Theme 2.1Improved crops for sustainable

supply

Gail Taylor

Current Research Topics

• Genomics and genetics of feedstock yield and lignocellulosic quality

• Woody biomass supply in a changing environment

• LCA and sustainability criteria for bioenergy and biofuels

Estimated total amounts of C in soil & vegetation in different terrestrialsystems (Royal Society 2001). Pg C or Gt C

croplands 131 boreal forests 559wetlands 240 temperate forests 159tundra 127 tropical forests 428deserts & semides. 199temperate grasslands 304tropical savannas 330

Total non forest 1,331 Total forests 1,146

Forest ecosystems – 50% global vegetation C

How can we improve efficiency of biomass production?

Zhu et al., (2008). Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 19, 153-159

4.6% 6.0%

Plant Productivity- Monteith 1977

BiomassYieldT ha-1

Solar Radiation GJ m-2

Sugar beet (2.5%)

Apple(2.5%)

Barley(2.5%)

Poplar for bioenergy – globally significant

Identifying genes important for high yield

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4Spr Sum Aut Wint Spr Sum Aut Wint Spr Sum Aut Wint Spr Sum Aut Wint

Planted

Cut backAnd harvest

Harvest

cut

Assessment Assessment

Addressing the yield gap in energy poplar – more biomass on less land

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

YIELD – ODT ha-1 y-1

Potential Yield

Actual commercial UK Yield

40 ODT ha-1 y-1 [Nonhebel, 2002 ]35 ODT ha-1 y-1 [Scarascia-Mugnozza et al., 1997]

18 ODT ha-1 y-1 [Labreque et al., 2005]

20 ODT ha-1 y-1 [Corria et al., 1995]18 ODT ha-1 y-1 [Rae et al., 2007]

2-3 ODT ha-1 y-1 [Bungart et al., 1995]

The yieldgap – highthroughput biology can make step-changeadvances

P. nigra from rivers across Europe

Harriet Trewin

Leaf size and shape vary with latitude of origin

Leaf development candidates - models

SAM CLAVATA1 CLAVATA2, CLAVATA3 WUSCHEL, PHANTASTICA, PHABULOSA, PHAVOLUTA, PINHEAD, YABBY, FIL, KANADI1, 2

Emerging primordia BOP1, AS1, AS2, ASL1, ANTEGUMENTA, ANGUSTIFOLIA, ROTUNDIFOLIA, GROWTH REGULATING FACTOR, CELL CYCLE CONTROL, ERECTA, ETHYLENE

Maturing laminaEXPANSIN, XTHS, CYCLINS, CDKs, ENDOGLUCANASES, KORRIGAN, OXIDATIVE STATUS, WRKYs

SenescingSAGs, LDOX, DFR, WRKYs, MYBs, SAG21

Abscission

CCCTC-320.0CCCTC-N101.1

p_66716.7

p_42227.4

AGCTG-N1138.1p_68441.5

p_279768.7

p_2766100.9o_260104.9p_2418113.7

Elastic

ityLea

f_ratio

Leaf_ra

tioLN

B-ARE

A-1ST

M_ext

Bioma

ss-1

HT-4

HT-2

HT-3

L_EXT

_RLN

Leaf_p

rod-2

IIB.

1. estExt_fgenesh4_pg.C_LG_II06622..eugene3.00020820

3. estExt_fgenesh4_pg.C_LG_II0927

4. estExt_fgenesh4_pg.C_LG_II09285. fgenesh1_pg.C_LG_II0009546. estExt_Genewise1_v1.C_LG_II05657. grail3.00330285018.grail3.00390142019.eugene3.00021666

10. estExt_Genewise1_v1.C_LG_II1841

Start0.0

p_6673556760.8p_4224828045.014963652.026270414.0p_6847046216.037271089.547280078.557448069.069160616.0p_279710209505.0710857908.0

812883875.0

914040709.01015184326.0p_276615461149.0

o_26018310162.0

p_241820230512.0

Finish24482572.0

2

Latitude

40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54

Ave

rag

e c

ell

nu

mb

er

pe

r le

af

0

2e+7

4e+7

6e+7

8e+7

1e+8

LG chromosome

E2Fc

4 QTL for ECN, ECA,SI and SD (Rae et al., 2006; Rodriguez-Acosta et al, 2008)

Latitude

Num

ber

of c

ells

per

leaf

cDNA array

up in large down in large

2 G crop improvement – summary

• Elucidating genes underlying yield traits is nearing completion

• We will move to proof of concept using transgenic trees

• For commercial release marker assisted selection in the absence of GM