The rate at which soybean yields are increasing has declined in the past 25 years compared to previous decades due to management practices and a lack of genetic diversity in elite North American germplasm. Soybean breeding pipelines are remarkably similar among seed companies and the public sector. New types of analytical approaches could reduce errors and improve soybean breeding efficiency so yield increases can be seen quicker, however, their must be established before breeding pipelines are changed. Objectives of this project include demonstrating whether new sources of data and analytical approaches can improve efficiency in early generation stages of soybean breeding; and selecting high-yielding soybean lines for consideration of release as varieties.

Key Benefactors:
farmers, agronomists, ag retailers, Extension specialists