BIGapp: A User-Friendly Genomic Tool Kit Identified Quantitative Trait Loci for Creeping Rootedness in Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)
Year: 2025

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is a globally vital forage crop valued for its perennial growth and multiple annual harvests. A breeding effort is underway to improve the crop for productivity and persistence against biotic and abiotic stresses using “creeping rootedness”, a trait where plants exhibit horizontal root growth, similar to rhizomes, with increased vegetative ground surface area. In this study, we analyzed a breeding population of 648 alfalfa segregating for creeping rootedness to ident