Registration of USDA‐N7006 soybean germplasm with increased tolerance to drought stress and 37.5% pedigree from Asian accessions PI 416937 and PI 407859‐2

Abstract

USDA‐N7006 is a conventional (non‐genetically modified) maturity group (MG) VII soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] (Reg. no. GP‐525 , PI 702948) germplasm released jointly by the USDA‐ARS and the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service in January of 2023. USDA‐N7006 was released because of its drought tolerance, exotic parentage (37.5%), and high yield potential. USDA‐N7006 traces 12.5% of its parentage to PI 416937 from Japan and 25% to PI 407859‐2 from South Korea. USDA‐N7006 is the first North American soybean release derived from PI 407859‐2. USDA‐N7006 is an F4‐derived germplasm from the hybridization of USDA breeding lines TCPR01‐83 and N01‐11136. From 2015 to 2021, USDA‐N7006 was evaluated in 57 environments across the Southeast in the United Soybean Board (USB) Protein and Diversity MG VII Tests and the USDA Southern Soybean Preliminary and Uniform MG VII Tests. In the MG VII USDA and USB Protein and Diversity Tests, USDA‐N7006 yielded 96% and 98% of the check mean, respectively. Over six droughted environments in North Carolina and South Carolina, USDA‐N7006 exhibited less wilting (greater drought tolerance) than ‘USDA‐N8002’, a previously released cultivar exhibiting drought tolerance. The unique pedigree, delayed canopy wilting under drought stress, and high yield of USDA‐N7006 make it an excellent candidate for parental stock for soybean breeding programs aiming to improve drought tolerance.