The digestive enzyme trypsin breaks down proteins in the small intestine. Soybeans naturally contain a trypsin inhibitor, which must be heated to be deactivated, unlocking the nutritional quality of the feed. Heating denatures some other proteins in soybean meal. It’s likely that more than one gene is involved in expression of the desired low levels of trypsin inhibitors. The goal of this project is the development of new test methods to determine genetics of new lines of soybeans that express low quantities of the trypsin inhibitor. Identification of one or more genetic markers for the ultralow genes can accelerate breeding programs.
Key Benefactors:
farmers, agronomists, Extension agents, nutritionists, livestock farmers, soybean breeders, seed companies