Inhaltspezifische Aktionen

Windpassinger, Steffen

Postdoc

Breeding of Sorghum bicolor hybrids for improved biomass and biogas yield

Analysis and enhancement of sorghum pollen fertility under chilling stress

 

Research Interests

My research covers various aspects of adaptation and hybrid breeding of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), an originally tropical plant, as a novel bioenergy and fodder crop in temperate Europe. Thanks to its diabrotica resistance, drought tolerance and nutrient efficiency, sorghum is a promising alternative to maize. However, several aspects such as chilling tolerance in both juvenile and flowering stages, maturity, energy density and yield stability need to be enhanced to make it fully competitive.

Approaches on applied breeding comprise the design of novel ideotypes for biogas generation with an improved energy density and agronomical properties, and the development of new, adapted base material within genetically diverse heterotic pools, aiming at an optimal exploitation of heterosis and combining ability for yield and abiotic stress tolerance. Further, understanding and enhancing of sorghum pollen fertility under chilling stress represents a major research focus.

 

Research Keywords

  • Sorghum breeding
  • Adaptation of sorghum into temperate areas
  • Chilling tolerance
  • Root development
  • Pollen fertility under stress
  • Molecular marker genotyping
  • Heterosis for abiotic stress
  • Novel sorghum ideotypes for biogas generation

 

Publications

Windpassinger S, Friedt W, Deppé I, Werner C, Snowdon R, Wittkop B. Towards Enhancement of Early-Stage Chilling Tolerance and Root Development in Sorghum F1 Hybrids. Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science 2016, DOI: 10.1111/jac.12171

Windpassinger S, Friedt W, Frauen M, Snowdon R, Wittkop B. Designing adapted sorghum silage types with an enhanced energy density for biogas generation in temperate Europe. Biomass Bioenerg 2015; 81: 496-504.

 

Contact information

Steffen Windpassinger

Department of Plant Breeding

IFZ Research Centre for Biosystems, Land Use and Nutrition

Justus- Liebig University

Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32

35392 Giessen, Germany

Tel.: +49 (0)641 9937443

Email:

Room: B323