Project Number: 3611-22000-021-02
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Aug 01, 2007
End Date: Jun 30, 2012

Objective:
To enable collaboration on field and greenhouse research that will lead to improved and/or new methods for managing Asian soybean rust. The North Florida Research and Education Center (NFREC) in Quincy, Florida, has excellent field, greenhouse and laboratory facilities for soybean rust research. Objectives for this research collaboration include (1) identification of USDA soybean germplasm accessions with resistance to soybean rust; (2) development and evaluation of improved germplasm lines that combine rust resistance with desirable agronomic traits; (3) genetic mapping of genes conditioning resistance to soybean rust; (4) development of more accurate and more efficient methods for rating rust resistance in soybean; (5) investigations of possible interactions between partial rust resistance and fungicide application rates; and (6) evaluation of soybean cultivars and breeding lines for tolerance (yield stability) to soybean rust infections.

Approach:
Field studies to assess the effect of rest infections on yield are planted in June, whereas most tests to evaluate germplasm accessions and breeding lines are generally planted in mid-August to synchronize flowering with the fall period in which the local soybean rust epidemic is most likely to peak. Because the development of rust epidemics is heavily influenced by rainfall and duration of overnight dew periods during the growing season, these planting dates are optimum for the data to be collected from each type of study. Studies in which yield measurments are important are planted in four-row plots, and short single rows are typically used for germplasm evaluations. Breeding populations are also advanced at the NFREC with or without rust pressure. Greenhouse facilities are used year-round to rate resistance in resistance gene mapping studies and to analyze the reactions of resistant germplasm in a more controlled environment. The laboratory facilities and the NFREC are used exensively for microscopic analysis of reactions to rust infection and to isolate DNA from experimental plants.