b'Festulolium TurningHe says they show very good synergies with both grasses andalso very interested in the root development and we are screen-clovers. In relation to climate and sustainability challenges theying our Festuloliums via the Radimax platform.show immense potential; yielding up to 25 metric ton/ha withThe efforts at our company in creating new hybrids are extremely little nitrogen loss due to more robust and deeper rootproviding us with an unlimited source of diversity. We have the system. So, with regards to carbon incorporation, Festuloliumscontrol of our own germplasm. We are very careful in respecting are superior to many other crops. the regulations on access and benefit sharing. So far, they did Genotypes of Festulolium krasanii (LMxFA tall fescuenot turn out to be a significant restriction of our activity in grass type) and Festulolium braunii (LMxFP) showed very goodbreeding in general says. responses to the drought, remaining green without sufferingStirling says in terms of time; it takes about 10-12 years to much damage and showing fast regrowth after stress, saysto develop a new variety. Cropmark Seeds Festuloliums are . Festulolium braunii has a better performance undertargeted towards safer animal grazing types than will pro-abiotic stress than Lolium multiflorum and it is more persis- duce high quality forage (total ME yield per hectare) rather tent. But even within these two types you can find differences,than specifically for seed production. Making the first F1 is which are related to their genetic composition (more Festucadifficult, he says, then theres the hunting for the few seeds genes, more stress tolerance). which might form from this first cross. We generally find that subsequent re-crossings of these F1s provide slightly more NEW VARIETIES, GERMPLASM AND THE seeds per plantand normal seed production per plant is FUTURE OF FESTULOLIUM only generally improved after 4 -5 cycles of such inter-cross-Wident says DLF has two breeders in charge of the breedingings. Cropmark Seeds has developed an improved technique of Festuloliums, nurseries and trials in several locations inwith our F1 pair-crossing programme which leads to slightly Europe, and DLF has invested in this species for a long time.great success rates. Cropmark Seeds is working currently to He estimates that annual costs related to Festulolium breedingenhance different endophyte strains found in this material, so reached 1 million euro in 2015 both in conventional breedingthey can incorporate other endophyte alkaloids which are toxic and biotechnologies to support breeding. He says combining theto insects but not to ruminants, using a technique which is most favourable aspects of both genera while avoiding their weak- regarded as non-GM. nesses and create a variety that is homogenous and will remainWolters says at DSV, to ensure they are aligned with the stable. There is also a lot of work to be done in introducing orgrowers wishes, they pay attention to the important charac-reintroducing the species into markets where it is not known orters that are needed in Lolium and Festuca. When it comes was not successful so far. to germplasm to help in their breeding work, Wolters says that We have a long experience with the species in Centralthey have enough access to new germplasm at the moment and Europe, were farmers are growing it in grass-legumes mixturesthat one of their biggest sources of germplasm are the exist-for more than 30 years already, Wident says, adding it has beening breeding populations that they are currently work on and introduced more recently in Western Europe. But it is crucial tocommercial varieties. stay aligned with what growers want. We are a global companyStirling adds that they use a range of sources as ger-with very strong local connections with the farmers. We startmplasm. We use existing and new cultivars, and we regularly from the needs of today and take into consideration the recentsample from some of the major germplasm banks and we make evolutions in farming practices, consumer behaviour, environ- private seed collection expeditions around the world. In New mental aspects related to climate change to predict what theZealand we have had difficulty acquiring lesser known Lolium farmers will need in the next 15 years adds. and Festuca species which are not listed on our allowable to be He mentions that they are using conventional biotechnologi- imported scheduled list. This list was developed in a random cal tools like flow-cytometry and molecular markers to createmanner by our NZ authorities approximately 12 years ago new hybrids in a more efficient way, and states that their com- and this has led to a restriction of some species which would pany has a good experience with genomic selection that mightundoubtedly have value for Festulolium hybridisation and for be extended to species like Festuloliums in the future. We areuseful endophyte discovery and incorporation.44IEUROPEAN SEEDIEUROPEAN-SEED.COM'