Biotech Updates

Bright Possibility for Flood Tolerant Soybeans

July 27, 2012

Farmers in the Mississippi Delta can lose as much as 25 percent when they plant soybean crops in rotation with paddy rice. But scientists led by U.S. Department Agricultural Research Service Tara Van Toai might just have the solution to this problem. They are incorporating genes from non-native soybean varieties to supplement the narrow genetic base of U.S. soybeans and improve their tolerance to wet soil and associated diseases. This opens up the possibility for flood tolerant soybeans.

In screenhouses, the scientists identified the top three flood-tolerant lines: Nam Vang, which is native to Cambodia; VND2, native to China; and ATF15-1, which is native to Australia. Plants grew the tallest, produced the biggest seeds and highest yields. When planted in flooded experimental fields, they obtained similar results.

Check out the ARS News Service report at  NewsService@ars.usda.gov.