Depending on the cross and objective, at least two additional backcrosses will be completed during 2012, and intercrosses will have been made to combine the high protein and low phytate traits into G00-3213 and G00-3880. Funding will allow us to select and evaluate the resultant lines to determine which ones best combine the characteristics of the recurrent parent and the improvements contributed by the donor parent. In some cases, DNA markers will be used to increase selection efficiency and/or hasten recovery of the recurrent parent genome in the backcross programs.
New cross combinations will be made in 2012 to combine RR2Y™ with lines containing improved seed protein, low phytate, SCN resistance, and Asian soybean rust resistance. Not all traits will be able to be combined in a single cross, thus this project will require phenotypic and molecular selections over multiple years to provide opportunities for converging cross combinations to accumulate desired traits. Recent populations will be utilized to accelerate advancement.
A combination of phenotypic and DNA marker screening will be used to detect the presence of single genes conditioning traits for RR2Y™, seed protein, phytate, SCN resistance, and Asian soybean rust resistance among progeny lines. This will facilitate the creation of new forward crosses, backcrosses, and convergent crosses for targeted development of a new MG V and early MG VI varieties for Southeastern producers.