1. Test the resistance of germplasm developed in breeding and genetics research efforts.
2. Provide newly mapped and confirmed SDS resistance QTL to the soybean industry.
3. Develop tools that can be used by the soybean industry to conduct marker-assisted selection for SDS resistance.
4. Use several approaches, including metagenomics, to identify rhizosphere organisms and soil abiotic factors that interact with F. virguliforme to cause SDS.
5. Reduce the limitations in field trials by improving on current screening methodology.
6. Coordination of regional communication and outreach by centralizing SDS information and to address the needs of stakeholders including soybean producers, public investigators, and private industry.
7. Identification of SDS resistance genes in the new SDS resistant sources identified at MSU, and identification or confirmation of SDS resistance QTL present in the advanced breeding lines entered in the SDS Regional Tests.
8. Develop and utilize a second field location in Minnesota for field studies and germplasm evaluation of SDS and SDS resistance.
9. Evaluate 11,000 plant introductions from the USDA Soybean Germplasm Collection for resistance to F. virguliforme.