Currently I work mainly in two areas:
Traits and genetics of red clover
Red clover is an important agricultural species which also grows in the wild. Together with grasses it provides high-quality forage for animals. Being a legume it has symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing bacteria in its roots, and it thus plays a role in nitrogen supply to the agricultural system. Although red clover is a perennial, the longevity of individual plants is limited and therefore one aim of plant breeders is to make cultivars that are more persistent, i.e. survive and produce yield for more than just a couple of years. In our climate the overwintering ability is thought to be central for persistence of red clover. Overwintering ability of plants is a very complex trait, depending both on resistance mechanisms to specific winter stresses and on environmental regulation of growth, and of the resistance mechanisms, during late autumn and early spring. Together with students and collaborators I am trying to
- Identify traits and chromosomal regions that play a role in persistence
- Understand the strategy of winter survival – how is cold acclimation, de-acclimation and the overwintering ability affected by light and temperature during autumn and early spring, and how does this relate to growth patterns?
- How will cold acclimation and de-acclimation be affected by climate change?
- Characterize winter stress interactions (clover rot, chilling, freezing)
- Identify chromosomal regions that control reproductive development
- Understand how growing together with grasses is different from growing together with other red clover plants – which trait values and alleles increases persistence in each of these situations?
Genetics and breeding of sugar kelp
There is an enormous potential for value creation based on production of macroalage along the Norwegian coast. Macroalgae cultivation can yield large amounts of biomass in an environmentally friendly manner, and this biomass has a multitude of different uses (e.g. food, feed, biochemicals, agricultural fertilizers, bioenergy). There is a strong interest in developing cultivars with improved traits, but also a concern that such cultivars should not spread and hybridize with natural populations. Together with collaborators I am aiming to
- Describe genetic varation
- Describe heritability and genetic correlations between traits
- Identify loci controlling traits of interest from a cultivation point of view
- Develop sterile production plants, in order to limit the possibility for spread to natural populations
- Describe variation in iodine and arsenic content
- Understand the role of iodine metabolism in stress responses
Besides these two areas I have experience and interests in
- Winter survival, phenology and disease resistance in the grass family
- Species mixtures and forage quality in grasslands
- Lucerne and faba bean: adaptation to Nordic conditions
- Plant breeding for species mixtures and for organic agriculture
- Plant-microbe interactions (pathogens, rhizobia)
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Publikasjoner
Peer-reviewed original research papers and review papers/opinions:
Ergon Å, Milvang ØW, Skøt L, Ruttink T. 2022. Identification of loci controlling timing of stem elongation in red clover using genotyping by sequencing of pooled phenotypic extremes. Accepted for publication in Mol. Genet. Genom. doi: 10.1007/s00438-022-01942-x
Goecke F, Gómez Garreta A, Martín–Martín R, Lluch JR, Skjermo J, Ergon Å. 2022. Nuclear DNA content variation in different life cycle stages of sugar kelp, Saccharina latissima. Marine Biotechnology. doi: 10.1007/s10126-022-10137-9
Ergon Å, Bakken AK. 2022. Breeding for intercropping: the case of red clover persistence in grasslands. Euphytica 218:98. doi: 10.1007/s10681-022-03051-7
Zanotto S, Palmé A, Helgadóttir Á, Daugstad K, Isolahti M, Öhlund L, Marum P, Moen MA,
Veteläinen M, Rognli OA, Ergon Å. 2021. Trait characterization of genetic resources reveals useful
variation for the improvement of cultivated Nordic red clover. J. Agro. Crop Sci. 207:492-503. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jac.12487Pathak R, Ergon Å, Stensvand A, Gislerød HR, Solhaug KA, Cadle-Davidson L, Suthaparan A.
