here - First Legume Society Conference (LSC1)

Book of Abstracts First Legume Society Conference 2013: A Legume Odyssey Novi Sad, Serbia, 9-11 May 2013
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Selection for protein content in high protein vs. food grade crosses of soybean
Takashi Sato, Helmut Wagentristl, Johann Vollmann
University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU), Department of Crop Sciences, Division of
Plant Breeding, Tulln, Austria
Soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) is increasingly utilized for soyfood production in Central Europe.
While conventional soybean seeds are typically composed of 40% protein and 20% oil, a higher
protein content of 42-45% is required in food grade soybeans for producing soy drinks, tofu,
spreads or food additives. In addition, larger seed size and increased sucrose content as compared
to conventional soybeans are desirable characters for many soyfood applications. As most of the
soybeans utilized at present have not been selected for food grade characters, there is need to
introgress specific germplasm into early maturity backgrounds. A high protein line and a major
food grade cultivar were each crossed to two early maturity cultivars adapted to Central Europe,
lines from each cross were selected for either high or low seed protein content and subsequently
tested for variation in agronomic and seed quality characters in three years. Seed protein content
was in the range from 430-490 g kg -1 in high protein crosses and from 400-440 g kg -1 in food
grade crosses; in contrast, lines from food grade crosses were higher in sucrose content and 1000seed
weight. Selection for increased protein content reduced both oil and sucrose content in
three out of four crosses and resulted in a larger 1000-seed weight in the food grade crosses.
Heritability estimates of seed quality characters were higher in high protein populations than in
the food grade crosses but suggest a good potential for introgressing desirable characters into
adapted germplasm.
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