Researcher Examines Varieties Under Stress: January 1998 Soybeans Today

Soybeans Today January 1998

Researcher Examines Varieties Under Stress

By Rich Maples

U of A plant breeder Dr. Darrell Widick notes the growth of various genotypes in a problem field at Varner.

University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture researcher Dr. Darrell Widick is killing two birds with one stone.

At five sites in the state, Widick is trying to solve the mystery of why yields are declining and, at the same time, he’s comparing the performance of different genotypes--varieties and potential varieties--in those particular environments.

Widick, a soybean plant breeder, is looking at 165 genotypes in replicated research plots in fields in Lincoln, Monroe, Craighead and Cross counties and at the U of A Rice Research and Extension Center at Stuttgart. The project is funded by the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board.

"The genotypes include Maturity Group IV, V and VI varieties that are available commercially," says Widick. "I’m also looking at experimental University of Arkansas strains and even plant introductions from Asia, including some Group VIIs.

"The plant introductions almost all have one or more characteristics that make them undesirable for Arkansas. Many of them have died from a combination of disease and other factors common to the state.

"But some of these strains can be used as parents in breeding if they grow and produce well in these tests. They’re often sources of useful traits such as cyst nematode resistance."

When plants in the experiment reach the R3 stage, when there are pods 3 millimeters long in the top four nodes, leaf samples are collected and analyzed for nutrient content. At harvest time, the various genotypes are compared for factors such as yield, seed size and weight, and plant height.

We’ve found that comparing plant height, yield and nutrient content is especially helpful in finding out what’s causing a yield decline in a field," said Widick. "Plant height is the most obvious link to yield. You have to have podding sites on a plant to have a good yield."

Widick said that although the information generated by comparing the genotypes can benefit the University of Arkansas breeding program, his first priority is to "tell the growers who have let us put in the plots and other farmers with similar field problems which varieties might work best for them.

"You know that if a field has acid soil, you can lime it," said Widick. "We chose fields with problems that aren’t as readily identifiable.

"This is an on-going project. It’s going to take time."

Soybeans Today January 1998
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For additional information about any board-related activity contact:

Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board
ATTN: Brandy Carroll
P.O. Box 31
Little Rock, AR 72203-0031
Phone: 501-228-1268

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