2019
Use of Genomics to Develop Disease Resistant Soybeans
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Contributor/Checkoff:
Virginia Soybean Board
Category:
Sustainable Production
Keywords:
GeneticsGenomics
Parent Project:
This is the first year of this project.
Lead Principal Investigator:
M A Saghai Maroof, Virginia Tech
Co-Principal Investigators:
Project Code:
782
Contributing Organization (Checkoff):
Virginia Soybean Board
$21,000
Institution Funded:
Virginia Tech
$21,000
Brief Project Summary:

Phytophthora root and stem rot, caused by Phytophthora sojae, and Pythium damping-off and root rot cause poor stands and reduce yield. Host resistance is the most cost-effective way to manage them. However, resistance genes become ineffective as the pathogen populations change over time. This project aims at identification of new and novel disease resistance genes and their associated DNA markers. The long-term goal of the research is to develop disease-resistant and high-yielding soybean cultivars adapted to Virginia and Mid-Atlantic growing conditions. Specific project objectives are to develop breeder-friendly and easy-to-use DNA markers for genes conferring resistance to Phytophthora root rot and Pythium diseases and to identify breeding lines and develop germplasm with resistance to both diseases.

Key Benefactors:
farmers, agronomists, extension agents, soybean breeders, seed companies

Information And Results
Project Deliverables

• Disease resistant breeding lines 150 Phytophthora-resistant breeding lines selected from five segregating populations provide a good germplasm source for use in breeding programs. Some of these lines will be used in breeding programs in Ohio, Michigan and Missouri (USB collaboration).
• Eight breeding populations Resistant breeding lines could directly be selected from these populations. The populations could also be used in our own breeding programs to study traits of economic importance other than diseases. Some of these populations maybe useful in Dr. Bo Zhang’s project for Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN) resistance gene discovery.
• DNA markers for Phytophthora and Pythium resistance genes Such markers can be used for disease screening and marker-assisted selection to identify multiple disease-resistant lines in breeding programs.
• Whole genome DNA sequence data for 33 Phytophthora-resistant soybean lines.
• Genome-Wide Association mapping of resistance genes Analysis of disease data from 1000 lines from the USDA soybean collection together with 50,000 DNA marker data on the same lines to identify new resistance genes.
• Undergraduate and graduate student training Student training is an educational deliverable of this project.
• Publications in scientific journals and presentations in meetings and conferences Such activities provide an avenue to summarize results and make them available to the soybean scientific community, especially to the seed industry.

Final Project Results

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.