Dr. Annick Bertrand

Image Annick Bertrand
Research Scientist Physiology and Biochemistry of perennial crops

Abiotic stress resistance of perennial forage crops (temperature stress, salinity, climate change, ice, drought):

  • Development of new selection approaches for winter survival;
  • Identification of metabolites and cold-regulated genes associated with higher level of stress resistance;
  • Optimization of rhizobial symbiosis for improved stress resistance in alfalfa and other legume species;
  • Development of open-top chambers for long-term studies of CO2 increase in the field.

Improved nutritive value of forages

  • Increased energy concentration (starch, pectin, and soluble sugars including fructans);
  • Increased cell wall digestibility.

Increased forage yield

  • Development of new selection approaches for reduced fall dormancy in alfalfa.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
2560 Hochelaga Boulevard, Québec City, QC

Current research and/or projects

  • Résistance aux stress abiotiques (gel, salinité, glace, sécheresse, changements climatiques :1) Développement de nouvelles approches de sélection; 2) Identification de métabolites et de niveaux de transcrits liés à la résistance aux stress; 3) Optimisation de la symbiose avec la luzerne pour une meilleure résistance; 4) Développement d’un système à toit-ouvert pour l’étude à long terme des changements climatiques au champ.

  • Amélioration de la qualité nutritive: 1) Augmentation de la concentration en énergie des fourrages; 2) augmentation de la digestibilité des parois cellulaires

Augmentation des rendements : Développement de méthodes de sélection pour la réduction de la dormance automnale.

Professional activities / interests

Member of the Canadian Society of Plant Biologists

Member of the Comité Plantes fourragèers du CRAAQ

Key publications

  1. Bertrand, A., Thivierge, M-N, Claessens, A, and Audy, P. 2017 Milk from forages. Presentation Joint workshop of the AAFC Yangzhou University Joint laboratory in Agricutural Sciences. Ottawa, November 7 2017

    2017 - View publication details

  2. Bertrand, A., Bipfubusa, M., Claessens, A., Rocher, S., Castonguay, Y. (2017). Effect of photoperiod prior to cold acclimation on freezing tolerance and carbohydrate metabolism in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Plant Science, [online] 264 122-128. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.plantsci.2017.09.003

    2017 - View publication details

  3. Claessens, A., F. Langevin, I. Royer, A. Cambouris, D. Angers, N. Ziadi, and A. Bertrand. 2017.
    Method for screening Cu, Zn or Pb phytotoxicity on switchgrass and reed canarygrass. ASA-CSSA-SSSA 2017 Tampa 2017/10/22 - 2017/10/25

    2017 - View publication details

  4. Claessens Annie, François Langevin, Annick Bertrand, and Solen Rocher. 2017. Development of an indoor freezing tolerance test for switchgrass. ASA-CSSA-SSSA 2017. Tampa, Oct 22-25 2017.

    2017 - View publication details

  5. Thivierge, M.-N., Audy, P., Bélanger, G., Claessens, A., Bertrand, A., Rocher, S., Tremblay, G., Jégo, G., and Lajeunesse, J. 2017. Systèmes racinaires: la force cachée! Congrès de l’Ordre des Agronomes du Québec (OAQ), Sherbrooke, QC, Canada, September 21, 2017

    2017 - View publication details

  6. Annick Bertrand, Annie Claessens and Solen Rocher. 2017. An indoor screening method for reduced fall dormancy in alfalfa. Eucarpia, Vilnius, Lithuania, 11-14 September 2017.

    2017 - View publication details

  7. Loaiza, P.A., Balocchi, O., Bertrand, A. (2017). Carbohydrate and crude protein fractions in perennial ryegrass as affected by defoliation frequency and nitrogen application rate. Grass and Forage Science, [online] 72(3), 556-567. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/gfs.12258

    2017 - View publication details

  8. Christie, B. C., Baron, V. S., Young, D., Ohama, A. J., Schellenberg, M., Bertrand, A., and Claessens, A. Selection for summer growth and late fall dormancy in different alfalfa varieties. Poster presentation. Cow-Forage Gentec Tour. August 22, 2017. Lacombe Research and Development Centre. Lacombe, AB.

    2017 - View publication details

  9. Christie, B. C., Baron, V. S., Young, D., Ohama, A. J., Schellenberg, M., Bertrand, A., and Claessens, A. Genetic relationships between winter-hardy alfalfa varieties. Poster presentation. Cow-Forage Gentec Tour. August 22, 2017. Lacombe Research and Development Centre. Lacombe, AB.

