Zengyu Wang
Forage Improvement Division, Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation

Forage and bioenergy crops play important roles in sustainable agriculture and the development of alternative sources of energy. Genetic engineering offers effective ways to improve grasses and legumes. We have established efficient genetic transformation systems for a number of important forage, turf and bioenergy species including tall fescue, switchgrass, Miscanthus, bermudagrass, ryegrass, alfalfa, white clover and Medicago truncatula. Genetic improvement of major agronomic traits has been achieved by overexpression or downregulation of target genes. Examples will be given in the improvement of forage quality, drought tolerance, phosphate uptake and biofuel production.