Investigation of Biochemical Diversity in a Soybean Lineage Representing 35 Years of Breeding

Abstract

This paper reports an assessment of seed biochemical and metabolite variability and diversity in a series of nine soybean varieties; all lines share the same genetic lineage but represent ∼35 years of breeding (launch years 1972-2008) and differing yield potentials. These varieties, including six conventional and three glyphosate-tolerant lines, were grown concurrently at two replicated field sites in the United States during the 2011 growing season, and seeds were harvested at maturity. A compositional assessment included measurement of proximates, amino acids, fatty acids, tocopherols, isoflavones, saccharides, organic acids, and selected phytohormones. Statistical analysis included application of principal variance component analysis (PVCA) to investigate the interrelationships among compositional components from these soybean varieties and the impacts of location (environment) and pedigree on variability of these components. Results demonstrated that (i) some biochemical analytes showed trends (either increased or decreased) with launch year and/or yield, (ii) some analytes varied according to variety but showed no trend with launch year and/or yield, and (iii) almost all analytes showed extensive variation within and across sites. In summary, varietal development of high-yielding soybean, as represented in this study, has been accompanied by compositional changes but these are typically modest relative to environmental factors.

Analysis of Vitamin K1 in Soybean Seed: Assessing Levels in a Lineage Representing Over 35 Years of Breeding

“…No correlation (r = −0.03) between phylloquinone and fat content (based on fat data presented in Ref. [22]) was observed confirming the validity of the method and its insensitivity to lipid content (data not shown).…”

“…Figure 1 shows that, overall, vitamin K 1 levels were higher at the Jacksonville, IL (ILJA) site when compared to the Jerseyville, IL (ILJE) site. The ILJA site was associated with higher seed yields [22,25] for all varieties when compared to the site ILJE, suggesting a possible positive association between vitamin K 1 and yield. The influence of geographic location on vitamin K 1 levels on leafy green vegetables has been reported [28].…”

“…A list of the selected soybean varieties with associated commercial launch dates is presented in Table 1. Details on the growth and harvest, and measured yield of the soybean lines at two different sites in the US (Jacksonville and Jerseyville Counties, IL) have been presented elsewhere [22,25]. Seeds were harvested at maturity, homogenized by grinding with dry ice to a fine powder, and stored frozen at approximately −20 °C.…”

“…Samples were lyophilized prior to analysis and stored frozen when not in use. Compositional (excluding vitamin K 1 ) and metabolomics assessments have been presented in [22,25]. Subsamples from these studies were utilized in the vitamin K 1 assessments presented here.…”

“…The purpose of the work reported here was to conduct a case study on variation in soybean seed vitamin K 1 levels. In the context of this goal, it should be noted that numerous breeding programs are committed to developing new soybean varieties with improved agronomic characteristics [17,18] or nutritional profiles [19] and that extensive research on the genetic base and diversity of modern soybean [20] as well as on the influence of germplasm and environment on yield [21] and seed composition [1,3,[22][23][24] are keys to enhanced trait development. For this study, a genetically characterized soybean lineage representing ~35 years of breeding (launch years 1972-2008) and increasing yield potential was utilized.…”