Biotech Updates

MSU Develops Pest Resistant Soybean

August 6, 2010

Two lines of soybean resistant to aphids have been developed by a team of scientists led by Dechun Wang of Michigan State University. Wang tested some 2,000 strains of soybeans against aphids to isolate four with different resistant genes. From those, he developed germplasm, or seeds to breed into varieties suited to Michigan's shorter growing season.

"The final goal would be to have one variety that has all those resistant genes," said Wang. This would maximize protection against different biotypes of aphids and perhaps other pests such as Japanese beetle. Soybean aphids are known to cause a sooty black mold on plants and can transmit the virus widely and fast.

According to the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences Chairperson James Kells, most of the major soybean genetics companies have already licensed Wang's germplasm because of the high level of resistance to soybean aphids.

See the orginal article at http://news.msu.edu/story/8137/