Location: Plant Genetics Research
Project Number: 5070-21000-044-027-R
Project Type: Reimbursable Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Oct 1, 2023
End Date: Sep 30, 2024
Objective:
Breeding efforts generally focus on repeated crossing between elite lines – essentially failing to take advantage of the vast genetic diversity in the soybean USDA-GRIN germplasm collection. We have taken key steps to leverage this diversity, via multi-location and drought stress genetic experiments that identified maturity group (MG) 4 Plant Introductions (PIs) with positive drought–associated traits: lower Canopy Wilting (CW), higher Water Use Efficiency (WUE), higher Nitrogen Derived From the Atmosphere (NDFA, as a measure of nitrogen fixation), and lower Canopy Temperatures (CT). We are now actively applying genomic selection to crossed PIs with favorable traits with an elite public parental line and are developing multiple breeding populations containing the best possible alleles for multiple drought-associated traits. Our efforts will reach fruition during the lifetime of this grant; germplasm releases will serve to broaden the genetic base and deploy drought alleles in improved soybean genotypes that will provide valuable tools to commercial and public breeders and producers to meet the substantial challenges of increased incidence and severity of drought stress.
Approach:
Our previous research with Plant Introduction lines with favorable drought associated traits crossed to elite public parental line resulted in creation of multiple breeding populations containing the best possible alleles for multiple drought-associated traits. We also intercrossed among our populations to generate uniquely valuable Multi-parent Advanced Generation InterCross (MAGIC) populations specific for drought traits. We have both basic scientific and applied objectives for this proposal. Our germplasm development effort will reach fruition during the lifetime of this proposal. We intend to identify and release soybean germplasm which will serve to broaden the genetic base and deploy drought alleles in improved soybean genotypes.
