Soybean improvement for eastern Australia: Component 2: Queensland Department of Primary Industries

Ryley, M.J. Dr; Ph: (07) 4688 1316; Fax: (07) 4688 1199; ryleym@dpi.qld.gov.au

Research organisations: Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Hermitage Research Station, MS 508, Warwick Qld 4370; NSW Agriculture, Australian Cotton Research Institute, Myall Vale Mail Run, Narrabri NSW 2390

Sponsor: GRDC, Grains Research and Development Corporation

Objectives:

1. To assist the soybean industry to achieve full potential by developing cultivars with wider adaptation, earlier maturity, improved yield and protein content, weathering tolerance, drought tolerance, phytophthora and other disease resistances, and enhanced nitrogen fixation;

2. To combine these traits with processing characteristics for human consumption markets;

3. To investigate the use of the long juvenile trait in temperate and subtropical environments.

Methodology: Disease surveys will be conducted each year throughout Australia to monitor disease losses and to collect isolates for race classification. Any significant changes in the racial composition of the pathogen will be detected and breeders and others will be consulted to plan future breeding needs. Advanced breeding lines from the various programs will be tested for their resistance using traditional techniques using inoculation of seedlings with different races and by the use of RFLP markers which are specific for different genes.

Progress: breeding programs are continuing

Period: starting date 1996-07; completion date 2001-06

Status: ongoing

Keywords: soybean breeding; improved varieties; disease resistance; Phytophthora; races;

Publications: None as yet