2020. Functional characterization of Pseudoidium neolycopersici photolyase reveals mechanisms behind the efficacy of nighttime UV on powdery mildew suppression. Front. Microbiol. 11:1091. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01091Goecke F, Klemetsdal G, Ergon Å. 2020. Cultivar development of kelps for commercial cultivation—past lessons and future prospects. Front. Mar. Sci. 8:110. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2020.00110
Ergon Å, Skøt L, Sæther VE, Rognli OA. 2019. Allele frequency changes provide evidence for selection and identification of candidate loci for survival in red clover (Trifolium pratense L.). Front Plant Sci 10:718. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2019.00718
Ergon Å, Seddaiu G, Korhonen P, Virkajärvi P, Bellocchi G, Jørgensen M, Østrem L, Reheul D, Volaire F. 2018. How can forage production in Nordic and Mediterranean Europe adapt to the challenges and opportunities arising from climate change? Eur J Agron, 92:97-106. doi:10.1016/j.eja.2017.09.016
Ergon Å. 2017. Optimal regulation of the balance between productivity and overwintering of perennial grasses in a warmer climate. Agronomy, 7,19. doi:10.3390/agronomy7010019
Amdahl H, Aamlid TS, Marum P, Ergon Å, Alsheikh M, Rognli OA. 2017. Seed yield components in single plants of diverse Scandinavian tetraploid red clover populations (Trifolium pratense L.). Crop Sci, 57:108-117. doi: 10.2135/cropsci2016.05.0321
Ergon Å, Kirwan L, Fystro G, Bleken M, Collins RP, Rognli OA. 2017. Species interactions in a grassland mixture under low nitrogen fertilization and two cutting frequencies: II. Nutritional quality. Grass Forage Sci, 72, 333-342 doi:10.1111/gfs.12257
Kovi MR, Ergon Å, Rognli OA. 2016. Freezing tolerance revisited — effects of variable temperatures on gene regulation in temperate grasses and legumes. Curr Opin Plant Biol, 33:140–146.
Ergon Å, Kirwan L, Bleken M, Skjelvåg AO, Collins RP, Rognli OA. 2016. Species interactions in a grassland mixture under low nitrogen fertilization and two cutting frequencies: I. Dry matter yield and dynamics of species composition. Grass Forage Sci 71, 667–682 doi:10.1111/gfs.12250
Kovi MR, Abdelhalim M, Kunapareddy A, Ergon Å, Tronsmo AM, Brurberg MB, Hofgaard IS, Asp T, Rognli OA. 2016. Global transcriptome changes in perennial ryegrass during early infection by pink snow mould. Sci Rep 6:28702. doi:10.1038/srep28702
Ergon Å, Melby TI, Höglind M, Rognli OA. 2016. Vernalization requirement and the chromosomal VRN1-region can affect freezing tolerance and expression of cold-regulated genes in Festuca pratensis. Front Plant Sci 207: 1-15. http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2016.00207
Amdahl H, Aamlid TS, Ergon Å, Kovi MR, Marum P, Alsheikh MK, Rognli OA. 2016. Seed yield of Norwegian and Swedish tetraploid red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) populations. Crop Sci 56: 2: 603-612. doi:10.2135/cropsci2015.07.0441
De Vega JJ, Ayling S, Hegarty M, Kudrna D, Goicoechea JL, Ergon Å, Rognli OA, Jones C, Swain M, Geurts R, Lang C, Mayer KFX, Rössner S, Yates S, Webb KJ, Donnison I, Oldroy GED, Wing RA, Caccamo M, Powell W, Abberton MT, Skøt L. 2015. Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) draft genome provides a platform for trait improvement, Sci Rep 5:17394. http://www.nature.com/articles/srep17394
Rapacz M, Ergon Å, Höglind M, Jørgensen M, Jurczyk B, Østrem L, Rognli OA, Tronsmo AM. 2014. Overwintering of herbaceous plants in a changing climate. Still more questions than answers. Plant Sci 225:34-44. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.plantsci.2014.05.009
Ergon Å, Hamland H, Rognli OA. 2013. Differential expression of VRN1 and other MADS-box genes in Festuca pratensis selections with different vernalization requirements. Biol Plantarum 57:245-254. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10535-012-0283-z
Alm V, Busso CS, Ergon Å, Rudi H, Larsen A, Humphreys MW, Rognli OA. 2011. QTL analyses and comparative mapping of frost tolerance, winter survival and drought tolerance in meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis Huds.). Theor Appl Gen 123:369-382. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00122-011-1590-z
Hofgaard IS, Ergon Å, Henriksen B, Tronsmo AM. 2010. The effect of potential resistance inducers on development of Microdochium majus and Fusarium culmorum in winter wheat. Eur J Plant Pathol 128:269-281. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10658-010-9662-5
Ergon Å, Fang C, Jørgensen Ø, Aamlid TS, Rognli OA. 2006. Quantitative trait loci controlling vernalisation requirement, heading time and number of panicles in meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis Huds.). Theor Appl Gen 112:232-242. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00122-005-0115-z
Ergon Å, Tronsmo AM. 2006. Components of pink snow mould resistance in winter wheat are expressed prior to cold hardening and in detached leaves. J Phytopathol 154:134-142. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0434.2006.01071.x
Hofgaard IS, Ergon Å, Wanner L, Tronsmo AM. 2005. The effect of chitosan and Bion on resistance to pink snow mould in perennial ryegrass and winter wheat. J Phytopathol 153:108-119. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0434.2005.00937.x
Ergon Å, Skinnes H, Tronsmo AM. 2003. Testing snow mould resistance of winter wheat: inoculation experiments with Microdochium nivale in the field. Acta Agric Scand, Sect B, Soil Plant Sci 53:110-117. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09064710310009055
Gaudet DA, Laroche A, Ergon Å, Mullin J. 2000. Association between plant age and simple and complex carbohydrate accumulation among winter wheat cultivars differing in resistance to snow moulds during acclimation at low temperatures. Acta Agrono Hung 48:21-32.
