Database Research Summaries2018 Breeding of Improved Non-GMO Cultivars and Germplasm
Research Focus
The focus of this project is to provide soybean farmers with improved non-GMO cultivars that have been developed by NDSU.
Objectives
- Provide soybean growers in North Dakota with non-GMO cultivars that are genetically superior to cultivars that are currently grown.
- Enable private companies and growers to compare yield of SCN resistant cultivars and experimental lines at three North Dakota sites that are infested with SCN.
- Increase yield on IDC-prone soils and increase profit on those problem soils.
- Collect grain samples from the Variety Fee Tests and reporting the protein and oil data in the NDSU Soybean Performance bulletin.
Results
- Yield data was collected on 40 private company Xtend and RR2 varieties at three sites that had IDC symptoms. Averaged across the Hunter, Leonard, and Colfax, ND locations for 2017, the range of yield varied from a low of 14.3 bu/A for an IDC susceptible company variety to a high of 32.0 bu/A for an IDC tolerant company variety.
- Four sites that were infested with Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN) were planted with 40 Xtend and RR2 company varieties to test for SCN resistance. Yield varied from a low of 32.8 to a high of 54.4 bu/acre. An additional experiment was planted to evaluate 14 Liberty Link and non-GMO cultivars at four sites that were infested with SCN. The four SCN-infested soil test sites included Absaraka, Colfax, Galesburg, and Prosper, ND.
- Grain samples for protein and oil analyses were collected for all company varieties entered in the LaMoure, Northwood, Grandin, Arthur, Fairmount, and Walcott, ND testing sites.
- A new variety ‘ND Stutsman’ was released in January 2017. ND Stutsman is a non-GMO variety with high-yield, good IDC tolerance, resistance to lodging, and resistance to race 3 of phytopthora root rot. A second new variety, ‘ND Benson’ was released in January 2017. ND Benson is a non-GMO variety with good yield, good IDC tolerance, resistance to lodging, resistance to races 3 & 4 of phytophthora root rot, and excellent SCN resistance.
Importance
- Grower’s benefit when they can rotate herbicide modes of action. Some herbicides such as Pursuit, Flexstar, Sharpen, Gangster and others are good choices when combined with non-GMO soybean varieties because input costs are reduced compared to growing GMO soybean cultivars and then applying these expensive herbicide treatments.
- The non-GMO breeding program provides the parents for use in crossing for the glyphosate-resistant breeding program. Growers need to know which company varieties are best on their varieties are best for their fields that are infested with SCN and which varieties are best on their high-pH soils that are prone to IDC.
- Growers need to know which varieties have high protein to aid them in selecting the best varieties and to increase the value of the soybean crop in North Dakota.
For more information about this research project, please visit the National Soybean Checkoff Research Database.
Funded in part by the soybean checkoff.
