Demand for soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] meal has increased worldwide and soybean importers often offer premiums for soybean containing higher contents of protein and oil. Objectives were to detect quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with soybean seed protein, oil, and seed weight in a soybean mapping population and confirm detected QTL across genetic backgrounds and environments. Two populations of 216 and 156 recombinant inbred lines were developed from Magellan × PI 438489B and Magellan × PI 567516C crosses, respectively, and grown in two Missouri environments in 2008. More than 900 simple sequence repeat (SSR) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers were used for mapping in each population. Across environments and genetic backgrounds, we have identified seven QTL for protein, six for oil, and four for seed weight. Two QTL were detected in common for protein and oil, one on chromosome (Chr.) 5 and another on Chr. 6. Additionally, we have detected one new seed weight QTL on Chr. 6, in the same region of protein and oil QTL. Confirmed protein and oil QTL on Chrs. 5 and 6 may be important targets to find candidate genes involved in modification of protein and oil contents and seed weight using genetic and genomic approaches. Also, SSR and SNP markers closely associated with these QTL can be useful for marker‐assisted selection.

Waterlogged condition due to flooding is one of the major abiotic stresses that drastically affect the soybean growth and yield around the world. As a result, many breeders have focused on the development of waterlogging tolerance in soybean varieties, and thus, several tolerant varieties were developed. However, the physiological mechanism of waterlogging tolerance is not yet fully understood. We particularly studied the endogenous hormones regulation during waterlogging in two contrasting soybean genotypes. According to our results, adventitious roots were better developed in the waterlogging tolerant line (WTL) than in the waterlogging susceptible line (WSL). Endogenous hormones also showed significant differences between WTL and WSL. The ethylene production ratio was higher in WTL than in WSL, and methionine was higher in WTL than in WSL. Other endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) contents were lower in WTL than in WSL. Conversely, gibberellic acid (GA) showed a tendency to be high in WTL, especially the levels of the bioactive GA4. The ratio of total GA and ABA was significantly higher in WTL than in WSL. Anatomical study of the root revealed that aerenchyma cells in the stele were better developed in WTL than in WSL.

No abstract

The alteration of fatty acid profiles in soybean to improve soybean oil quality has been a long-time goal of soybean researchers. Soybean oil with elevated oleic acid is desirable because this monounsaturated fatty acid improves the nutrition and oxidative stability of soybean oil compared to other oils. In the lipid biosynthetic pathway, the enzyme fatty acid desaturase 2 (FAD2) is responsible for the conversion of oleic acid precursors to linoleic acid precursors in developing soybean seeds. Two genes encoding FAD2-1A and FAD2-1B were identified to be expressed specifically in seeds during embryogenesis and have been considered to hold an important role in controlling the seed oleic acid content. A total of 22 soybean plant introduction (PI) lines identified to have an elevated oleic acid content were characterized for sequence mutations in the FAD 2-1A and FAD2-1B genes. PI 603452 was found to contain a deletion of a nucleotide in the second exon of FAD2-1A. These important SNPs were used in developing molecular marker genotyping assays. The assays appear to be a reliable and accurate tool to identify the FAD 2-1A and FAD2-1B genotype of wild-type and mutant plants. PI 603452 was subsequently crossed with PI 283327, a soybean line that has a mutation in FAD2-1B. Interestingly, soybean lines carrying both homozygous insertion/deletion mutation (indel) FAD2-1A alleles and mutant FAD2-1B alleles have an average of 82-86% oleic acid content, compared to 20% in conventional soybean, and low levels of linoleic and linolenic acids. The newly identified indel mutation in the FAD2-1A gene offers a simple method for the development of high oleic acid commercial soybean varieties.

Malmquist productivity index, Efficiency change, Technical change, Technical leadership, C61, O33, O47, O57,

Credit guarantee, Selection bias, Propensity score matching, SME, C40, H43, H81, L25, L26, L53,

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that influence e-government adoption in Cambodia as one of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states. Design/methodology/approach -This study uses the technology acceptance model (TAM), the extended TAM (TAM2), the diffusion of innovations (DOI) theory, and trust to build a parsimonious yet comprehensive model of user adoption of e-government. The authors test the model with an empirical study. Data are collected from a total of 112 public officers in 12 ministries in Cambodia. The research model is then assessed with multiple regression analyses. Findings -The findings in this study show that the determinants of the research model (perceived usefulness, relative advantage, and trust) are support. At the same time, the important determinants of perceived usefulness include image and output quality. Practical implications -The study would help government policy decision makers design and implement policies and strategies to increase the adoption of e-government services in Cambodia as well as in other countries, particularly ASEAN member states that have a similar situation. Originality/value -This paper is one of a few studies on e-government adoption in ASEAN and the first study on e-government adoption in Cambodia.

RESEARCH N early 20% of the world's cultivated area is aff ected by salinity (Sairam and Tyagi, 2004). Salinity is caused by rock weathering, wind-transported materials, poor-quality irrigation water, and seawater intrusion onto land. The total saline area of North, Central, and South America is 15.8, 2.0, and 129.0 million ha, respectively (Rengasamy, 2006). Overall health of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] plants and seed yield are aff ected by saline conditions. The threshold salinity for soybean is 5.0 dS m-1 (Chinnusamy et al., 2005). Salt damage in soybean results from the accumulation of chloride in stems and leaves, which causes leaf necrosis; reduces greenness in leaves, plant biomass, plant height, leafl et size, seed yield, seed quality, and fi eld seed emergence; and increases plant mortality (Able and MacKenzie, 1964;