News from the Variety Development/Genetics Front
Improvements in soybean will come from the development of varieties that have traits that will impart improved attributes to the species. Following are links to articles that provide information about genetic improvements to this important crop species.
An article titled Pioneer Brand Plenish High Oleic Enlist E3 Soybeans Available in 2025 relates that Plenish high oleic [HO] soybean varieties with Enlist E3 herbicide technology will be available in Pioneer’s Z-series line of varieties for a limited growing area in 2025. These varieties will be grown and marketed under identity-preserved [IP] contract programs, with farmers who grow them receiving premiums from buyers. Pioneer believes that having the Enlist weed control option available in HO varieties will increase interest in growing them. The strength of these varieties is their seed being devoid of trans fats, which will yield cooking oil that is preferred by consumers and feed products preferred by the dairy industry for on-farm use. Pioneer plans to have additional varieties with the HO trait widely available for the 2027 growing season.
The increased growing of these and the public SOYLEIC varieties [non-GMO, HO soybean developed at the Univ. of Missouri] in the Midsouth will depend on the development of storage and crushing facilities with IP capability. Since HO soybean IP facilities in the U.S. are currently located in the upper Midwest and mid-Atlantic regions, delivery points along the Midsouth’s river system make exporting whole beans of these varieties to other countries and selling whole beans for dairy cattle consumption the only realistic options for marketing seed of HO varieties in the region at this time.
In an article titled Developing high-yielding and stress-resilient soybean varieties, the authors outline how the soybean breeding program at the Univ. of Missouri-Fisher Delta Research, Extension, & Education Center [MU-FDREEC] at Portageville is working to develop high-yielding, stress-resilient soybean varieties that can be used by Midsouth soybean farmers to provide more stable and sustainable soybean production. This breeding program focuses on developing high-yielding soybean varieties with improved pest resistance and enhanced seed quality to support the profitability of the region’s soybean farmers. The team uses/will use advanced breeding methods and the latest genomic technologies in the development of varieties that will increase soybean productivity, profitability, and sustainability. Click on the link to the above article to see the list of recent varietal releases from this program, which most notably include those with the HO SOYLEIC trait that eliminates trans fats from soybean oil.
In an article titled CAFNR researchers develop new genetic defense against costly soybean pest, information is provided about Univ. of Missouri scientists identifying a new genetic source that should be valuable for enhancing soybean’s avoidance of the devastating effects from infestation by the soybean cyst nematode [SCN]. Dr. Sushil Chhapekar, under the mentorship of Dr. Henry Nguyen, has identified what is believed to be a new resistance mechanism–an alternative genetic source to what is currently used in over 90% of current soybean varieties with genetic resistance to SCN. Dr. Nguyen and his team are using gene-editing techniques to determine the alternate genetic mechanism of this SCN resistance. When elucidated, it can be incorporated into soybean breeding programs to develop new SCN-resistant varieties. In the future, this new gene can be stacked with existing resistance genes to create soybean varieties with a higher level of resistance to SCN, the no. 1 soybean pest in the U.S.
An article titled Genome editing: a new frontier for agriculture provides a summary of how gene editing [GE] can and is being used to revolutionize agriculture by allowing plant breeders to make precise changes in the DNA of a plant species. This non-GMO approach to plant improvement can significantly shorten the time to bring new traits to the market, while also dispelling consumer skepticism about GMO’s. This technology will likely work best when integrated into current breeding programs that are seeking to improve crop traits. Also, regulatory approval for GE traits should be less stringent since there will be no requirement for submission of safety data for a GE product.
An article titled GEC’s vs. GMO’s on this website provides a summary of how gene-editing differs from genetic engineering, which results in a genetically modified organism that is commonly referred to as a GMO.
Composed by Larry G. Heatherly, May 2025, larryh91746@gmail.com