Skip to content
Grain Farmers of Ontario is the province’s largest commodity organization,
representing Ontario’s 28,000 barley, corn, oat, soybean and wheat farmers.
Search
Ontario Grain Farmer Magazine

CFCRA Soybean Cluster; Activity 8: Breeding food grade soybean varieties or germplasm for high yield, better quality or pest resistance

Principal Investigators: Kangfu Yu and Owen Wally
Research Institution: Harrow Research & Development Centre, Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada
Project Start: April 2018
Project End: March 2023

Funding Partners: 
Funding for the Soybean Cluster is provided by the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada AgriScience Program through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, 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.


Objectives: 

  • Develop food quality soybean cultivars and germplasm with improved yield, good quality, and pest resistance for domestic and export markets
  • Develop breeding technologies to facilitate selection for improved food quality and pest resistance
  • Evaluate food type soybean germplasm for resistance to Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN) and Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS)

Impact:

  • The development and release of non-GM soybean varieties with enhanced properties for soyfood manufacturing has the potential to increase the global market share for Canadian soybean producers particularly in Asian and Pacific Rim markets.
  • The development of novel breeding selection technologies accelerate screening for germplasm and variety development; improve selection accuracy and efficiency; and reduce the program input costs to maximize return on investment in research partnerships.
  • The development of pest resistant varieties has the potential to maximize profitability for Canadian soybean growers while protecting agro-environmental health.

Activity Summary:
This activity will target the development of food grade non-GM soybean varieties with increased yields and SCN-resistance for Maturity Group 2.0-2.5 growing regions.

This activity will also target the development of food grade soybean germplasm with unique qualities for niche markets, such as low or null lipoxygenase traits for soymilk and/or soy beverages; specific protein profiles for specific food and processing uses.