Gaudet DA, Laroche A, Frick M, Davoren J, Puchalski B, Ergon Å. 2000. Expression of plant defence-related (PR-protein) transcripts during hardening and dehardening of winter wheat. Physiol Mol Plant Pathol 57:15-24. http://dx.doi.org/10.1006/pmpp.2000.0275
Nordal I, Haraldsen KB, Ergon Å, Eriksen AB. 1999. Copper resistance and genetic diversity in Lychnis alpina (Caryophyllacea) populations on mining sites. Folia Geobot 34:471-481. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02914923
Ergon Å, Klemsdal SS, Tronsmo AM. 1998. Interactions between cold hardening and Microdochium nivale infection on expression of pathogenesis-related genes in winter wheat. Physiol Mol Plant Pathol 53:301-310. http://dx.doi.org/10.1006/pmpp.1998.0182
Peer-reviewed chapters in conference proceedings:
Ergon Å. Can we define a persistent red clover ideotype for mixtures with grasses? In: Hartmann S et al.: Exploiting genetic diversity of forages to fulfill their economic and environmental roles. Proceedings of the 34th Meeting of the EUCARPIA Fodder Crops and Amenity Grasses Section in cooperation with the EUCARPIA Festulolium Working Group, Freising, 6-8 September 2021. doi:10.5507/vup.21.24459677.22
Ergon Å, Gao Y, Schmaucks T, Frostegård Å. 2021. Potential for developing improved rhizobium inoculants and lucerne varieties for efficient symbiosis in sustainable agriculture. In: Hartmann S et al.: Exploiting genetic diversity of forages to fulfill their economic and environmental roles. Proceedings of the 34th Meeting of the EUCARPIA Fodder Crops and Amenity Grasses Section in cooperation with the EUCARPIA Festulolium Working Group, Freising, 6-8 September 2021. doi:10.5507/vup.21.24459677.22
Zanotto S, Amdahl H, Ergon Å. Red clover adaptation to a Nordic climate. 2021. In: Hartmann S et al.: Exploiting genetic diversity of forages to fulfill their economic and environmental roles. Proceedings of the 34th Meeting of the EUCARPIA Fodder Crops and Amenity Grasses Section in cooperation with the EUCARPIA Festulolium Working Group, Freising, 6-8 September 2021. doi:10.5507/vup.21.24459677.22
Jørgensen M, Leraand MK, Ergon Å, Bakken AK. 2019. Effects of including perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) in different species mixtures on yield, feed quality and botanical composition in first year of ley. Grassl Sci Eur 24: 152-154.
Ergon Å, Milvang ØW, Milvang O, Kovi MR. Identification of loci controlling timing of stem elongation in red clover using GBS of pooled phenotypic extremes. In: Brazauskas et al. (eds.) Breeding grasses and protein crops in the era of genomics. Proceedings of the 2017 meeting of the section “Forage crops and amenity grasses” of Eucarpia. Springer, ISBN 978-3-319-89577-2, p. 109-112.
Ergon Å, Volaire F, Korhonen P, Virkajärvi P, Seddaiu G, Jørgensen M, Bellocchi G, Østrem L, Reheul D, Baert J. 2016. Climate challenges and opportunities in northern and southern Europe - role of management and exploitation of plant traits in the adaptation of grasslands. Grassl Sci Eur 21:746-758.
