High oleic, low linolenic soybean line: RKN, frogeye leaf spot and stem canker resistance
Four genes controlling oleic and linolenic acid content were backcrossed into the Ellis soybean line, combining a high oleic / low linolenic oil profile with resistance to Stem Canker, Frogeye Leaf Spot and Root Knot Nematode.
The problem
Soybean meal is a major and preferred feed ingredient for much livestock and poultry due to its superior protein composition. Soybean oil is a versatile product utilized highly in food and industrial applications. An enhanced soybean oil which has extra oleic acid and minimized linolenic acid content is a desirable advancement due to the health benefits such as zero trans-fat because it does not need to be hydrogenated. Furthermore, a soybean line which is resistant to common diseases and infections would boost soybean yields in a time where soybean meal and oil is becoming increasingly needed to meet animal diets and food applications.
The solution
Researchers at the University of Tennessee have backcrossed four genes (two coding for increased oleic acid, two coding for decreased linolenic acid) into the Ellis soybean line which confers resistance to Stem Canker, Frogeye Leaf Spot, and Root Knot Nematode (RKN), providing both the benefit of high oleic / low linolenic acid content and enhanced disease resistance.
Benefits
- Approach generates high oleic acid (>80%), low linolenic acid soybeans without a yield drag.
- Plants maintain upright growth habit with good resistance to lodging.
- Plants have resistance to Root Knot Nematode infection, Stem Cankers, and Frogeye Leaf Spot.
- Increase in both seed oil and protein concentrations over conventional soybean lines.
About University of Tennessee, Knoxville
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