Plant and Animal Genome XXV Conference

January 13 - 18, 2017

4252

National Plant Genome Initiative Workshop: Cracking the Code for Genotype x Environment Interactions in Crop Plants Through High Throughput Phenotyping

The National Plant Genome Initiative (NPGI) goal is to develop a basic knowledge of the structures and functions of plant genomes, to translate this knowledge to a comprehensive understanding of all aspects of economically important plants and plant processes, and thus accelerate basic discovery and innovation in economically important plants. The NPGI workshop is a forum for the crop genomics and genetics research community to meet with IWGPG agencies (i.e. NSF, DOE, USDA, and USAID) to discuss key research challenges and critical resource needs for advancing plant science research in the United States, and for its translation to agriculture. One such challenge is the development of crop plants that are adaptable to increasing environmental variation, including wide swings in precipitation and temperature, and increasing disease and insect pressure. In order to develop crops that survive and thrive under these stresses it is critical to understand the genotype x environment (GxE) interactions that underlie key traits for plant productivity and adaptation, and use this knowledge to facilitate breeding efforts towards resilient, high-yielding crop plants. In this workshop, six researchers from the community who are investigating GxE interactions in plants will give brief presentations on lessons learned to date and critical unmet needs in topic areas including field-based phenotyping, translation from genomics to the field, and data management and analyses. All are welcome to attend and participate!