Public soybean breeders play a vital role in developing new traits, tools and varieties that benefit everyone. But these breeders don’t always have the resources to work together, across state lines, or with the latest tools, which means slower progress and missed chances to deliver soybeans with better yields, pest resistance and seed quality.
This project will allow soybean breeders to work together across the North Central region; share genetic tools, research data and new breeding methods; and deliver better soybean varieties to farmers faster. The SOYGEN group is a multi-state, public breeding network focused on real-world challenges in soybean farming.
The objectives of this project include completing a publicly available genomic and phenotypic dataset so breeders can share information on public breeding lines. The dataset will be used to predict stability and GxE interactions using a simulation framework, and validate predictions using field trials. The team will continue to discover structural variants and test whether modeling improves genomic predictions for seed composition and yield.
With improved soybean varieties developed through public breeding programs, farmers will see higher yields per acre, with soybeans having improved protection against pests and diseases. The new varieties will have traits that matter to growers such as standability and seed quality within the different maturity groups.