New Study Provides Better Understanding of the Genetic Basis for Drought Tolerant Soybeans

A group of researchers from the United States has published the results of their research on the genetic basis of drought tolerant soybeans. Their study focused on three specific characteristics that could make crops more drought tolerant and result in yield increases:

• transpiration rate of plants under dry-air conditions;
• speed of transpiration rate changes as soil conditions became more dry; and,
• nitrogen fixing ability of the plants in drying soil.

One of the researchers in the group, Thomas Sinclair from North Carolina State University, showed that nitrogen fixation is the most important drought tolerant trait. Increased "drought tolerant nitrogen fixation" was predicted to result in yield increases in 85% or more in most areas of the United States.

The results of this study is in the November-December issue of Agronomy Journal. The abstract is available at: https://dl.sciencesocieties.org/publications/aj/abstracts/106/6/1947.

For more details about this study, read the news release: https://www.crops.org/science-news/understanding-genetic-basis-drought-tolerant-soybeans.