Location: Soybean and Nitrogen Fixation Research
Project Number: 6070-21220-069-125-A
Project Type: Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Oct 1, 2021
End Date: Sep 30, 2022
Objective:
Identify management and genetic factors that can reverse the decline in test weight, determine the impact of increased test weight on seed protein content, nutritional quality, market value, sucrose content and develop breeding strategies which will simultaneously incorporate improved test weight and protein content into high yielding varieties.
Approach:
Evaluate test weight on the 2020 Northern Uniform Soybean Tests (NUST) (MG 00, 0, 1) grown at the Minnesota locations. The MG 00-I NUST trials typically include a total of 130 advanced breeding lines, which are grown at between two and three MN locations in randomized block designs with three replications. This amounts to a total of approximately 975 plots. Samples from these plots will also be screened using NIR to evaluate comprehensive seed composition, including protein, oil, and carbohydrates. Seed weight will also be determined. These same measurements will also be collected on the Minnesota Statewide Variety trials, which include both
commercial and public varieties. Approximately 150 varieties are evaluated in these trials each year, with trials occurring across three Minnesota locations in each maturity zone. These activities will provide a solid foundation of knowledge in terms of variation in test weight across varieties in the northern U.S., and the main underlying factors driving variation in test weight.