Ergon Å, Bakken AK. 2016. Red clover traits under selection in mixtures with grasses versus pure stands. Grassl Sci Eur 21:811-813.
Kovi MR, Byrne S, Østrem L, Ergon Å, Marum P, Asp T, Rognli OA. 2016. Genome-wide allelic shifts in forage crops when grown at five diverse locations across Norway. Grassl Sci Eur 21:811-813.
Ergon Å, Solem S, Uhlen AK, Bakken AK. 2016. Generative development in red clover in response to temperature and photoperiod. In: Roldan-Ruiz et al. (eds.) Breeding in a world of scarcity. Proceedings of the 2015 meeting of the section “Forage crops and amenity grasses” of Eucarpia. Springer, ISBN 978-3-319-28932-8, p. 243-247.
Ergon Å, Rognli OA. 2014. Genomic characterization of survivor populations of red clover by GBS. Grassl Sci Eur 19: 823-825.
Ergon Å, Bleken MA, Lunnan T, Skjelvåg AO and Rognli OA. 2013. Species mixtures – dry matter yield and herbage quality as affected by harvesting frequency under low N supply. Grassl Sci Eur 18:204-206.
Bleken MA, Ergon Å, Rognli OA. 2013. Species mixtures – nitrous oxide emissions after application of synthetic urine. Grassl Sci Eur 18:162-164.
Fang C, Ergon Å, Jørgensen Ø, Aamlid TS, Rognli OA. 2007. Quantitative trait loci for seed production characters and vernalization response in meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis Huds.). In: Rosselini D, Veronesi F (eds.) Breeding and seed production for conventional and organic agriculture. European Association for Research on Plant Breeding (EUCARPIA), pp.265-269. ISBN 978-88-87652-12-3.
Hofgaard I, Ergon Å, Henriksen B, Kolstad H, Skinnes H, Tarkegne Y, Tronsmo AM. 2006. Induced resistance to Fusarium head blight in winter wheat. IOBC/wprs Bulletin 29:49-53. http://www.iobc-wprs.org/pub/bulletins/iobc-wprs_bulletin_2006_29_08.pdf#page=63
Ergon Å, Fang C, Aamlid T, Rognli OA. 2005. QTL analysis of vernalisation requirement and heading traits in Festuca pratensis Huds.. In: Humphreys MW (ed.) Locating, and utilising Festuca pratensis genes for winter hardiness for the future development of more persistent high quality Lolium cultivars. Wageningen Academic Publishers, The Netherlands, p.161.
Ergon Å, Hofgaard I, Tronsmo AM. 2002. Induction of defence responses and snow mould resistance in cereals and perennial ryegrass. IOBC/wprs Bulletin 26:173-176.
Ergon Å, Klemsdal SS, Gaudet DA, Laroche A, Nakajima T and Tronsmo AM. 1997. Expression of genes in winter wheat affected by cold hardening and snow mould infection. Proceedings of the International Workshop on ”Plant-Microbe Interactions at Low temperature under Snow”. Sapporo, Japan.
Books:
Laroche A, Wanner L, Ergon Å, Shimosaka E. 2001. Molecular characterization of freezing tolerance and snow mold resistance. In: Iriki N, Gaudet DA, Tronsmo AM, Matsumoto N, Yoshida M, Nishimune A (eds.) Low Temperature Plant Microbe Interactions Under Snow. Hokkaido National Agricultural Experiment Station, Sapporo, pp.125-141.
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Undervisning
BOT201 - Physiology of Plant Production
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Forskning & prosjekt
Prosjekter
DIVERSILIENCE aims to improve the productivity and resilience of organic crop production by better utilization of crop diversity, through research work performed across Europe.
In this project we study the content and fate of iodine and arsenic throughout value chains from cultivation to human food consumption, with the aim to facilitate management of food safety of this important resource.
Breed4Kelp2Feed aims to initiate breeding of sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima, a marine brown macroalgae) designed for sustainable production of high yields.
Forskningsprosjekter med nettside utenfor NMBU
Forskningsområder
Tema:
- Landbruk
- Klima
- Agronomi
- Biovitenskap
Forskningsområder:
- Biofag
- Bioteknologi
- Landbruksfag