2024
Improving Abiotic Stress Cross Tolerance and Nutrient Utilization Efficiency in Soybean
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:
24-209-S-C-3-A
Contributing Organization (Checkoff):
Institution Funded:
Brief Project Summary:
The major aim of this proposed research is to advance previously optimized seed, root zone, and foliar elicitation strategy targeting abiotic stress cross tolerance (flooding at early and drought at late growth stages) and nutrient utilization efficiency improvement in commercial soybean cultivars.
Information And Results
Project Summary

Project Objectives

Project Deliverables

Progress Of Work

Final Project Results

The success leading to profitability of US soybeans is affected by extreme weather influenced production challenges with changing climate which affects overall productivity. Spring cold weather impacts such as potential of sudden cold from Arctic polar vortex along with flooding during planting season and increasing high temperature coupled to drought during pod filling to harvest stages are two major coupled abiotic stresses, which have severe impacts on soybean production across the United States. Flooding coupled with waterlogging with cold temperatures during spring delay planting and severely affect seed germination, seedling emergence, and crop stand. Therefore, developing and advancing robust and resilient agronomic strategies to counter wider abiotic stress induced production risks are essential to support US soybean growers and stakeholders. We have advanced metabolically aligned bioelicitation strategy targeting improvement of abiotic stress cross tolerance and nutrient utilization efficiency in soybean. This metabolically aligned seed and foliar elicitation strategy is safe and inexpensive and can be integrated with commercial other Agronomic practices for large-scale field-based applications. In our last 3 years research with soybean, improvement in seed germination, seedling emergence, photosynthetic activity, overall growth, and productivity of different soybean cultivars were observed under flooding coupled with low night temperature stress with seed elicitation treatments (marine protein hydrolysate (Gro-Pro) and water-soluble chitosan oligosaccharide -COS). In the current proposed research previously optimized seed and foliar elicitation strategy targeting abiotic stress cross tolerance (flooding coupled with cold temperature at early growth stage and high temperature and drought at late growth stages) and nutrient utilization efficiency improvement in commercial soybean varieties is being targeted. Furthermore, the role of glyphosate tolerant pathway efficiently directing pentose phosphate pathway under bioelicitor treatment and contributing to the improvement of abiotic stress cross tolerance in soybean varieties is also being investigated. This project was delayed due to personnel changes that affected and delayed the previous year’s project 2313-209-0601: Metabolic Strategies for Improving Soybean Abiotic Stress Cross Tolerance. The foundation and results of this previous project guided the current project (2413-209-0301). However, we were not able to get permission to extend this project after August 2024 to follow the project 2313-209-0601: Metabolic Strategies for Improving Soybean Abiotic Stress Cross Tolerance. We were working with target varieties and assays based on this previous project 2313-209-0601. The preliminary results since last March 24 clearly indicate that phenolics metabolites re-direction is higher in glyphosate tolerant soybean under low and high temperature stress. We have also developed plate-based assays to show how seedlings will respond under higher nitrogen conditions. This is being coupled with how bio-elicitation can further improve stress resilient responses in incubators and greenhouse set-up as this project continues. Results from June 2024 to August 2024 suggest that the number of germination days was the most impactful factors tested. The soybean results followed the trend that glyphosate tolerance coupled with 9 days of germination and a temperature stress (typically 37 C) provided the highest levels of phenolics and corresponding health benefits. Now the impact of how these are affected under bioelicitation and low as well as high temperatures is being investigated and will now be pursued over this year based on the in-house funding, we will be applying to continue this project.

Benefit To Soybean Farmers

1) This is an innovative metabolically aligned bioelicitation strategy targeting improvement of abiotic stress cross tolerance and nutrient utilization efficiency in soybeans. 2) This metabolically aligned seed and foliar elicitation strategy is safe and inexpensive and can be integrated with commercial other Agronomic practices for large-scale field-based applications. 3) In the current proposed research previously optimized seed and foliar elicitation strategy targeting abiotic stress cross tolerance provided preliminary indication of the role of glyphosate tolerant pathway efficiently directing pentose phosphate pathway under bioelicitor treatment and contributing to the improvement of abiotic stress cross tolerance in soybean varieties. 4) The preliminary results indicate that phenolics metabolites re-direction is higher in glyphosate tolerant soybean under low and high temperature stress. 5) High phenolic re-direction under abiotic stress with bioelicitation can be a strategy to both counter abiotic stress and translate into higher seed phenolics for health benefits such as glycemic control benefits. This can enhance the value of soybeans with enhanced health benefits.

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.