The USB goal of achieving 18 million acres of high oleic soybean planted by 2023 is achieved by continuing to support development of diverse sources of high oleic soybean germplasm. The US soybean producer needs high yielding high oleic/low linolenic soybean varieties to provide the market with high value, highly functional soybean oil with zero trans fats. This project will conduct soybean germplasm development and research that result in licensing to private seed companies that release high oleic/low linolenic varieties targeted to all US maturity groups (00-VIII).

The overall objective of this project is to develop a nationwide soybean germplasm development pipeline to produce competitive yielding, conventional and herbicide resistant soybean germplasm lines containing the high oleic/low linolenic acid (HOLL) trait in all US maturity groups (00-VIII). Research and applied breeding efforts will be finalized 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/germplasm lines 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 germplasm 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 also be conducted to develop and incorporate new targeted fatty acid profiles such as low saturates combined with the high oleic/low linolenic trait. The initial phase of this project was focused on yield and the high oleic acid trait with conventional and herbicide traits, but the effort shifted to also incorporate the low linolenic trait to meet the industry thresholds. Previous germplasm release targets were thus reset to capture the two additional required genes, for a total of four genes. The outcomes of this project are high oleic/low linolenic acid soybean germplasm lines with the first germplasm lines tested in 2017 for release to commence upon adequate yield vetting. The US 2016 field season marked the first complete cycle through the dedicated backcrossing program, and a steady stream of 23-35 lines will emerge from the backcrossing pipeline each year through 2020.

Objective 1: Develop and release competitive yielding non-GMO and herbicide resistant soybean germplasm lines containing the high oleic/low linolenic (HOLL) acid trait in all US maturity groups.
Objective 2: Determine the optimum allele combinations to produce environmentally stable high oleic/low linolenic acid soybean germplasm lines for US soybean production environments.
Objective 3: Determine yield potential and seed composition interactions of the high oleic acid trait along with other oil and meal traits.

- Non-GMO and herbicide resistant soybean germplasm lines with >70% oleic acid/<3% linolenic acid and competitive yields in MG 00-VIII.
- Strategy for backcrossing and forward crossing four genes to achieve target fatty acid profiles in different production environments. Extension recommendations for producers using HOLL soybean varieties.
- Research report on the status of the high oleic trait interactions with other oil and meal traits. Soybean germplasm with HOLL trait plus low saturated fatty acids. Soybean germplasm with HOLL trait plus enhanced nutritional energy meal/ENEM trait.

Update:

View uploaded report

Updated December 4, 2018:
Overall project progress continues to be good. During the last quarter, all of the agreement amendments for FY2018 funding were finalized between the USDA and each of the contributing universities (one as recently as this month). This delay in getting funding in place is the main reason it is necessary to continue with the amendment process to run grants smoothly for three year periods rather than try to expend all funds each year.

We had a HOLL project meeting with all participants in St. Louis on February 11th. We held a public meeting for the HOLL project on Wednesday, February 14th in St. Louis at the USB composition workshop.

The winter nursery in Puerto Rico has recovered somewhat from Hurricane Maria. Electricity remains an issue, but generators for the USDA station have been purchased since there is still no service available from the main electrical grid. Crossing continues in Puerto Rico, but the 2018 nominations were reduced.

Some topics to note from this reporting period:
-There are three peer-reviewed publications and a master’s thesis documenting yield parity for the conventional high oleic soybean genetics this project is utilizing:
Bachleda N, Grey T, Li Z. Effects of high oleic acid soybean on seed yield, protein and oil contents, and seed germination revealed by near-isogeneic lines. Plant Breed 2017; 136(4):539-547.

Kim H-J, Ha B-K, Ha K-S, Chae J-H, Park J-H, Kim M-S, Asekova S, Shannon JG, Son C-K, Lee J-D. Comparison of a high oleic acid soybean line to cultivated cultivars for seed yield, protein and oil concentrations. Euphytica 2015; 201(2):285-292.

La TC, Pathan SM, Vuong T, Lee J-D, Scaboo AM, Smith JR, Gillen AM, Gillman J, Ellersieck MR, Nguyen HT, Shannon JG. Effect of High-Oleic Acid Soybean on Seed Oil, Protein Concentration, and Yield. Crop Science 2014; 54(5):2054-2062.

