Quarterly reports to USB on the project in December, March, June and Sept of each year. Specific outputs and deliverables for 2019 are as follows:

Objective 1.
• Release at least five germplasm lines with =48% meal protein, =18.5% seed oil and =95% seed yield of elite checks
• Enter at least 20 lines with =48% meal protein and =18.5% seed oil in USDA Uniform Tests
• Identify and/or characterize new diverse sources of seed protein
• Finger print >12 lines (that are candidate for germplasm release) with 50K or 6K SNP chips
Objective 2.
• Map protein QTL in at least six bi-parental and two GWAS populations
• Further characterize protein QTL on chromosome 20, 10 and 5
• Develop breeder-friendly markers for high-protein alleles at more than one major protein QTL
Objective 3:
• Map new QTL for Sulphur-containing amino acids in wild soybean
• Map QTL amino acid in cultivated soybean
• Knowledge on usefulness and contribution of 7S and 11S protein sub-units on essential amino acid concentration in soy protein
Objective 4:
• Validate the Danbaekkong allele on chromosome 20 via gene editing technology

Updated May 1, 2020:
[Participants: Drs. Lorenz, UMN; Wang, MSU; McHale, The OSU; Singh, ISU; Chen, Nguyen, and Scaboo, Mizzou; Mozzoni, UARK; Pantalone, UT; Li, UGA; Carter, Taliercio, Song, AN, and Mian, USDA-ARS; and Fallen, Clemson Univ.]

Soybean meal accounts for 60-70% of the total value of soybean. The meal protein contents of recent commercial soybean cultivars in the U.S. have dipped below the minimum of 47.5%, needed for the national and international soybean meal markets and are reflective of a long-term pattern of slow decline in seed protein content. This is a major concern of U.S. soybean growers, who want to reverse this trend. The negative correlations of seed protein with seed yield and oil have been major constraints to the development of soybean lines with high meal protein without reduction in yield or oil. Another major concern is that U.S. varieties trace to a very narrow genetic base with low seed protein. This project aims to develop U.S. adapted soybean which has improved meal protein content, amino acid composition, and high-yield by expanding the genetic diversity. Variety development is supported by discovering new accessions, genes, and molecular markers for increased protein and essential amino acids utilizing the genetic diversity in cultivated and wild soybean. We report remarkable progress in all areas in this project in FY19, including the release of 7 high yielding cultivars/germplasm with high-meal protein and/or high genetic diversity.

Cultivar/germplasm releases: seven high yielding germplasm/cultivars with >48% meal protein and/or high genetic diversity were released/registered in FY19. Each of the lines was tested for stability of seed protein and seed yield in more than 20 environments across several states and years.

New sources of protein diversity were identified and characterized. Several high-protein lines were developed via fast neutron and characterized. Several exotic cultivated soybean lines with stable protein contents under cold and warm environments were identified and characterized. New QTL for high-protein and sulfur containing amino acids were mapped and markers for marker assisted breeding were developed.

Two separate studies indicated that seed protein contents can be increased by 2-3% using the Danbaekkong high-protein allele on chromosome 20 without compromising seed yield.

The cultivars/germplasm released by our group can be requested from the respective scientists for breeding and experimental purposes through appropriate MTAs.

Fourteen papers were published on our research results in refereed journals and many presentations were made in professional and stakeholder meetings in FY19.