Hybrid soybean seed production: comparison of three methods

• Published in: Crop science Vol. 36; no. 6
• Main Authors: Lewers, K.S. (Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA.), St Martin, S.K, Hedges, B.R, Widrlechner, M.P, Palmer, R.G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.11.1996
• Subjects: AMELIORATION DES PLANTES; CALIDAD; COLOR; COULEUR; ESTERILIDAD MASCULINA; FITOMEJORAMIENTO; GENE; GENES; GLYCINE MAX; GRAINE; HIBRIDOS; HYBRIDE; INFERTILITE MALE; IOWA; METHODE D'AMELIORATION GENETIQUE; METODOS DE MEJORAMIENTO GENETICO; OHIO; ONTARIO; PRODUCCION DE SEMILLAS; PRODUCTION DE SEMENCES; PURETE; PUREZA; QUALITE; RENDEMENT DES CULTURES; RENDIMIENTO DE CULTIVOS; SEMENCE; SEMILLA; SEMILLAS
• ISSN: 0011-183X; 1435-0653
• DOI: 10.2135/cropsci1996.0011183X003600060026x

Improved methods to produce hybrid soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] seed could augment several types of research. Two previously described methods, the traditional method and the dilution method, require insect-facilitated cross-pollination of ms ms nuclear male-sterile plants. The traditional method requires a substantial time investment during flowering to remove fertile siblings, and the dilution method requires a substantial amount of land and pollen-parent seed. Because time, land, and seed are limited, a more efficient method would be valuable. The cosegregation method was developed, utilizing close genetic linkage between the W1 locus and the Ms6 locus. The W1 seedling has a purple hypocotyl; the w1 w1 seedling has a green hypocotyl. The ms6 ms6 plant is male sterile and female fertile. Approximately 97% of the purple-hypocotyl seedlings, W1, in a line segregating for the w1 and ms6 alleles in coupling phase will be fertile, Ms6, and can be removed as a pollen source at the first-trifoliolate stage. Our objective was to evaluate and compare the three methods of hybrid soybean seed production for seed yield, efficiency, and hybrid seed purity and quality. We used a randomized complete-block design (three replications per location, three locations, two years). The cosegregation method gave higher seed yield, better efficiency, and equal or better seed quality (percentage germination, 100-seed weight) than the other methods. Male-sterile plants yielded an average of 28.6 seeds plant-1 with the cosegregation method, 18.2 seeds plant-1 with the traditional method, and 9.5 seeds plant-1 with the dilution method. The cosegregation method will be useful in several research areas, including genetic control of complex traits, prediction of parental value commercialization of hybrid soybean