be bred.

 Aim:

The aim of this project was to generate a tetraploid lucerne genetic map containing agronomically important traits in an adapted Australian genetic background. Development of an autotetraploid lucerne genetic map has the potential to significantly contribute to the development of new and improved lucernes with greater adaptation to the Australian environment.

Major Outcomes:

Molecular markers were used to assess the overall genetic diversity in Australian-grown lucerne cultivars. A tetraploid genetic map of lucerne was generated integrating markers for disease resistance. Work is underway to convert these markers to user-friendly systems available for use in on-going lucerne breeding programs in Australia. Integration of this map with the previously published M. sativa maps and the M. truncatula research initiatives that are in progress around the world is almost complete. 

Two new synthetic cultivars have been licensed to Pacific Seeds and possess resistance to all known races of C. trifolii and other important diseases and pests. Applications for PBR protection of both cultivars have been accepted. 

A genetic roadmap for future lucerne improvement will be developed from the project. While lucerne is currently commercialised as synthetic cultivars, potential exists to generate hybrids through utilisation of cytoplasmic male sterility. We have imported, processed through post-entry quarantine, and identified and introgressed into our genetic background cytoplasmically inherited male sterility. Crosses between this germplasm and elite Sequel clones have been planted in field experiments at Gatton. Yield assessments have commenced on this trial and the hybrids show yield advantages of up to 23% over Sequel and 46% over UQL-1. 

The two new varieties of lucerne developed in this project, both with significantly enhanced yield and disease-resistance levels from traditional cultivars, have been commercialised to the Australian seed company, Pacific Seeds. The net benefits afforded from these new varieties have been calculated at around $45 million – a 41-fold return on the Centre’s investment in this project. This research was rewarded with a 2006 “Excellence in Innovation” award by the CRC Association. The “Excellence in Innovation” awards are given to research from Cooperative Research Centres that result in the utilisation and uptake of research results by end-users, and are assessed according to the innovation of the research outcome and the extent to which value has been added and resulted in significant benefits to Australian industry.

For more information contact:

Prof John Irwin
The University of Queensland
Phone: +61 (0)7 3346 9276
Email: j.irwin@uq.edu.au