Project Number: 3625-21000-054-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: May 07, 2008
End Date: May 06, 2013

Objective:
Objective 1: Identify and utilize fertility/sterility mutants in a phenotypic recurrent selection program for insect-mediated cross-pollination to increase hybrid seed production. Objective 2: Identify phenotypes/genotypes that can be characterized and molecularly mapped that contribute to insect-pollinator attraction and reward.

Approach:
Soybean accessions in the USDA germplasm collection will be crossed with known cytoplasmic restorer lines to identify cytoplasmic male sterile cytoplasms. Sterility mutants (nuclear) obtained via gene tagging from the w4-mutable system will be characterized genetically. Both the cytoplasmic and nuclear sterility mutants will be used in a phenotypic recurrent selection system, with insect-mediated cross-pollination, to increase hybrid seed production. The plant factors that contribute to the increased attraction/reward of the insect pollinators will be identified, characterized, and molecularly mapped.