This USB supported long-term project tackled two major intractable challenges of U.S. soybean crop – declining meal protein and narrow genetic base. U.S. soybean meal with lower protein content than the international market standard is struggling to maintain its market share. Narrow genetic base of the crop makes it vulnerable to biotic and abiotic stresses and creates difficulty to improve its yield and quality traits. Our national team has made unprecedented progress in improving both meal protein and genetic diversity over last five years. We have released more than 35 high (>48.0%) meal protein varieties with no significant loss in yield, while almost all previous efforts over several decades to increase protein without yield loss failed. Diverse genetic base is the key to continued improvement to meet the changing market demands and long-term sustainability of the crop, yet the well documented narrow diversity of U.S. soybean crop has not been seriously tackled due to the long-term and difficult efforts need to increase diversity of the crop. However, our group with long-term support from USB has made unprecedented progress in increasing the genetic diversity of U.S. soybean crop without compromising seed yield or seed protein. Development of high-yielding high-protein lines from cultivated (G. max) x wild soybean (G. soja) is a breakthrough in U.S. soybean research. Additionally, our group has mapped numerous novel loci for seed protein and amino acids along with associated DNA markers for future marker assisted breeding to improve these traits, and genotyped hundreds of breeding lines with 6K and 50K SNP markers. We have published more than 50 research articles on improvement of protein and genetic diversity in reputed journals, trained more than 50 graduate students and 30 postdocs, and numerous undergraduates in soybean research. Our scientists, postdocs and graduate students have made hundreds of presentations in professional meetings, hosted field days and other state and national level events to disseminate research findings. Overall, this was a highly successful project with many tangible products for the benefits of the U.S. soybean growers and consumers.

This project developed and released soybean varieties with high meal protein and increased genetic diversity that will directly and indirectly benefit the U.S. soybean farmers and consumers. Moreover this project has made scientific discoveries for future improvement of U.S. soybean crop to increase the sustainability and profitability of the crop to the ultimate benefits of the farmers.