Welcome to SGIL

The mission of the Laboratory is to improve the quality of soybean and alfalfa and to reduce the costs of production. This is being accomplished by 1) developing molecular genetic markers and genome maps to position important genes controlling seed and forage quality, pest resistance, abiotic stress resistance, and productivity; 2) discovering and defining the function and interaction of genes that control important plant characteristics such as disease resistance and seed quality; 3) increasing the knowledge of the genetics, cytogenetics, molecular biology, and breeding procedures of soybean and alfalfa; 4) enhancing nodulation, predictability and efficiency of symbiotic nitrogen fixation via the use of unique plant germplasm in combination with selected and genetically engineered strains of rhizobia, 5) studying the physiological and genetic regulation of nitrogen and carbon incorporation into seed protein, and 6) to provide electron microscopy support to collaborating scientists at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center.