Plant Breeding Research

Plant breeding is the science of changing plant genetics to create new varieties with increased productivity or new, value-added traits (or attributes). Research at the Noble Foundation focuses on the improvement of forages, both grasses and legumes, targeted for agricultural production systems in the southern Great Plains. Although narrow in focus, the outcomes of this research are finding application across the United States and in many international agricultural systems. Moreover, this research expertise is being leveraged into the emerging field of dedicated bioenergy crops to improve future crops like switchgrass. Noble scientists and researchers use a broad range of practices, including evaluation and selection, classic breeding (crossing of parental material to move desired traits from one or more plants into a desired background) and complex molecular breeding techniques such as the use of molecular markers. The Noble Foundation, through its research, has created and contributed significant genetic resources, including molecular and linkage maps, to an international scientific community.