Soybean breeding & genetics

Research Interests:

The research program is structured to provide the raw materials (cultivars and germplasm) and knowledge to the Ontario soybean industry to help it compete successfully today and tomorrow. The project seeks to make advances in two major areas. The first is to increase the intrinsic value of soybeans by modifying seed components. This will ultimately result in higher value for soybeans while increasing opportunities for identity-preserved production systems. Current thrusts are in the area of modified oil components and enhanced isoflavone levels, however, it is anticipated that new traits will become an additional area of focus of the project over the four-year funding period. The second major area is the development of cultivars/germplasm with enhanced productivity and stability. This will include combining sources of pest resistance, yield potential, genetically-modified traits as available and agronomic characteristics to produce cultivars and germplasm of direct value to producers and to the industry. Embedded in these activities will be efforts to broaden the narrow genetic base of soybeans in Ontario, determine impact of environmental variation on food-grade soybeans, advance basic knowledge underlying genetic improvement and train students. The program co-operates extensively with scientists at the AAFC centres, Plant Agriculture at UG, other scientists at Ridgetown and with the private sector. These collaborations provide direction, strength and efficiency to the program.

Selected Publications:

Primomo, V.S., D.E. Falk, G.R. Ablett, J.W. Tanner and I. Rajcan. (2002). Inheritance and Interaction of Low Palmitic and Low Linolenic Soybean. Crop Sci. 42: 31-36.

Primomo, V.S., D.E. Falk, G.R. Ablett, J.W. Tanner and I. Rajcan. (2002). Genotype x Environment Interactions, Stability, and Agronomic Performance of Soybean with Altered Fatty Acid Profiles. Crop Sci. 42: 37-44.

Ablett, G.R., B.T. Stirling and J.D. Fischer. (2001). RCAT Staples Soybean. Can. J. Plant Sci. 81: 451-452.

Ablett, G.R., B.T. Stirling and J.D. Fischer. (2001). Ivory Soybean. Can. J. Plant Sci.81: 449-450.

Stojsin, D., G.R. Ablett, B.M. Luzzi and J.W. Tanner. (1998). Use of Gene Substitution Values to Quantify Partial Dominance in Low Palmitic Acid Soybean. Crop Sci. 38:1437-41.