Dissecting the Genomic Architectures of Phenotypic Traits in the Energy Grass Miscanthus

Integrated approaches combining linkage mapping, genome-wide association studies and genomic selection have great potential to revolutionize breeding and bring novel insights into the genomic architecture of complex phenotypic traits. However, the translation of results obtained through these approaches into practical breeding methodology and coherent biological knowledge is challenging. We present recent and ongoing activities aimed at overcoming this challenge in the promising bioenergy feedstock grass Miscanthus. Early linkage and association mapping studies have yielded dozens of putative marker-trait associations, some of which were detected using different approaches and/or in multiple species. Furthermore, the moderate to high accuracy of genomic selection across a wide range of phenotypic traits suggests that the implementation of this approach may be feasible in the short to medium term. Finally, we outline ongoing efforts to scale up these studies and integrate them with a publicly funded Miscanthus breeding program at the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences in Aberystwyth (UK).