# Genomics: Advancing Turfgrass Programs by Amanda M. Hulse-Kemp ###### tags: `research talks` USDA - Agricultural Research Service - finding solutions and improvements to agricultural problems that affect Americans every day from field to table - Amanda is in Genomics and Bioinformatics Research Unit Traditional plant breeding: - Phenotypic selection - Multiple field trials - long-time to cultivar release - Potentially increasing inbreeding :( ### 1. Plant Breeding - Advanced Technology Genomic selection < data management, genetic resources, inegrated software, phenomics, genotyping platforms RAMP: Revolutionized Applied Breeding Program - Using and manipulating Breeder's Equation: selection intensity, selection accuracy, geneic variants; R = h2s - Potential advantages: more accurate phenotyping, higher % of desired traits ### 1. low level: create new reference genomes ### 2. mid-level: Use refernece genomes to do better research Better reference genomes -> better research a) Spicy vs. non-spicy peppers (pungency) - due to PUN1 gene - 2.5 kb deletion caused nonfunctional protein -> nonspicy b) Find resistance genetic basis to a root nematode in sweet potatos ### 3. Genotyping and Phenotyping tools cotton example: developed array for high-throughput, high-quality automated genotyping plant -> genotypes = 3 days us lines of cotton contain majority of world-wide diversity among us lines: no clear pattern among breeding areas in PCA or fastStructure ## TURFGRASSES No or poor genome sequences, very little requencing Highly climate dependent and there are multiple types of warm season grasses St. Augustinegrass - thrives in warm, sandy soil - extremely heterozygous - diploid (2n = 18) *there are higher ploidys - more cold tolerant than other cultivars but susceptible to some diseases (including Gray Leaf Spot) Control through Line Resistance (instead of spraying with fungicides) - accomplished by breeding They have a resistant line they can compare to non-resistant lines QTL mapping logn read sequencing using PacBio hifi - circular consensus sequencing reads (CCS)