Soybean Cyst Nematode is the #1 soybean pest, silently cutting yields across the Midwest. Most current SCN-resistant soybean varieties rely on the same source of resistance, PI 88788, and it’s no longer working well in many fields. Farmers need new ways to fight SCN, or keep losing yield.
Through this project, scientists will use CRISPR gene editing to change soybean genes that SCN uses to infect the plant, so SCN can’t take hold. CRISPR will help to turn on the soybean’s own alarm system so it can fight SCN as soon as it attacks. CRISPR is non-GMO editing; no genes are added to the plant for this technology to work.
The research team’s goals are to identify key soybean genes that SCN exploits and edit those genes so SCN can’t infect the plant. They will also build “decoys” to trick the soybean plant to turn on its defense mechanisms sooner. This entails growing the soybeans and testing them against SCN in greenhouse trials and studying how and when SCN is blocked from causing damage.
With new SCN-resistant soybean varieties, farmers have new ways to protect their fields from SCN, and in turn, protect their yields. This method entails faster trait development than traditional breeding methods, so new varieties can reach the market sooner.