2023
Combatting heat stress through development of heat tolerant soybeans
Home
Contributor/Checkoff:
United Soybean Board
Category:
Sustainable Production
Keywords:
Abiotic stressGenetics
Parent Project:
This is the first year of this project.
Lead Principal Investigator:
Kent Burkey, USDA-ARS
Co-Principal Investigators:
Project Code:
23-209-S-C-3-A
Contributing Organization (Checkoff):
United Soybean Board
$100,297
Institution Funded:
USDA-ARS
$100,297
Brief Project Summary:
In this proposal, we will screen diverse germplasm for response to high temperature, taking advantage of prior USB investments in the SoyNAM project and the introgression of ancestral soybean (Glycine soja) genomes into modern soybean (Glycine max) backgrounds. Selected lines from these sources will be grown under season-long elevated temperature treatments in our unique, custom-built Temperature Gradient Greenhouse developed by USDA-ARS for research to improve the heat stress tolerance of crops. Seed yield along with seed composition (protein and oil content) and other physiological traits will be used to identify the best performing lines for further testing. The goal is to identify parental sources of heat stress tolerance that commercial soybean breeders can use to develop heat resilient soybeans. Improved soybean yields under heat stress conditions will provide an advantage to U.S. farmers
Information And Results
Project Summary

Project Objectives

Project Deliverables

Progress Of Work

Final Project Results

Progress has been made in assessing the potential effects of rising temperature on soybean seed yield and seed quality. We continue to test germplasm for heat stress response in our Temperature Gradient Greenhouse. In 2023, we screened advanced breeding lines developed from crosses between domesticated soybeans and soybean ancestors for response to elevated temperature to identify potential sources of stress tolerant traits contributed by ancestral germplasm. This complements previous work on screening commercial cultivars and elite drought tolerant lines developed by the USB Drought Team for heat stress response. Certain genotypes perform well under elevated temperatures in the range of +2 to +4 Celsius while others exhibit significant yield losses. This represents sufficient genetic variation in response to allow identification and incorporation of heat tolerance traits for soybean improvement.

Benefit To Soybean Farmers

Results from this project demonstrate that improved heat stress tolerance of soybean is achievable. This is important to US soybean growers who will need improved cultivars that perform well under the rising temperatures predicted for the coming decades.

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.