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Ontario Grain Farmer Magazine

Allele mining for yield, resistance to soybean cyst nematode, sudden death syndrome and white mould in soybean genetic diversity panel derived from Canadian x Chinese crosses

Principal Investigator: Istvan Rajcan

Research Institution: University of Guelph

Timeline: April 2023 – April 2029  

Objectives:

  • Use Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) to identify novel genes and alleles for yield, protein and oil content in soybean, derived from exotic modern Chinese cultivars from Northeast China.
  • Use GWAS to identify novel genes and alleles for resistance to Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN), Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) and White Mould (WM) derived from exotic Chinese sources in the genome diversity panel.
  • Determine drought tolerance in the GWAS panel and identify markers associated with the trait to be used for improvement of Canadian soybean cultivars.
  • Implement a crossing program to incorporate novel yield and seed quality traits from the genotypes used in the CA-CH panel into the University of Guelph’s breeding program to develop new and diverse high yielding and disease resistant soybean cultivars adapted to Ontario.
  • Combine the current sources of resistance to SCN (PI88788 and PI437654) with the novel sources of resistance to SCN, SDS and WM derived from the CA-CH panel using marker-assisted selection with the SNPs identified in the current study.

Impacts:

  • The identification of new genetic sources of enhanced yield, protein, and oil content in soybean, as well as resistance to SCN, SDS and WM, will provide a resource for soybean breeding programs to further improve soybean varieties with these traits for farmers.
  • Drought tolerance will also be studied to develop markers associated with the trait that can be used to improve modern Canadian soybean cultivars.
  • Intercrossing will be implemented to introduce novel yield, seed quality, SCN, SDS and WM resistance from the project into the University of Guelph breeding program to develop new, diverse, disease-resistant, high-yielding soybean cultivars which are adapted to Ontario’s climate. Combining sources of resistance to SCN from PI88788 and PI437654 with novel sources of resistance from Chinese cultivars will enhance disease-management strategies in future cultivars.

Scientific Summary:

The global production of soybean (Glycine max) is around 334 million metric tons. The sustainable production of soybean is vital for renewing the financial, social, and environmental resources on which our farming depends. Along with other agricultural crops, the sustainability of soybean yields is threatened by several biotic and abiotic stresses that are projected to worsen due to climate change and global warming. Therefore, developing resilient and climate-smart germplasm and varieties is necessary to combat biotic and abiotic stresses that are being accelerated by climate change.

The University of Guelph’s soybean breeding program based at the Guelph Campus has made a significant contribution to Canadian soybean production through the development of more than 100 soybean cultivars over the past five decades.

There has been a growing concern regarding the narrow genetic base of the North American soybean germplasm, which can be potentially detrimental for further progress in soybean breeding and development of new high yielding and disease resistant cultivars. The best way to offset the possible reduction in future response selection and cultivar development is to seek and introgress novel genetic variation, including genetics from China as the centre of origin for soybean. Progress in improving yield, agronomic traits and disease resistance is dependent on the genetic variation available to breeding programs. Currently, soybean cyst nematode (SCN), white mold (WM) and sudden death syndrome (SDS) are the three most damaging diseases affecting Canadian soybean production. The results of this study will facilitate the broadening of the genetic base of Canadian soybeans, armed with new genes and alleles for resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses while maintaining and improving their production potential.

External Funding Partners:

This project is funded in part by SeCan Association and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).