Updated June 6, 2025:
Q1 Progress Report
All breeding nurseries and yield trial plots were successfully planted across Minnesota at locations ranging from Roseau to Lamberton during May and early June. The season started off with wet weather. It was so wet that we could not plant Moorhead, and the planting at Perley was significantly delayed. This was followed by a very hot and dry August, affecting seed fill. Nevertheless, most plots in most places look pretty good at this point.
Sixty-six unique parents were planted in the crossing block and 84 unique crosses were designed between breeding lines selected for high yield, early maturity, high protein, high oil, small seed (natto), large seed/high protein (tofu/soy milk), aphid resistance, SCN resistance, and high oleic, genetic diversity, among other traits. This year we made fewer targeted crosses but made more attempts per population to help ensure larger future populations resulting from each cross. Basically, we are more carefully choosing crosses and sinking more resources into each cross as opposed to making more crosses with less investment per cross. Nearly all crosses were successfully attempted. Harvest of F1 seeds will begin soon.
The breeding nursery consisted of the following numbers for each generation during the summer of 2024: 75 F2 populations; 87 F4 populations. All populations were planted on time and looked good throughout the summer. Harvest will begin soon for advancement to winter nursery.
Approximately 10,600 plant rows were planted in 2024 resulting from plant pulls in 2023. Plant rows looked good all summer. Harvest will begin soon.
1144 breeding lines (including checks) were planted in preliminary yield trials (PYTs) at two locations. Lines were placed according to the maturity score in the plant row stage. MG ~00~0 lines were planted at Crookston, Moorhead, and Shelly; MG ~I lines were planted at Rosemount, Morris Becker and/or Danvers; and late MG I or early MG II lines were planted at Lamberton and Waseca. Plots were well maintained and all appropriate notes were recorded all season.
296 breeding lines were planted in advanced yield trials (AYTs) at three MN locations in one of the three maturity zones described above. Westbrook were added to the southern zone. All lines in AYTs were also planted in an IDC screening nursery and will be screened for Phytohpthora resistance over the winter.
The 2024 regional tests were successfully organized and planted, including our lines and lines from regional co-operators. The regional trials included nearly 65 lines from the MN breeding program, plus many others from co-operators. Each test was planted in at least two MN locations. This is the most advanced test we conduct for public materials. By cooperating with other public breeders in the region we are able to plant these at many more locations across the region compared to what we can do here alone in MN.
In addition to the breeding populations and yield trials, a plant breeding program needs to plant seed increases. We planted the following types of seed increase plots:
o Unpurified increases I: 202 conventional and 42 RR first-stage unpurified seed increases were planted in Rosemount, MN.
o Unpurified increases II: 80 conventional second-stage unpurified seed increases were planted in Rosemount, MN. Plant pulls will be performed in these increases to start the process of purifying seed.
o Unpurified increases III: 27 conventional and 2 RR third-stage unpurified seed increases were planted in Rosemount, MN. These were also planted into “purification rows” to start the process of creating pure seed for breeder’s seed production.
o Purified seed increases: This is our most advanced seed increase plot. Seed from these plots will form “breeder’s seed” and those that perform well again and of are interest will be handed off to MCIA and licensing partners. This year this increase consists of nine varieties:
• M16-110086 RM 0.9 Rps6 for good Phytophthora resistance
• M05-363022HO-25 RM 0.8 High oleic, yellow hilum, SCN resistance
• M13-251003 RM 1.4 SCN resistance, yellow hilum, 40% protein, large
• M15-221092 RM 1.4 SCN resistance, yellow hilum, 41% protein, large
• M15-236022 RM 0.2 Natto
• M16-160077 RM 0.5 Natto
Objective 2. Conduct public and private variety soybean trials.
• An announcement was sent out to commercial seed representatives. We received 88 unique varieties that were entered into at least one of the four tests. Interested in public soybean commercial variety trials continues to decline, so the future of this test is uncertain at this moment.
• Plots were planted at each of the three locations within each type of test. Staking, flower/pubescence notes, and weeding have been taken care of. We did
• Harvest will begin on time.
Objective 3. Discover and develop new sources of resistance to soybean pests and diseases.
• We have leveraged the germplasm and field plot infrastructure to conduct some cooperative tests on white mold, brown stem rot, and diaporthe.
Updated June 6, 2025:
The biggest thing to report for this quarter is that all field plots and increases were successfully harvested. Some tests at Waseca were compromised because of standing water early in the season. Yield data are being analyzed, and data on seed composition is being collected now. All breeding nurseries have been harvested and seed has been shipped to winter nursery for generational advancement.
A major activity during the fall is analysis of new data for variety release decisions. To this report I attached our report to the Crop Variety Review Committee which meets in December. The end of the report lists new specialty varieties available. There continues to be strong interest in our specialty varieties.
