2020
Toward Development of High Protein Soybean Cultivars
Contributor/Checkoff:
Category:
Sustainable Production
Keywords:
GeneticsGenomics
Parent Project:
This is the first year of this project.
Lead Principal Investigator:
M A Saghai Maroof, Virginia Tech
Co-Principal Investigators:
Project Code:
Contributing Organization (Checkoff):
Leveraged Funding (Non-Checkoff):
Less than 35% of the total project cost will come from the Virginia Soybean Board. The rest will come from Virginia Tech and Virginia Agricultural Council
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Institution Funded:
$14,800
Brief Project Summary:

Increasing soybean seed protein content is a primary breeding goal. This project aims at identifying new high protein genes/QTLs and associated DNA markers to use in breeding programs to facilitate the development of soybean cultivars. The long-term project goal is to develop high-protein soybean cultivars adapted to the Virginia and Mid-Atlantic growing conditions. Specific objectives for the current research phase are to conduct comparative sequence analysis of pairs of protein isogenic lines for low vs high protein traits, develop breeder-friendly and easy-to-use DNA markers for genes related to high seed protein content, oil content and essential amino acids and to select high-protein breeding lines from a protein-advanced generation segregating population and test for agronomic traits.

Key Benefactors:
farmers, agronomists, extension agents, livestock farmers, livestock nutritionists, soybean breeders, seed companies

Information And Results
Project Deliverables

• Multiple years of protein data on 260 lines
• DNA markers for protein content genes/QTLs. These markers can be used for screening and marker-assisted selection to identify high protein lines in breeding programs.
• Genome-wide association (GWAS) mapping for protein content
• Selected breeding lines with agronomic trait data
• Undergraduate and graduate student training: Student training is an educational deliverable of this project.
• Publications in scientific journals and presentations in meetings. These will provide an opportunity to summarize results and make them available to the soybean scientific community.

Final Project Results

The United Soybean Research Retention policy will display final reports with the project once completed but working files will be purged after three years. And financial information after seven years. All pertinent information is in the final report or if you want more information, please contact the project lead at your state soybean organization or principal investigator listed on the project.