The University of Minnesota soybean breeding program is critical to the development of new early-maturing soybean varieties and the incorporation of newly discovered forms of pest and disease resistance into Minnesota-adapted germplasm. Minnesota is one of the only public breeding programs in the country focusing on the early maturity groups 00, 0 and I.
The UMN soybean breeding program makes breeding crosses, advances generations, and conducts routine field testing to create and identify new soybean cultivars. Beyond yield and maturity, the program routinely screens for resistance to iron deficiency chlorosis, soybean cyst nematode resistance, Phytophthora root rot, and brown stem rot. Additional diseases and pests can be incorporated in response to new outbreaks, which occurs through collaboration. Communication from growers is welcome to assist us in identifying new pests and diseases to breed against.
In addition to yield and defensive traits, the UMN Soybean Breeding program is important to the development of food-type and specialty soybeans, which provide options to Minnesota producers to enhance profitability. Most cultivars released from the program today have been developed for specialty traits such as high oleic soybeans and food-type soybeans (natto, soymilk, tofu, black soybeans, high protein).
Much of the soybean breeding work is accomplished in collaboration with investigators in plant physiology, plant pathology, entomology, genomics, and food science.