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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #85520
Title: REGISTRATION OF DONEGAL FORAGE SOYBEAN

Author
item Devine, Thomas
item HATLEY, E - PENN STATE UNIV

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Earlier in this century, the primary use of soybean in the US was as forage for livestock, with 1 million acres planted for this purpose in 1924. These plantings were used principally for hay, and were planted with seed of Asian introductions, which had not been bred for use as forage nor for adaptation to the US environment. Until recently, soybeans have not been bred for use as forage in the US. As a result, farmers presently using soybeans for forage have available to them only the old unimproved disease susceptible introductions or short statured, relatively unproductive grain-type cultivars. A forage soybean breeding program initiated by the USDA and conducted with the cooperation of Penn State University and Virginia Polytechnical and State University has produced the first improved forage type soybeans bred in the United States. These cultivars provide high yields of high protein forage which may be used for grazing, hay or silage over a wide geographic area of the United States. These cultivars will provide livestock producers and dairy farmers with a high protein feed produced on farm without the need for synthetic nitrogen fertilizers. As a result, more efficient and economical production of meat and dairy products for the U.S. consumers can be achieved. This report documents the pedigree of one of the released cultivars and the conditions of release. 

Technical Abstract: Donegal is a forage soybean developed by the Agricultural Research Service and released for use as feed for livestock. Donegal is an F4 -derived line from the cross PA4-11b X Burlison (2). Progeny from this cross were selected for forage type at Beltsville, MD or State College, PA in alternate years. PA4-11b was developed from the four way cross [Wilson 6 X Forrest (1)] X [Perry (3) X L76-0253]. Progeny from this cross were also subject to selection for forage type at Beltsville, MD or State College, PA in alternate years. Donegal has white flowers, tawny pubescence and yellow seeds with dull seed coat luster and black hila. It has the Rps3a gene for resistance to phytophthora root rot. It is moderately resistant to race 5 and race 14 of the soybean cyst nematode, but is susceptible to race 3. It is resistant to bacterial leaf blight and moderately resistant to bacterial pustule and downy mildew. It is susceptible to southern stem canker. Donegal should be increased and maintained under a limited generation system of no more than three generations beyond breeders seed: foundation, registered, and certified. Exclusive rights for production and marketing of Donegal will be awarded by the USDA-ARS on a competitive basis. Application has been made for U.S. plant variety protection. Breeder seed is maintained by the Weed Sciences Laboratory, P.S.I., BARC-West, USDA-ARS, 10300 Baltimore Blvd., Beltsville, Maryland 20705.