Genomics of tropical forage grasses in Brazil: resources, progress, and future directions.

Abstract

Brazil is the global leader in the production and export of tropical forage seeds. The livestock sector primarily relies on tropical grasses, including species of Urochloa and Megathirsus maximus, as well as other genera such as Paspalum, Cenchrus, and Setaria. The sustainability and competitiveness of this sector are increasingly threatened by climate change and biotic stresses. While conventional breeding has made progress, enhancing genetic gains requires advanced molecular tools due to the biological complexity of these grasses. Given the growing importance of forage genomics, this paper provides an up-to-date overview of genomic resources available for the main tropical forage species. We synthesized the state-of-the-art applications of genomics, transcriptomics, and functional genetics in forage research, consolidating findings from Brazilian and international institutions. In recent years, significant advances have been made, including the assembly of reference genomes, the development of comprehensive transcriptomic datasets, and the construction of high-density linkage maps. Despite the recent increase in genomic data, we identified significant bottlenecks, including the need for reference pangenomes, standardized phenotyping platforms, and robust functional validation pipelines for novel genes. This review serves as a critical roadmap, emphasizing that collaboration is vital to translate genomic data into resilient, nutritious, and climate-adapted tropical forage cultivars, securing the future of sustainable livestock production.