Fayetteville, Arkansas
August 21, 2007
"Osage," a new
University of Arkansas
Division of Agriculture soybean variety introduced during a
field day Aug. 16 at Pine Tree Branch Experiment Station at
Colt, offers high yields and protein content.
More than 100 farmers, agricultural consultants and business
representatives attended the field day. They toured test plots
for soybeans, rice and grain sorghum, heard presentations about
breeding programs, management practices and insect and weed
control, and met face-to-face with U of A Division of
Agriculture research and extension scientists.
Program technician Tina Hart said Osage is a maturity group 5.6
soybean that produced yields equal to or slightly higher than
high-yield check cultivars in performance tests conducted in
Arkansas and neighboring states.
Foundation seed will be available in 2008 for seed companies to
produce certified seed for sale to farmers in 2009, Hart said.
Soybean breeder Pengyin Chen said Osage was evaluated in 130
field tests in Arkansas and several southern states from 1999 to
2006, where it exceeded commercial varieties, used as check
cultivars, in both yield potential and protein content under
most environmental conditions.
Osage averaged 52.8 bushels per acre, more than 2.5 bushels per
acre more than comparable commercial varieties, and yielded as
high as 64.8 bushels per acre in Arkansas variety tests. Its
seed contained 43 percent to 44 percent protein in USDA and
regional tests.
Chen said Osage is resistant to several major soybean diseases,
including southern stem canker, sudden death syndrome, soybean
mosaic virus and frogeye leaf spot.
The Division of Agriculture also released two soybean breeding
lines that offer improved yields under drought conditions, Hart
told field day visitors. R01-416F and R01-581F have been
released as germplasm for use in public and private breeding
programs. They are high-yield, maturity group V breeding lines
developed by Chen and soybean physiologist Larry Purcell in
cooperation with a national research team assembled and funded
by the United Soybean Board.
Purcell said the lines achieve drought tolerance by prolonging
nitrogen fixation, a physiological function of soybeans and
other legumes that is normally very sensitive to drought.
Nitrogen is very important for yields because protein
development is dependent on it and soybean seed is about 40
percent protein.
Chen is using these lines in the Division of Agriculture
breeding program, crossing them with breeding lines that have
slow-wilting traits to improve drought tolerance even more. He
is also working to improve the already high yields.
Extension plant pathologist Scott Munford gave an update on
Asian soybean rust, which was found in Arkansas much earlier
this year than in previous years. It was found in a field in
southwest Arkansas, but has not been seen elsewhere in the
state.
"The weather turned off hot and dry, and that pretty much
knocked it down," Munford said. He added that vigilance is
necessary because winds or rain from hurricane Dean may
potentially bring more soybean rust into the state.
Research specialist Caroline Gray said the soybean breeding
program was working with eight breeding lines with promising
resistance to Asian soybean rust.
The Pine Tree field day also highlighted rice breeding programs
and research in weed and insect pest management, disease control
and soil fertility. |
|