    2017 - View publication details

  10. Christie, B. C., Baron, V. S., Young, D., Ohama, A. J., Schellenberg, M., Bertrand, A., and Claessens, A. Relationship between late season plant height and winter hardiness in alfalfa. Poster presentation. Cow-Forage Gentec Tour. August 22, 2017. Lacombe Research and Development Centre. Lacombe, AB.

    2017 - View publication details

  11. Bertrand, A., Claessens, A., Thivierge, M.-N., and Rocher, S. 2017. Breeding for cell wall characteristics linked to improved saccharification efficiency in alfalfa. Plant Biology 2017, Honolulu, June 24-28 2017.

    2017 - View publication details

  12. Annick Bertrand, Gilles Bélanger, Annie Claessens, Gaëtan Tremblay, Guillaume Jégo, Patrice Audy, Marie-Noëlle Thivierge, Solen Rocher et Julie Lajeunesse. Forage crop persistence. Journée portes ouvertes-Agropur-Field day. CRD de Sherbrooke. 7 juin 2017

    2017 - View publication details

  13. Gaëtan Tremblay, Gilles Bélanger, Annie Claessens, Annick Bertrand, Guillaume Jégo, Marie-Noëlle Thivierge, Solen Rocher et Julie Lajeunesse. 2017. Nutritive value of forage crops. Valeur nutritive des plantes fourragères. Journée portes ouvertes-Agropur-Field day. CRD de Sherbrooke. 7 juin 2017

    2017 - View publication details

  14. Annick Bertrand, Annie Claessens, Solen Rocher, Julie Lajeunesse, Philippe Seguin. 2017. Amélioration génétique de la digestibilité et du contenu en énergie chez la luzerne. Tournée plantes fourragères du CRAAQ. 31 mai 2017

    2017 - View publication details

  15. Claessens, A, Langevin, F, Bertrand, A, Rocher, S. 2017. Amélioration de la compétitivité économique et de la durabilité de la production de bioénergie à l’aide de culture fourragères pérennes. Tournée plantes fourragères du CRAAQ. St-Augustin, 31 mai 2017.

    2017 - View publication details

  16. Claessens, A. Baron, V., Bertrand, A., Lajeunesse, J. Schellenberg, M. 2017.Prolongation de la productivité des pâturages en fin de saison. Tournée plantes fourragères du CRAAQ. Saint Augustin, 31 mai 2017.

    2017 - View publication details

  17. Crépeau, M., Khelifi, M., Vanasse, A., Bertrand, A., Aider, M., Seguin, P. (2017). Impact of Storage Time on the Juice and Sugars Extracted from Chopped and Whole Stalk Sweet Pearl Millet and Sweet Sorghum Biomass. BioEnergy Research, [online] 10(1), 74-85. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12155-016-9777-4

    2017 - View publication details

  18. Rocher, S., Michaud, J., Castonguay, Y., Bertrand, A. and Claessens, A. 2017.Identification of transcript-derived sequences that vary in abundance during cold acclimation in red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) by SRAP-cDNA.XXV Plant and Animal Genome Conference San Diego 2017/01/14 - 2017/01/18

    2017 - View publication details

  19. Bertrand, A., Bipfubusa, M., Dhont, C., Chalifour, F.P., Drouin, P., Beauchamp, C.J. (2016). Rhizobial strains exert a major effect on the amino acid composition of alfalfa nodules under NaCl stress. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, [online] 108 344-352. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.plaphy.2016.08.002

    2016 - View publication details

  20. Bipfubusa, M., Rocher, S., Bertrand, A., Castonguay, Y., Renaut, J. (2016). Dataset of protein changes induced by cold acclimation in red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) populations recurrently selected for improved freezing tolerance, 8 570-574. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2016.06.003

    2016 - View publication details

Contact

Research facility

Quebec Research and Development Centre
2560 Hochelaga Boulevard
Québec, QC G1V 2J3
Canada

Expertise

Agriculture›Agri-Food
Agriculture›Agriculture-environment interactions
Agriculture›Biochemistry›Plant
Agriculture›Breeding›Forage
Agriculture›Forages
Agriculture›Grazing›Pasture systems
Agriculture›Micro-organism collection
Agriculture›Physiology›Plant stress

Affiliations

Adjunct professor Université Laval

Adjunct professor McGill University

Language

English
French

Other languages

Spanish