ARS | Publication request: PHENOTYPIC RECURRENT SELECTION FOR INCREASED HYBRID SOYBEAN SEED PRODUCTION

Submitted to: American Seed Trade Association Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings/Symposium
Publication Acceptance Date: December 10, 2004
Publication Date: December 10, 2004
Citation: Ortiz-Perez, E., Cervantes-Martinez, I., Wiley, H., Hanlin, S.J., Horner, H.T., Davis, W.H., Palmer, R.G. 2004. Phenotypic recurrent selection for increased hybrid soybean seed production. American Seed Trade Association Conference Proceedings, December 7-10, 2004, Chicago, Illinois. p. 13.

Technical Abstract: Hybrid soybean seed is not sold in the US for commercial production. The main limiting technical constraint is the lack of an efficient reliable transfer of pollen from the male parent to the female parent. Insect pollinators are the preferred means to transfer pollen from the male parent to the female parent. Our objective was to evaluate male-sterile, female-fertile F2:3 families for seed set using a native species pollinator. Eight F2:3 families were insect-mediated cross-pollinated to their eight recurrent parents and to a common parent. These F2:3 families were segregating for male-sterile ms2, ms3, ms6, ms8, ms9, or an unknown male-sterile allele. At flowering male-sterile plants were identified by another inspection and saved. The male-fertile plants were identified and removed. At maturity seed set on the male-sterile, female-fertile plants were recorded. The statistical analyses for seed set showed significant differences among cross-combinations, among F2:3 families from the same cross, and within the same family. Seed-set results suggested that both parents contributed some genes for insect pollinator attraction or reward, irrespective whether the recurrent parent or a common parent was used as male parent. Several F2:3 family selections may be suitable for large-scale hybrid soybean seed production. This is an important step towards the commercialization of hybrid soybean in the US.