Speaker: Dr. Allison Miller, Saint Louis University
Perennial plants are primary components of both natural and agricultural ecosystems. This presentation highlights ongoing work to dissect the genetic and environmental determinants of perennial plant phenotypes in two distinct types of perennial plants: woody vines and perennial herbaceous species.
The talk shares developing approaches for capturing temporal variation and covariation in traits above and belowground in the field, as well as ongoing efforts to understand relationships between the perennial plant phenotype and soil properties. Finally, the talk covers how advanced understanding of perennial plant biology is being applied to optimize breeding of diverse, perennial species that offer economically and ecologically viable options for sustainable agricultural systems.