Richardson LK, "Evaluation of agronomic, seed quality traits, and transcript abundance in conventional high oleic soybeans with mutant FAD2-1A and FAD2-1B genes. " Master's Thesis, University of Tennessee, 2016. Vince Pantalone, advisor. http://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/3800

-The multi-location environmental stability study is complete, and the results demonstrated the four gene combinations (two genes for high oleic plus two genes for low linolenic acid) were stable across all environments and met the threshold fatty acid targets. There was one issue in Minnesota, but we will confirm if it was a genotyping error, as it appears.

-2017 HOLL yields were presented, and for those with at least two environments tested, 12 soybean lines developed in this project had at least 95% of the check or recurrent parent means.

-We discussed release dates for new HOLL varieties from this project. The results were as follows:
Program Year of first HOLL release
MN-Lorenz 2021
IL-Diers 2020
MO-Scaboo 2019
MO-Chen 2020*
TN-Pantalone 2020
AR-Mozonni 2019*
GA-Li 2019
*Indicates HO line for release.

-We appreciate efforts within USB to aid in the steps needed to assist this project in successful HOLL variety release to producers from MG 00-MG VII.

Updated December 4, 2018:
Overall project progress continues to be good.

We had a HOLL project meeting in Columbia on June 6th. The meeting consisted of brief technical updates and a program to discuss technology transfer. The highlight of the meeting was the presentation of HOLL lines that have potential for commercial release in several maturity groups.

We submitted and revised the HOLL proposal for FY2019.

The winter nursery in Puerto Rico continues to ramp back up with the use of an on-site generator. There is still no electricity in the town, as I understand. During this period, each breeder was queried for their ability to take materials back from the winter nursery before the conversions were complete to reduce the stress on the program in Puerto Rico. Several of the breeders are finishing the converted lines in their own fields. The Puerto Rico team can focus on the new nominations and earlier cycles of materials to ensure their success.

This reporting period encompasses the beginning of the US field season, so most efforts were directed at establishing yield tests and crossing blocks to further the research efforts. Slow planting due to excessive rainfall was an issue in Georgia, but no other major issues were reported.

Updated December 4, 2018:
The project is progressing according to the plan. All breeding programs report preliminary yield trials of HOLL lines are underway in 2018. In addition, I am aware of six HOLL lines from this project from MG III-V in the USDA Uniform Trials in 2018. Genotyping selections are being made for material coming out of the backcrossing program. Crosses were made for HOLL x HOLL lines with elite backgrounds so that seed with different maturity backgrounds can be selected and shared with project team members.

For the genotyping component of the project:

The second cycle of 2018 for the HOLL program has concluded with the following results:

• Northern Program – 2015 C10 – 3 Researchers – 1,421 total samples genotyped at UGA
o Aaron Lorenz – 3 lines of BC3F3 generation planted for stacking in Minnesota; no lines remaining to be stacked. 920 samples genotyped at UGA
o Pengyin Chen – 1 line of BC3F3 generation planted for stacking in Puerto Rico; no lines remaining to be stacked. 289 samples genotyped at UGA
o Andrew Scaboo – 1 line of BC3F3 generation planted for stacking in Missouri; no lines remaining to be stacked. 212 samples genotyped at UGA

• Northern Program 2016 C7 – 4 Researchers – 2,689 total samples genotyped at UGA
o Aaron Lorenz –1 line successfully stacked, 2 lines of BC3F3 generation planted for stacking in Puerto Rico; 3 lines remaining to be stacked. 947 samples genotyped at UGA
o Brian Diers – 1 line successfully stacked, genotyping performed in Illinois. 3 lines planted in Puerto Rico; 3 lines remaining to be stacked. 568 samples genotyped at UGA
o Andrew Scaboo – 2 lines successfully stacked, 2 lines of BC3F3 generation planted for additional stacking in Missouri. 1 line planted in Puerto Rico. 1 line remaining to be stacked. 580 samples genotyped at UGA
o Pengyin Chen – 0 lines stacked; 4 lines remaining to be stacked. 594 samples genotyped at UGA

