The overall objective of this project is to develop a nationwide soybean variety development pipeline to produce competitive yielding herbicide resistant soybean varieties containing the high oleic/low linolenic acid trait in all US maturity groups (00-VIII). Research and applied breeding efforts will be conducted to determine the most efficient combinations of alleles necessary for the trait to be stable across production environments and to incorporate these genes into productive soybean lines/varieties by using DNA markers. The approach is a team effort of soybean breeding utilizing a coordinated and continuous cycling backcross program in combination with independent regional selection of high yielding recurrent parents, and soybean variety development. Phenotypic stability of different gene combinations conferring the high oleic/low linolenic trait will be assessed at locations across the U.S. to direct refinement of the breeding pipeline. Research will be conducted to develop and incorporate new targeted fatty acid profiles such as alternative sources of the high oleic acid trait and low palmitic acid combined with the high oleic acid trait. The outcomes of this project are high oleic/low linolenic acid soybean varieties with releases beginning in 2014 for conventional maturity group I (MG I) varieties and Roundup Ready1 MG I varieties in 2016, with up to 39 soybean varieties released from the pipeline through 2018.

1. Develop and release competitive yielding herbicide resistant soybean varieties containing the high oleic/low linolenic (HOLL) acid trait in all US maturity groups.
2. Determine the optimum allele combinations to produce high oleic/low linolenic acid soybean varieties for US soybean production environments.
3. Evaluate the environmental stability of the high oleic acid trait in US soybean production environments.
4. Identify new sources of the high oleic acid trait along with other fatty acid profile modifications such as low saturates and >90% oleic acid.
5. Determine the interactions of the high oleic/low linoleic acid trait with other soybean seed components such as protein and oil contents as well as accompanying changes in other fatty acids.

We expect to develop a pipeline for breeding the HOLL trait into competitive soybean varieties in all US maturity groups. This project will result in HOLL soybean variety release beginning in 2017. In addition, research will be conducted to determine the environmental stability of the high oleic acid trait, the optimum allele combinations to achieve the target HOLL profile across US soybean production environments, new sources of the high oleic trait in combination with low palmitic acid, and defining any collateral changes in soybean seed composition that may accompany the HOLL trait.

Progress for each KPI is specified according to the numbered KPIs in section 3.4:
Five of the six breeders representing Maturity Group (MG) 00 to I, and IV to VII are on track for the goal to release up to 30 high oleic + low linolenic varieties between 2017 and 2018. The sixth breeder (III) forecasts release in 2019. Advanced material shows near yield parity with current commercial lines. All breeders have integrated Roundup-Ready herbicide resistance into their program, and one is incorporating Liberty-Link resistance. Overall, oleic level is running 80-85% and many lines show protein content a little higher than their checks. Work continues on indentifying new sources of oleic content (greater than 85%) and sources that reduce the number of linolenic genes that are needed in a stack with oleic.

The project will potentially deliver commercially viable high oleic/low linolenic acid soybean varieties according to the schedule developed as part of the breeding pipeline strategy.