North Carolina soybeans are vulnerable to wet weather and flooding, which can happen at any time during the growing season. Flooding and/or saturated soils can reduce oxygen supply to the roots, which can cause a buildup of toxic respired carbon dioxide in the soil and promote root diseases like Phytophthora. The goal of this research builds on previous projects and continues developing high yielding, flood-tolerant soybean varieties specifically for North Carolina farmers. Efforts validate the response of locally adapted breeding lines identified as having flood tolerance for release. They also evaluate soybean genotypes for their ability to withstand waterlogging in comparison to partial shoot submergence and assess the physiological basis for superior flood tolerance.

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