Biotech Updates

Thailand Research Institute Improves Resistance to Rust in Soybeans

August 17, 2007

Researchers from Thailand's Field Crops Research Institute of the Department of Agriculture are studying the use of DNA markers to identify genes for rust resistance in soybean, with a grant from the National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC).  The Asian soybean rust, Phakopsora pachyrhizi, has been known to drastically reduce soybean yields. Currently, most research on soybean rust control focus on the establishment of host plant resistance. Preliminary results show that three DNA markers are linked to rust tolerance in soybean. These markers have been used for screening, in a cost-effective manner, large numbers of soybean varieties to identify the ones with improved tolerance, . Two rust resistance soybean varieties have been chosen, which show resistance to all eight strains of soybean rust found in Thailand.  

Read BIOTEC's press release at http://www.biotec.or.th/