Update:
Q1 Progress Report
All breeding nurseries and yield trial plots were successfully planted across Minnesota at locations ranging from Roseau to Lamberton during May and early June. Planting went very well and plot establishment was superb this summer thanks for a new planter we purchased last winter. All locations established well with the exception of Morris which experienced very dry weather in the spring causing emergence to be uneven. This poor emergence resulted in poor weed control, and thus most of the plots at Morris were compromised and will not be harvested. Plots were established at Roseau, Thief River Falls, Crookston, Shelly, Moorhead, Becker, St. Paul, Rosemount, Waseca, Sleepy Eye, and Lamberton.
Objective 1: Develop general-purpose and food-type soybean varieties adapted to
Minnesota, and new sources of pest and disease resistance for application to
Minnesota-adapted varieties.
Seventy-two unique parents were planted in the crossing block and 109 unique crosses were designed between breeding lines selected for high yield, early maturity, high protein, high oil, small seed (natto), large seed/high protein (tofu/soy milk), aphid resistance, SCN resistance, high oleic, genetic diversity, among other traits. This year we made fewer targeted crosses but made more attempts per population to help ensure larger future populations resulting from each cross. Basically, we are more carefully choosing crosses and sinking more resources into each cross as opposed to making more crosses with less investment per cross. Nearly all crosses were successfully attempted. Harvest of F1 seeds will begin soon.
The breeding nursery consisted of the following numbers for each generation during the summer of 2023: 102 F2 populations; 16 F3 populations; 132 F4 populations. All populations were planted on time and looked good throughout the summer. Harvest will begin soon for advancement to winter nursery.
Approximately 7000 plant rows were planted in 2023 resulting from plant pulls in 2022. Plant rows looked good all summer. Harvest will begin soon.
1392 breeding lines (including checks) were planted in preliminary yield trials (PYTs) at two locations. Lines were placed according to the maturity score in the plant row stage. MG ~00~0 lines were planted at Crookston, Grand Rapids, Moorhead, and Shelly; MG ~I lines were planted at Rosemount, Morris Becker and/or Danvers; and late MG I or early MG II lines were planted at Lamberton and Waseca. Plots were well maintained and all appropriate notes were recorded all season.
480 breeding lines were planted in advanced yield trials (AYTs) at three MN locations in one of the three maturity zones described above. Sleepy Eye was added to the southern zone. All lines in AYTs were also planted in an IDC screening nursery and will be screened for Phytophthora resistance over the winter.
The 2023 regional tests were successfully organized and planted, including our lines and lines from regional co-operators. The regional trials included 121 lines from the MN breeding program, plus many others from co-operators. We planted total of 8 regional tests: 3 tests (MG 00, 0, &I) for regular conventional soybean lines, 2 tests (MG 0 & I), and 3 tests (MG 00, 0, &I) for traited soybean lines including transgenic, protein, fatty acid, and carbohydrate lines. Each test was planted in at least three MN locations. This is the most advanced test we conduct for public materials. By cooperating with other public breeders in the region we are able to plant these at many more locations across the region compared to what we can do here alone in MN.
In addition to the breeding populations and yield trials, a plant breeding program needs to plant seed increases. We planted the following types of seed increase plots:
o Unpurified increases I: 416 conventional first-stage unpurified seed increases were planted in Rosemount, MN.
o Unpurified increases II: 88 conventional and 7 RR second-stage unpurified seed increases were planted in Rosemount, MN. Plant pulls will be performed in these increases to start the process of purifying seed.
o Unpurified increases III: 31 conventional and 4 RR third-stage unpurified seed increases were planted in Rosemount, MN. Correspondingly, 20 of these 35 varieties were planted in “purification rows” to create purified seedstock at the end of the 2023 season of the 20 most promising varieties.
o Purified seed increases: This is our most advanced seed increase plot. Seed from these plots will form “breeder’s seed” and those that perform well again and of are interest will be handed off to MCIA. This year this increase consists of nine varieties:
• M15-105140 RM 0.3 General purpose SCN and aphid resistance (Rag1+Rag2)
• M13-257047 RM 0.5 Soymilk/General purpose SCN
• M05-363022HO-6 RM 1.9 High Oleic/SCN
• M14-151094 RM 1.8 SCN, Aphid resistance (Rag2)
• M14-656088 RM 0.9 Black soybean
Objective 2. Conduct public and private variety soybean trials.
• An announcement was sent out to commercial seed representatives. We received 88 unique varieties that were entered into at least one of the four tests.
• Plots were planted at each of the three locations within each type of test. Staking, flower/pubescence notes, and weeding have been taken care of.
• Harvest will begin on time.
Objective 3. Discover and develop new sources of resistance to soybean pests and diseases.
• We have leveraged the germplasm and field plot infrastructure to conduct some cooperative tests on white mold with new faculty members Drs. Megan McCaughey and Asheesh Ranjan. We have also looked at brown stem rot resistance with Dr. Dean Malvick and aphid resistance with Dr. Bob Koch.
Update:
View uploaded report 
Updated March 18, 2024:
see attached
View uploaded report