Newswise — South Dakota State University has released soybean germplasm lines to help plant breeders elsewhere incorporate desirable qualities such as high protein and low linolenic acid into their own soybean varieties.
“A germplasm line is a collection of genes, essentially, that has some good attributes. These are tools that plant breeders can use to incorporate traits that they want into lines that they want to release as varieties,” said SDSU Extension Crops Specialist Bob Hall, the chairman of SDSU’s Plant Science Variety Recommendation/Release Committee.
The committee decided in February to make the releases. Hall said former corn breeder Zeno Wicks and sunflower breeder Kathy Grady have released corn and sunflower germplasm lines from SDSU before, but this is the first time SDSU’s Soybean Breeding and Genetics Program has released soybean germplasm lines. Normally the SDSU program releases soybean varieties suited to conditions in South Dakota and neighboring states.
Guo-Liang Jiang, who leads SDSU’s soybean breeding program, said germplasm lines help the producers because of the advantages they provide to breeders by focusing desired traits in the line.
“The breeders can use them as parents to make new crosses and then to incorporate these unique characteristics into other varieties adapted to their environments,” Jiang said. “That will ultimately benefit the growers. They will get new varieties derived from these lines.”
The new germplasm lines will be available to both public and private sector breeders, and to soybean researchers as well. Here’s a look at the releases:
SD00-1501 is a high-protein and high-meal conventional line with acceptable yield and oil content, maturity group 0. The protein content at 13 percent moisture average 39.5 to 43.4 percent, and average protein meal was 51.5 percent. Oil content was 16.3 to 16.7 percent. Average yield was 39 to 44 bushels an acre, nearly 10 percent lower than the variety Surge, but 23 percent higher than Traill. Though the germplasm line is intended mainly for plant breeders and researchers, Jiang noted that the line could be grown by producers growing soybeans for certain markets such as the organic sector, tofu, or soy milk. The line matures around Sept. 20, has a plant height of 33 inches, seed quality of 2.0, and lodging score of 1.6. It has lower saturated fatty acids than Surge.
SD05-767 is a low-linolenic and good-quality conventional line with acceptable yield, maturity group 0 to I. Linolenic acid is consistently lower than 3 percent, with an average of 2.6 to 2.8 percent. It also has good protein (37.2 to 40.1 percent) and oil content (17.5 to 18.2 percent) at 13 percent moisture. Yield averaged 40.5 to 46 bushels, 8 to 10 percent lower than Surge, but 20 percent higher than Traill. The line can also be grown to meet specific requirements for low-linolenic oil. The plant matures in late September, reaches a height of 30 inches, has seed quality of 2.2, a lodging score of 1.9, and lower saturated fatty acids than Surge.
At that same February meeting, SDSU’s Plant Science Variety Recommendation/Release Committee also approved two new soybean varieties for seed increase in 2011 and official release by 2012. Seed will be available through SDSU Foundation Seeds. Here’s a look:
SD05-240 is a conventional cultivar for maturity group I (relative maturity 1.7), with high yield, good quality, and Phytophthora resistance. The yield over multiple years and locations averaged 59 to 63 bushels an acre, or 14 percent higher than the variety Deuel. Protein content at 13 percent moisture averaged 34.3 percent to 38.3 percent, while oil content averaged 18.2 to 19.1 percent. The variety has the resistance gene Rps 1k to Phytophthora rot. Plant height is 33 inches; lodging score is 1.5 to 2.5; seed quality is 1.2.
SD03-2154 is a conventional variety for maturity group 0 (relative maturity 0.7), with high yield, good quality, Phytophthora resistance, and about two days earlier maturity than the variety Surge. Average yield was 42 to 54 bushels an acre, about 5 percent higher than Surge and Sheyenne. At 13 percent moisture, the protein content was 35.1 to 37.4 percent, and oil content was 17.9 to 19.7 percent. The variety has the resistance gene Rps 1k to Phytophthora rot. Plant height is 32 inches; lodging score is 1.0 to 1.9; seed quality is 1.6.
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