Registration of ‘TN13-4304’ soybean germplasm with good yield, high meal protein and resistance to peanut and southern root knot nematode

Authors: PANTALONE, VINCENT - University Of Tennessee; Fallen, Benjamin

Submitted to: Journal of Plant Registrations
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/15/2021
Publication Date: 4/8/2022
Citation: Pantalone, V., Fallen, B.D. 2022. Registration of ‘TN13-4304’ soybean germplasm with good yield, high meal protein and resistance to peanut and southern root knot nematode. Journal of Plant Registrations. https://doi.org/10.1002/plr2.20191.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/plr2.20191

Interpretive Summary: Decades of selection for yield has resulted in lower protein soybeans in the U.S. Protein and oil content account for ~60% of the total dry weight of soybean seeds, of which 20% is oil and 40% is protein. Soybean meal accounts for two-thirds of the protein meal used in poultry and livestock production. In 2019, 33.4 million metric tons, almost 75% of the total soybean meal produced in the US, was used for feeding livestock. Of this, 80% was used by the poultry and swine production industries that year. Research focused on identifying key meal composition traits and developing germplasm with increased meal protein could greatly improve the value of US soy and help US soy stay competitive with other feedstocks and soybeans produced in other regions of the world. Many U.S. production regions no longer meet the standard of high protein meal (>47.5% protein in the meal). The trend is for U.S. soybeans to decline in protein to only 45.6% meal protein by 2030. In addition, southern root knot nematodes (RKN) and peanut RKN are two economically important species of nematode worldwide. In the US, southern RKN is the most prevalent species (70%), followed by peanut RKN (24%). The soybean germplasm TN13-4304 was developed and released by the Tennessee Agricultural Experiment Station in 2020. TN13-4304 is late maturity group (MG) IV conventional soybean cultivar with a determinate growth habit that has white flowers, gray pubescence, tan pod walls and the seeds are yellow with smooth seed coats. It is resistant to the southern RKN, the peanut RKN and stem canker. Soybean TN13-4304 makes an excellent high protein meal (48-50%) and has performed well for seed yield in Tennessee and over a broad region of the southern U.S. Germplasm lines, like TN13-4304, serve as parental sources for plant breeding programs. The release of germplasm lines provides for continued genetic gains and genetic diversity for U.S. agricultural commodities.

Technical Abstract: TN13-4304 is a conventional late-maturity group IV (relative maturity 4.9) soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] with high seed yield potential, high meal protein and is resistant to southern root knot nematode, peanut root knot nematode and stem canker. The line was developed and released by the University of Tennessee soybean breeding program. TN13-4304 was developed from reselection within cultivar ‘AGS 292’, which was originally released for use in the edamame market. In replicated field trials across 26 environments of the USDA Southern Soybean Preliminary Maturity Group (MG) V Early and Uniform MG V Tests, TN13-4304 yielded 108% and 101%, respectively of the average yield of the commercial checks. In the 2018 United Soybean Board Southern Diversity Yield Trials MG IV Late (USBDIV 4L), tested across three states, TN13-4304 yielded 115% of the average of three Asgrow commercial varieties and had an average seed protein content and oil content of 429 g kg-1 and 219 g kg-1, respectively. In the same test the three Asgrow varieties had an average seed protein content of 403 g kg-1 and an average oil content of 225 g kg-1. In the USBDIV4L, TN13-4304 was listed as one of only two genotypes that met all targets of yield, seed protein, oil and meal protein in the test. TN13-4304 has white flowers, gray pubescence, and a determinate growth habit. The pods have a tan pod wall and the seeds are yellow with smooth seed coats. For decades soybean genetic improvement has focused on increasing yield, which typically increased seed oil content at the expense of protein content in the meal. Although yield remains the top priority, improvements to seed composition have become very important and can have a significant impact on value. There is a limited supply of conventional (non-GMO) germplasm lines available for soybean breeders. Typically, these are released by public Land Grant Universities and by the USDA-ARS. Release of soybean line TN13-4304 would provide a conventional line with high protein meal and disease resistance that is useful for crossing programs.