Mechanisms of cold tolerance in Miscanthus, a novel biofuel crop for Canadian climates

The proposed research projects for this internship will include both ongoing chilling/cold acclimation studies as well as establishing successful protocol for cryogenic pollen storage and inducing flowering in select varieties of Miscanthus. Leaf‐level gas exchange and fluorescence will be used to survey the photosynthetic apparatus before, throughout, and after the shortterm chilling experiments and throughout the long‐term acclimation experiments. Understanding the photosynthetic response of Miscanthus to chilling and long‐term cold acclimation will allow Pyramid Farms to select the most suitable varieties for climates across Canada. Establishing protocol for pollen storage and inducing flowering will greatly assist in breeding varieties that maximize the cold tolerance of and yield potential within the genus. Combined, these research projects will contribute synergistically toward a more focused breeding program that could incorporate molecular markers of cold tolerance in the selection of new varieties.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Rowan Sage

Student:

Patrick Calvin Friesen

Partner:

Pyramid Farms Ltd.

Discipline:

Biology

Sector:

Agriculture

University:

University of Toronto