2007 Annual Report 1a.Objectives (from AD-416) Assembly and analysis of a public genetic database for soybean and wheat is discontinued and redirected to: (1) Develop rapid tests to measure fatty acid and amino acid profiles and measurement technologies for saturated fats, phytate, and soluble carbohydrates (i.e., raffinose, stachyose, sucrose). (2) Determine the effect of processing technology on the quality, utility and safety of products extracted from soybeans and new crops. (3) Support the development of new crop germplasm for fuels and bio-products. 1b.Approach (from AD-416) Using new wet chemical methods, improved near infrared calibrations will be performed and compared to calibrations by other NIR users. A wider range of soybean composition will be worked into the calibration. Soxhlet and nitrogen analyses from newly obtained equipment will be used in the calibration. Carbohydrate analyses will be performed on a large number of soybean samples and added to the current calibration. 3.Progress Report Continual calibration of near infrared methods and the use of routine standards has improved the quality of analysis generated for thousands of samples provided by breeders. Continued a Specific Cooperative Agreement (SCA) with Western Illinois University for $75,000 to improve the agronomics of cuphea production. Breeding selections for improved self-pollination of Illinois adapted PSR-23 were made. Additional accomplishments are reported in the sibling 421 for this SCA. Continued congressionally mandated SCAs with the University of Illinois and Purdue University for improving soybean and wheat genetics. Additional accomplishments are reported in the sibling 421 for these SCAs. Near-infrared (NIR) calibrations were developed for the determination of phytochemicals in ground mint plant material. An initial NIR calibration has been developed for rapid determination of fatty acids from soybean. 4.Accomplishments Provided Analytical Support for Breeders throughout the U.S. Soybean breeders are dependent on rapid, standardized and accurate chemical properties to guide their breeding efforts. Oil, protein and moisture content determinations (25,798 soybean samples by near-infrared calibration), as well as fatty acid profiles (18,597 samples), were performed and the compiled data was published in the Annual USDA publication Coordinated Soybean Analysis. All of this data has been provided to breeders throughout the U.S., where this information is critical to the development of improved soybean varieties. This accomplishment falls under National Program 306, Component 1-Quality Characterization, Preservation, and Enhancement, Problem Area- 1b-Methods to Evaluate and Predict Quality. 5.Significant Activities that Support Special Target Populations None. 6.Technology Transfer Number of non-peer reviewed presentations and proceedings 1