Sheep Industry News August 2022

The Last Word

THE AGRICULTURAL GENOME TO PHENOME INITIATIVE TEAM

Making Connections to Advance Genome to Phenome Science

B eyond the fi ld, pasture and barn, many people are working to help producers achieve their goals of raising exceptional livestock and harvesting abundant crops. Agricultural scientists are continually exploring ways to improve crops and livestock to accelerate breeding strategies and genetic gain so farmers can feed the world in more effici t and profi able ways. Th Agricultural Genome to Phenome Initiative was written into the 2018 Farm Bill and is supported by the U.S. Department of Agricul ture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Th current project – NIFA AG2PI Collaborative: Creating a Shared Vision Across Crop and Livestock Communities – is an initial three-year project funded under this initiative. Th is project focuses on connecting crop and livestock scientists to identify similar questions and gaps in understanding of agricultural genome to phenome science, and collaborate on solutions to improve agriculture sustainability in the United States. “Th main goal of AG2PI is to bring plant and animal scientists together to identify synergies and shared strategies for experimental design and data analyses,” said Iowa State University Distinguished Professor and AG2PI Principal Investigator Patrick Schnable. “Th ough this sort of communication, we seek to eliminate redundancy, streamline research and thereby improving the entire research pipeline.” ASI – along with several other commodity groups and livestock organizations – are stakeholders in the AG2PI project. Together, these stakeholders support the long-term goal of increasing agricultural genetic science and research to ben efi t stakeholders, breeders, producers and growers. Th expansive list of AG2PI stakeholders, founding partners and global engagement organizations illustrates the importance this research holds for the future of agriculture. Agricultural geneticists are studying how crop and livestock physical or biological traits — phenomes — connect back to their genetic code, which is known as genome-to-phenome research. Th se scientists also explore how the environment can infl uence the genes in the genome and therefore all the resulting traits. Th identifi ation of how to improve traits in crops and livestock is an important aspect of G2P science. “Uncovering the connection between genes and traits is crucial for crop and livestock improvement, and crucial for helping farmers man age their environments to fully realize the genetic potential,” said David Ertl, an AG2PI executive committee member representing the Iowa Corn Promotion Board, and chair of the stakeholder committee. Th genetic basis of crops and livestock lend themselves to similar research methods. Data collection, access and storage needs might be managed similarly. Th use of sensor technologies and machine learning could be applied likewise across these research communities. How ever, those conducting the research generally stay within their own fi ld of study, and oft en within a particular species. Th AG2PI team hosts activities that aim to connect agricultural geneticists and breeders with each other and to those working with data, statistics, engineering and social sciences. Th ough virtual fi ld days, workshops and conferences, professionals meet to share knowledge, off er ideas and solutions, and collaborate toward scientifi advancement and practical applications. AG2PI has hosted numerous virtual fi ld days and hands-on workshops so that professionals can learn from one another, generate knowledge-sharing ideas and expand how they think of their work in creative ways. AG2PI promotes another avenue of collaboration through its seed grant program. Between late 2021 and 2022, AG2PI awarded grants for 30 projects, totaling more than $1.1 million. Th projects in general are cross-disciplinary, multi-institutional and include collaborators from around the globe. Project topics are diverse, such as: storing and integrating data from new technology including virtual fencing, livestock GPS collars and UAV sensors; standardizing, advancing and creating access to data; implementing machine learning models for better crops, and more. Outcomes from the AG2PI activities will springboard scientists to continue collaborations and advance agricultural G2P research. “A better understanding of how variation within the genomes of livestock and crops results in diff erent production traits across diff erent environments will allow us to enhance genetic gain, which will ben efi t stakeholders, producers and society,” said Brenda Murdoch, associate professor at the University of Idaho, co-PI on the project and an ASI member. As G2P science advances, it impacts all areas of agriculture. New crop varieties and hybrids can get to the market quicker, which could en hance crop production. Disease and pest resistance for both crops and livestock can be strengthened. Producers and growers will ben efi t and profi from improving the genetics of crops for seed, feed, fi er and fuel, as well as raising healthier livestock for nutritious meat and milk. For more information, visit AG2PI.org.

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