Adaptation and evolution of wild alfalfa: a genomic approach (AlfalfaEvolution)

The Eurasian genus Medicago is best known for the perennial species M. sativa - alfalfa-. Alfalfa is the worlds oldest, most important, and most intensively studied fodder crop. There is huge promise for extending the importance of alfalfa well beyond its present primary use as a feed for livestock. This species has potential uses in several domains such as: pharmaceuticals, biodegradable plastics, biofuels, textiles, and human nourishing. Medicago sativa is a polymorphic species with a variation pattern that has been complicated by hybridization and gene flow, mediated naturally or by human forces. The objectives are to characterize wild genetic pools and investigate genomic footprints of adaptation to climate in wild Medigaco sativa and the model species Medicago truncatula. Identification of genes responsible for climatic adaptation could be helpful to develop breeding programs aiming to create new varieties adapted to a changing climate.