This project builds upon the previous yield stability project to discover new yield stability genes in diverse germplasm and to develop genomic selection to select for increased yield and seed composition stability in early generation breeding material. Early selection with a large number of experimental lines will help maximize the potential to enhance yield and seed composition stability for cultivars being developed for Nebraska soybean production areas.

This research project's main objective is to develop methods that improve soybeans ability to produce consistent yield and seed protein and oil concentration across different Nebraska fields and across years.

Objective 1: Discover new loci that confer yield stability.
Objective 2: Develop and test genomic selection methods for predicting yield and seed composition stability in early generation breeding material.

This project will expand on discovering novel vQTL not present in the germplasm already screened. While we can map large-effect, vQTL there is still a significant proportion of genes with small effects that will not be mapped due to the lack of power. Genomic selection is a method that is highly effective to enhance breeding for quantitative traits. Using genomic selection to help enhance germplasm for yield and seed composition stability has not been tested in soybean. This study will demonstrate its effectiveness for enhancing trait stability early in the breeding process. The findings from this work can be extended across the north central region of the U.S. to identify genes conferring yield stability across this larger region.

Updated May 19, 2023:

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The major findings will allow breeders to select for yield stability at a point in the breeding process where they were not able to select for it previously. This will allow them to select more soybean lines that have stable yield across diverse
Nebraska environments.

A key factor to releasing a new cultivar is that the experimental variety has consistent high yields across a large geographical region. Many experimental varieties are eliminated in advanced yield trials because they may yield at the top of some yield tests but near the bottom of other tests. Consistent seed composition values of protein and oil is also important to maintaining the value of soybean to the consumer. It has been found that there are genes that can be selected for that increase yield stability across diverse Nebraskan environments.
• This project will discover yield stability genes that are not present in current Nebraska breeding populations.
• Methods will be developed and tested that give breeders the ability to incorporate yield and seed composition stability genes early in a breeding program in combination with high yielding genes to accelerate genetic gain. Enhancing stability early in the breeding process will lead to fewer advanced breeding lines being eliminated due to inconsistent yields across geographical areas.