2023
Metabolic Strategies for Improving Soybean Abiotic Stress Cross Tolerance
Contributor/Checkoff:
Category:
Sustainable Production
Keywords:
Abiotic stressField management
Parent Project:
This is the first year of this project.
Lead Principal Investigator:
Kalidas Shetty, North Dakota State University
Co-Principal Investigators:
Project Code:
23-209-S-C-6-A
Contributing Organization (Checkoff):
Institution Funded:
Brief Project Summary:
In our recent research, we observed that most commercial soybean varieties are extremely susceptible to waterlogging/flooding stress during early growth stages of seedling emergence. However, significant improvement in seed germination, seedling emergence, growth, and productivity of soybean were observed with metabolically driven and targeted seed elicitation treatments (marine protein hydrolysate (Gro-Pro) and water-soluble chitosan oligosaccharide -COS). Additionally, Glyphosate resistant soybean variety (ND17009GT) has shown higher resiliency against waterlogging coupled low temperature stress, which indicated that the unique pathway associated with Glyphosate tolerance could be relevant in improving abiotic stress cross tolerance through overexpression of protective defense pathway. Building from these strategies, integrated seed and root zone elicitation strategy to improve abiotic stress cross tolerance in soybean against waterlogging coupled low temperature stress at early growth stage will be advanced
Information And Results
Project Summary

Project Objectives

Project Deliverables

Progress Of Work

Final Project Results

Soybeans are a key economically important crop grown in the Northern Great Plains region and US. Soybean productivity currently has been greatly affected due to extreme weather conditions which has enhanced abiotic stress factors affecting growth and development. The combination of spring cold temperature stress with waterlogging and summer high temperature and drought have impacted the production cycle of soybean resulting in crop losses and reducing economic value. Our previous research identified the use of bioprocessed elicitors chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) and marine protein hydrolysate (GP-GroPro®) as beneficial bioelicitors to upregulate important metabolic pathways to counter abiotic stress. Our recent studies reported in September 2023 showed that when soybean was subjected to water logging and drought stress under bioelicitor seed treatments several growth and metabolic factors such as height, photochemical efficiency, total soluble phenolic content, and associated antioxidant activity increased. Since September to December 2023, we had several challenges due to personnel changes in optimizing and understanding the key metabolic pathways such as pentose phosphate pathway and antioxidant enzyme coupling under these seed bioelcitor treatments. To overcome recent challenges faced in enzyme optimization with a new team and to better optimize the metabolic responses in the current phase of research, 2 varieties of soybean (ND Benson, and Glyphosate Tolerant ND17009GT) were subjected to two levels of thermal stress at 4C and 25C in one set of experiments to represent potential challenges in spring planting and compared to 37C and 25C to represent potential challenges in later summer. Two bioelicitors were used as treatments to elucidate their effect on enhancing soybean resilience to represent cold spring and summer high temperature abiotic stress in a factorial arrangement. Currently we have made progress on understanding metabolic responses under 4C, 24C 37C in seedling stages and have clear indication that phenolic and antioxidant response are improved in response to bioelictor treatments. Furthermore, it is clear glyphosate tolerant soybean have more resilient phenolic response due to overexpression of the shikimate pathway towards phenolics overproduction. This implies that phenolics flux potentially supports thermal stress responses both at cold stress and high temperature levels. These temperature response treatment studies coupled to nitrogen utilization responses in seedling stages will be further developed in the next phase. In terms of specific deliverables, 1) Improving waterlogging coupled low temperature stress resilience in soybean at early growth stage. In this regard we have only shown that low temperature response can be improved by bioelicitor treatments, and that glyphosate tolerant soybean have more resilient response as also reflected in the phenolic response. However, we have not achieved the waterlogging coupled response. 2) Improving abiotic stress cross tolerance in soybean with higher resilience against drought and high temperature stress at late growth stage. Here again we have observed improved high temperature response and more so in glyphosate tolerant soybean with improved phenolic response. We have not been able to study coupled drought response. Based on above, partial progress the goal is to study single factor low temperature and high temperature optimization and compare glyphosate and non-glyphosate varietal responses and how nitrogen utilization can impact these responses. Beyond the phenolic and antioxidant responses the specific role of pentose phosphate pathway under above responses will be investigated and optimized.

Benefit To Soybean Farmers

Soybean productivity currently has been greatly affected due to extreme weather conditions which has enhanced abiotic stress factors affecting growth and development. The combination of spring cold temperature stress with waterlogging and summer high temperature and drought have impacted the production cycle of soybean resulting in crop losses and reducing economic value. To overcome above challenges simple Agronomic seed treatment and plant treatment using bioprocessed elicitors chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) and marine protein hydrolysate (GP-GroPro®) as beneficial bioelicitors to upregulate important metabolic pathways to counter abiotic stress have high potential. In terms of specific deliverables and benefits, 1) Improving waterlogging coupled low temperature stress resilience in soybean at early growth stage. In this regard we have shown that low temperature response can be improved by bioelicitor treatments, and that glyphosate tolerant soybean have more resilient response as also reflected in the phenolic response. 2) Improving abiotic stress cross tolerance in soybean with higher resilience against drought and high temperature stress at late growth stage. Here again we have observed improved high temperature response and more so in glyphosate tolerant soybean with improved phenolic response. We have not been able to study coupled drought response. 3) Based on above, partial progress, the goal is to study single factor low temperature and high temperature optimization and compare glyphosate and non-glyphosate varietal responses and how nitrogen utilization can impact these stress improvement responses. Beyond the phenolic and antioxidant responses the specific role of pentose phosphate pathway under above responses will be investigated and optimized and these metabolic responses can provide strong scientific rationale for improving soybean production responses to increasing temperature stress faced during production as we face climate change.

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.