2020
Soybean Breeding & Genetics
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Contributor/Checkoff:
Tennessee Soybean Promotion Board
Category:
Sustainable Production
Keywords:
GeneticsGenomics
Parent Project:
Soybean Breeding & Genetics
Lead Principal Investigator:
Vince Pantalone, University of Tennessee-Institute of Agriculture
Co-Principal Investigators:
Project Code:
20-012-R
Contributing Organization (Checkoff):
Tennessee Soybean Promotion Board
$54,000
Institution Funded:
University of Tennessee-Institute of Agriculture
$54,000
Brief Project Summary:

This project engages in further applied variety development research. Soybean producers need excellent high-yielding, disease-resistant new varieties for profitable production. It takes 7 to10 years of plant breeding to produce a new variety. Every year, the program works on all steps of the process, so that new varieties are launched periodically. Program objectives include development of high yielding varieties and breeding lines for the region, incorporation of plant resistance to soybean diseases or environmental stresses, development of herbicide-resistant varieties and breeding lines, development of value-added soybeans (e.g. higher protein and oil combinations), improving plant breeding methodologies, investigating genetic control of important traits and applying that knowledge to soybean improvement.

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

Information And Results
Project Deliverables

Make new cross combinations. Develop F2, F3, and F4 populations and pure-line plant rows. Yield test new lines. Release new soybean germplasm lines or varieties when superior material is developed and tested.

Final Project Results

Updated July 6, 2021:

View uploaded report Word file

Each year the USDA meets to discuss and vote on high yield check varieties for the year. For 2020 three of our varieties were honored as checks: Ellis, TN11-5140, and TN09-008. These become the benchmarks that other breeders strive to match or beat for seed yield. TN09-008 was nominated by the director of the USDA Southern Uniform Testing program in 2020. During the past 5 years (2015-2019), approximately 135,089 acres were grown by farmers using UT AgResearch soybean varieties developed by our program. By estimating each year’s seed sales × that year’s state average yield × that year’s soybean commodity price, the impact of your investment in our new variety development efforts was >$58.9 million in revenue directly to producers. The existence of our program has real world impact. Thousands of yield plots, progeny rows, and single plants have been harvested. We expect to have 2 new soybean varieties released in 2021.

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.