CFCRA Cropping Systems Cluster: Activity 5 – Reducing GHG emissions by lengthening short-season crop rotations with soybeans

Objectives:

• Agronomic evaluation of moisture stress on seed protein and seed yield.
• Analysis of a multi-parent advanced generation inter-cross (MAGIC) population segregating for moisture stress tolerance and seed protein content.
• Improve prolonged nitrogen fixation (PNF) during periodic moisture stress to enhance yield and protein accumulation in soybean.
• Reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs) through cropping diversity with adapted short-season soybean varieties.

Impacts:

• Improved new MG 00 and 000 non-GMO soybean varieties will bring increases in yield, increases in soybean protein content, and improvements to abiotic stress tolerance.

Scientific Summary:

This activity aims to (1) develop breeding tools and germplasm for the selection of critical traits such as drought resistance and high protein content, and (2) to develop soybean varieties adapted to short season environments (targeting the MG 000 and 00 regions of Canada), which may be new additions in crop rotations with other cereals and oilseeds.

The expansion of the soybean crop in short-season areas of Canada is hindered by the lack of moisture-stress-tolerant, high-yielding, high-protein early-maturity varieties. To capitalize on the GHG reduction and economic benefits of short season soybean in a crop rotation, particularly in Western Canada, varieties must be able to withstand short-term moisture stress. While not as devastating as season-long drought, short-term moisture stress occurs when there is an interval of two or more weeks without precipitation and reduces seed yield. When this occurs during a critical period of growth such as flowering or seed development, yield and protein quality can be significantly reduced. Soybean derives 50% or more of its N from symbiotic N₂-fixation, which is more susceptible to moisture stress than photosynthesis and growth. The reduction in N from N₂-fixation has a cascading effect reducing plant growth, yield, and seed protein.

The proposed work developing moisture-stress-tolerant, higher-yielding, higher-protein soybean varieties will support farmers and provide increased access to domestic and export food grade non-GMO soybean markets.

The following experimental approaches will be used to accomplish this:

Objective 1: Agronomic evaluation of moisture stress on seed yield and seed protein. A series of low to high protein lines will be grown in dryland and irrigated conditions to determine the role of moisture stress on seed yield and seed protein.

Objective 2: Analysis of a multi-parent advanced generation inter-cross (MAGIC) population segregating for moisture stress tolerance and seed protein content. Two moisture-stress-tolerant and two high protein lines will be inter-mated to develop a mapping population. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) will be determined for both seed yield and protein under moisture stress.

Objective 3. Prolonged nitrogen fixation (PNF) during periodic moisture stress to enhance yield and protein accumulation in soybean. PNF is one mechanism for drought tolerance, and tools will be developed to test for PNF and to allow for its introgression in early maturity soybean.

Objective 4. Reducing GHGs through cropping diversity with adapted short-season soybean varieties. Traits important to short-season growers such as high yield, early maturity, drought tolerance and higher seed protein will be incorporated into adapted soybean lines.

External Funding Partners:

This activity was funded in part by the Government of Canada under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership’s AgriScience Program, with industry support from the Canadian Field Crop Research Alliance (CFCRA) whose members include: Atlantic Grains Council; Producteurs de grains du Quebec; Grain Farmers of Ontario; Manitoba Corn Growers Association; Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers; Saskatchewan Pulse Growers; Prairie Oat Growers Association; SeCan; and FP Genetics.