Glycine max Raw sequence reads. Glycine max

Our primary research goal is to increase soybean grower profits by improving the yield potential of soybean varieties. This will be accomplished through an intricate use of classical breeding approaches, genetic and genomic technologies. One aspect of this project will be done by mapping the chromosomal locations of genes that control yield and other important agronomic traits in both domestic and exotic germplasm. Both domestic and exotic germplasm contain these genes, but it is difficult for breeders to combine most or all of these genes into new varieties without knowing the locations of those genes on the soybean linkage map. We intend to accurately map a large number of yield-controlling genes using an exceptional one-of-a-kind set of 40 populations that each contain 140 lines. These lines will be genotyped with approximately 6,000 molecular markers and then phenotyped for yield and other key agronomic traits in performance trials conducted by a collaborative group of researchers located throughout the Midwest. Upon achieving this objective, we will develop methods for identifying new germplasm that can increase yield, improve our efficiency in combining yield-controlling genes from elite and exotic germplasm into new varieties, and ultimately, develop higher yielding varieties much more quickly.