By Evan Johnson
Plant scientists in the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) are the first in the world to develop three new soybean varieties that combine a non-GMO trait for healthier oil with resistance to three different herbicides. The sought-after cultivars are on the market thanks to partnerships with the Technology Advancement office, farmer-led organizations and biotechnology companies.
“These varieties are unique and highly valuable assets in the soybean community,” says Sam Bish, senior technology transfer manager. “There are more people wanting these than we have seeds, and the University of Missouri is the only place you can get them right now.”
Bryan Stobaugh, a strategic business advisor for Beck’s Superior Hybrids Inc., says the new varieties create value across the agricultural supply chain because they provide both the weed control needed for modern production systems and a high-oleic trait that offers a fatty acid profile similar to olive oil that also performs well in high-heat cooking applications. Researchers and industry also have discovered benefits for dairy producers.
“The dairy cattle portion of this is a byproduct that we were lucky to find out,” Stobaugh says. “Dairy producers are paid for the amount of milk fat and protein in the milk, and the use of high-oleic soybeans in the dairy cow ration increases the fat in milk, which puts profits in the dairy farmer’s pocket. This is a big win for our industry.”
The research
Developing these one-of-a-kind soybean varieties started with collaborative research in 2009 when Mizzou and U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists discovered a naturally occurring soybean trait that increases the plant's heart-healthy oleic acid. The trait, later trademarked SOYLEIC®, was developed through conventional breeding rather than transgentic modification.
Six years ago, Associate Professor Andrew Scaboo in the Division of Plant Science and Technology and his team began using conventional and molecular breeding approaches to develop varieties with the high-oleic trait that also possess the Enlist E3® soybean technology for herbicide resistance.
Source : missouri.edu