Objective 2. Conduct public and private variety soybean trials.
• The Variety Trials were successfully completed and the report was published at www.soybeans.umn.edu. Specific linke is: https://varietytrials.umn.edu/soybean
Objective 3. Discover and develop new sources of resistance to soybean pests and diseases.
• There is nothing to report for this objective this quarter. Now is not the time researchers are asking for seed and collaboration.
View uploaded report 
Updated June 6, 2025:
Research Question/Objectives:
Goal 1: Contribute to the resiliency and economic opportunities of Minnesota soybean growers.
Objective 1: Develop general-purpose and food-type soybean varieties adapted to Minnesota, and new sources of pest and disease resistance for application to Minnesota-adapted varieties.
Progress: Scanning with NIR, preparing of yield trial results, making selections. Regional trial results.
The main activities this past quarter including sample processing and scanning to assess quality and composition. We also analysed harvest data to assess agronomic performance of all breeding lines, made advancements at all stages of the breeding program, and reported the regional trials results from our cooperative trials.
NIR Scanning results. From our 2024 yield trials, we spent much of November and December scanning samples to assess soybean seed composition. We scanned 5050 samples from yield trial plots, and 2397 samples from plant rows. These results help us make decisions when advancing breeding lines within the program. For example, we are currently striving to identify a new tofu soybean variety. Knowing whether the protein is 42% or more helps us make decisions on advancement.
Yield trial analysis: We analysed and prepared reports for 25 preliminary yield trials (first year of testing), eight advanced yield trials (second year of testing), and seven regional trials (3+ years of testing). Data were analysed for statistical outliers, and performance across locations was assessed. These activities are required for advancement. Based on these results, we advanced 1140 new lines to 2025 PYTs; 181 breeding lines from 2024 PYTs to 2025 AYTs; and 45 entries to regional trials. Placement of breeding lines into seed multiplication and purification stages is underway.
Regarding breeding population advancement, this quarter materials at the winter nursery were planted in Chile. A staff member took a trip to Chile to assess the winter nursery and take field notes. By all reports, the plants were growing well and we expect back good seed returns if the rest of the season goes as planned.
In December, we held a department Crop Variety Review Committee meeting. We disclosed these varieties as being ready for testing and commercial release:
M16-110086 General purpose Rps6 00.9 P-T-G 16.3 39.8 21.0
M05-363022HO-25 High oleic R to SCN (PI 88788) 0.8 P-G-Y 15.2 41.3 21.7
M13-251003 Soymilk R to SCN (PI 88788) 1.4 P-G-Y 17.2 40.1 21.2
M15-221092 Soymilk R to SCN (PI 88788) 1.2 W-T-Y 20.5 41.0 21.8
M15-236022 Natto 0.2 P-T-Y 9.1 40.0 21.3
M16-160077 Natto 0.3 W-G-Y 9.1 40.3 20.7
M17R-908-1003 General purpose R to SCN, R to aphid (Rag1+rag3+rag4) 1.9 P-G-F 18.6 40.5 18.1
M17R-908-1009 General purpose R to SCN, (Rag1+Rag2+rag3+rag4) 2.4 W-G-F 13.9 40.0 21.8
Goal 2: Provide an unbiased source of information to growers on the relative performance of commercial varieties adapted across Minnesota.
Objective 2: Continue testing public and private soybean varieties available to Minnesota soybean producers.
Progress: This past quarter we finalized the variety trial report and posted it on the website. It can be found here: https://varietytrials.umn.edu/soybean. We also sent out a letter at the end of January soliciting 2025 entries.
Goal 3: Contribute to the long-term sustainability of soybean production in the face of new and evolving pests.
Progress: We have been assessing resistance to white mold through collaborations with Drs. Megan McCaghey and Ashish Ranjan; brown stem rot and Diaporthe resistance with Dr. Dean Malvick; and Japanese Beatle resistance with Dr. Bob Koch.
Application/Use: Creation of novel soybean varieties with high yield, early maturity, and modified composition for increased value.
Materials and Methods: Variety field trials across 11 locations, sexual hybridization between superior parents, and standard breeding methods to derive new varieties from said breeding crosses.
Economic Benefit to a Typical 500 Acre Soybean Enterprise: Creating new soybean varieties with enhanced value, novel pest resistance, and high yield helps producers maximize value per acre. The benefits of creating and choosing new varieties to maximize yield are clear, as on-farm yields have increased over the years. At least half of this on-farm increase in yield can be attributed to development of better varieties. Much of this activity is conducted in the private sector. Our public sector efforts strive to compliment private sector research through licensing of germplasm, pursuant of long-term research, education of future plant breeders, and testing and publication of new breeding methods.