The effects and interaction of soybean maturity gene alleles controlling flowering time, maturity, and adaptation in tropical environments

Authors: Miranda, Carrie; SCABOO, ANDREW - University Of Missouri; COBER, ELROY - Agriculture And Agri-Food Canada; DENWAR, NICHOLAS - Savanna Agricultural Research; Bilyeu, Kristin

Submitted to: BMC Plant Biology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/3/2020
Publication Date: 2/7/2020
Citation: Miranda, C.A., Scaboo, A., Cober, E., Denwar, N., Bilyeu, K.D. 2020. The effects and interaction of soybean maturity gene alleles controlling flowering time, maturity, and adaptation in tropical environments. Biomed Central (BMC) Plant Biology. 20:65. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-020-2276-y.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-020-2276-y

Interpretive Summary: Matching the soybean developmental response to the production environment is critical to optimizing yield potentials. Soybean originated in environments with temperate latitudes characterized by long days and short nights during the growing season. Cultivation of soybean beyond the initial environments has been possible by utilizing maturity genes to fine tune plant developmental responses to new environments. Sub Saharan African environments are characterized by tropical to equatorial latitudes that challenge soybean adaptation. Experiments were performed to better understand the effect of soybean maturity genes on plant development in African environments. The results indicated that plant development can be fine-tuned in these environments. The impact of the research is that soybean breeding will be enhanced to expand soybean production to new environments.

Technical Abstract: Soybean is native to the temperate zones of East Asia. Poor yields of soybean in West African countries may be partially attributed to inadequate adaptation of soybean to tropical environments. Adaptation will require knowledge of the effects of allelic combinations of major maturity genes (E1, E2, and E3) and stem architecture. The long juvenile trait (J) influences soybean flowering time in short, ~'12'h'days, which characterize tropical latitudes. Soybean plant architecture includes determinate or indeterminate stem phenotypes controlled by the Dt1 gene. Understanding the influence of these genetic components on plant development and adaptation is key to optimize phenology and improve soybean yield potential in tropical environments.