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ARS Home Midwest Area Madison, Wisconsin U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center Dairy Forage Research Research





- Riday, Heathcliffe
- Food Animal Production (101)
- Grass, Forage, and Rangeland Agroecosystems (215)

Research Project: **Location:
                            Dairy Forage Research** Project Number: 5090-21500-002-040-R
                        
                        Project Type: Reimbursable Cooperative Agreement Start Date: Apr 1, 2023
                        
                        End Date: Sep 30, 2027 **Objective:**
                        
                        Improve cover crop legume performance through germplasm screening. **Approach:**
                        
                        The collaborative team will coordinate a national breeding program. The objectives will be achieved by:
a. Creating a legume cover crop germplasm screening program that evaluates hairy vetch, crimson clover, and Austrian winter pea for select agronomic traits of interest across a latitudinal gradient.
b. Building a network of farmers who will aid in variety selection through participatory germplasm screening.
c. Identifying select cover crop accessions for seed increases and future improvement.
d. Contracting with buying groups or germplasm curators to conduct cover crop seed growouts.

The work will also be expanded to  include improving cereal cover crop genetics. This target will include increasing allelopathy of cereal rye. There will be greater focus on insect damage to seed, interaction of genetics and environment  and advanced line testing. It is the intent of the project to release new cultivars of cover crop legumes.


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