This project successfully leveraged advanced genomics with the potential to enhance the genetic quality of U.S. soybeans. Our team expanded fundamental knowledge of genomic variation, aiding the future resilience and competitiveness of U.S. soybeans. Within this project, we expanded our suite of bioinformatic tools that are available on SoyKB.org/SoyHUB.php/ with new tools for exploration of soybean genetic diversity. These seven developed tools are focused on facilitating easier and/or more precise analyses such as genotyping, phenotype variation assessment and protein similarity search for complex genomic traits. We updated our curated soybean diversity data set to over 3000 accessions by adding unique soybean lines specific to Northern latitudes breeding programs. By applying our applied genomics strategy, we identified new targets for soybean breeding for early maturity groups. This work has culminated in disseminating the knowledge and, as a result, the created resources have empowered the broader soybean research community, enabling faster identification of breeding targets for improving soybean quality.

Our genomic tools are primarily designed to simplify and enhance the identification and prediction of gene functions, trait markers, and candidate mutations (CMs). With advancements in life science technologies driving modern breeding practices, our user-friendly tools offer substantial support to soybean breeders. By adopting these tools, breeders can develop improved soybean varieties more efficiently due to increased precision of pre-breeding predictions. Therefore, our tools and strategies will accelerate soybean breeding and make it effective, responding more swiftly to the evolving needs of soybean farmers. These enhanced varieties, featuring the desired or superior quality traits, can significantly benefit U.S. soybean producers. We plan to organize practical workshops to get breeders more engaged by empowering them with our easy-to-use web-based tools for applied genomics; we are aware of two private companies already utilizing our tools. We intend to bridge the pre-breeding phase with breeders and subsequently with farmers and, in parallel, to better communicate effectively what practical improvements can be achieved. The ultimate benefits to U.S. soybean farmers are publicly available web-based tools for efficient prediction of breeding targets for soybean improvement, newly identified alleles of flowering and maturity genes, and a more sophisticated approach to pre-breeding in general.