• Southern Program – 2016 C7 – 3 Researchers – 2,363 total samples genotyped at UGA
o Leandro Mozzoni –2 lines successfully stacked, 1 line of BC3F3 generation planted for additional stacking in Puerto Rico; 1 line remaining to be stacked. 209 samples genotyped at UGA
o Vince Pantalone – 1 line successfully stacked, 1 line of BC3F3 generation planted for additional stacking in Tennessee; 2 lines remaining to be stacked. 603 samples genotyped at UGA
o Zenglu Li – 5 lines successfully stacked, 5 lines of BC3F3 generation planted for additional stacking in Georgia. 2 lines remaining to be stacked. 1,551 samples genotyped at UGA

• Northern Program – 2017 C4 – 4 Researchers – 2,337 total samples genotyped at UGA
o Aaron Lorenz – 8 lines planted; 8 lines remaining to be stacked. 804 samples genotyped
o Brian Diers – 4 lines planted; 4 lines remaining to be stacked. 470 samples genotyped
o Andrew Scaboo – 4 lines planted; 4 lines remaining to be stacked. 499 samples genotyped
o Pengyin Chen – 4 lines planted; 4 lines remaining to be stacked. 564 samples genotyped

• Southern program – 2017 C4 – 3 Researchers – 2,071 total samples genotyped at UGA
o Leandro Mozzoni – 3 lines planted; 3 remaining lines to be stacked. 232 samples genotyped
o Vince Pantalone - 5 lines planted; 5 remaining lines to be stacked. 799 samples genotyped
o Zenglu Li – 8 lines planted; 8 remaining lines to be stacked. 1,040 samples genotyped

• Northern program - 2018 C2 – 4 researchers – 729 total samples genotyped at UGA
o Aaron Lorenz – 4 lines planted; 4 remaining lines to be stacked. 277 samples genotyped
o Brian Diers – 2 lines planted; 2 remaining lines to be stacked. 101 samples genotyped
o Andrew Scaboo – 2 lines planted; 2 remaining lines to be stacked. 109 samples genotyped
o Pengyin Chen – 2 lines planted; 2 remaining lines to be stacked. 242 samples genotyped

• Southern program – 2018 C2 – 3 Researchers – 399 total samples genotyped at UGA
o Leandro Mozzoni – 2 lines planted; 2 remaining lines to be stacked. 187 samples genotyped
o Vince Pantalone – 2 lines planted; 2 remaining lines to be stacked. 99 samples genotyped
o Zenglu Li – 4 lines planted; 4 remaining lines to be stacked. 113 samples genotyped

In addition to leaf samples received from Puerto Rico & other programs, we also received HOLL F2 leaf samples from MN (Lorenz) – 3,001 samples and HOLL F2 leaf samples from MO (Chen) – ~1,564 samples that we are currently processing.

Total number of HOLL samples genotyped between 6/6/18 – 9/6/18 at UGA: 16,574.

Updated December 4, 2018:
See Year 3 Project for Final Report (FY19)

See Year 3 Project for Final Results (FY19)

A wide choice of high oleic varieties provides growers options to cash in on High Oleic Soy premiums and improve soybean's market share among other oilseeds.

- The outcomes of this project are high oleic/low linolenic acid soybean germplasm lines with the first releases, up to 8 germplasm lines, available in 2018, with up to 157 backcrossed high oleic/low linolenic acid soybean lines available in the pipeline through 2021 for yield test and release. Germplasm lines developed by the 8 breeders and geneticists represent all Maturity Group geographies in the U.S. and can benefit producers in all soybean growing states. Utilization of HOLL varieties by producers will contribute to the strategic goal of USB to grow high oleic varieties on 18 million soybean acres by 2023, and thereby recapture lost market share in the oilseed market.
- The USDA lab will complete high oleic/low linolenic stability tests with soybean germplasm containing two, three, and four gene combinations in MG 0-VIII and confirm the need for a four gene combination for maximum breeding efficiency by February 2018. The target audiences of seed companies, processors, oil end users, and farmers will benefit from a stable and reliable source of high oleic/low linolenic acid soybeans across US production environments and will begin to adopt varieties, or advance material toward commercialization.
- Yield tests will be analyzed for potential effects of trait combination for high oleic and low saturates as well as high oleic and enhanced nutritional energy meal traits from field trials in 2016 and 2017, and 2018. Yield results will be communicated through publication and research presentations, enabling seed companies to adopt and use these results to advance toward commercialization.