Registration of USDA‐N6005 germplasm combining high yield, elevated protein, and 25% pedigree from Japanese cultivar Tamahikari

Abstract

AbstractUSDA‐N6005 soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] (Reg. no. GP‐442, PI 696388), is an F5–derived early maturity group (MG) VI germplasm jointly released by the USDA–ARS and North Carolina Agricultural Research Service in January 2021. USDA‐N6005 is a genetically diverse germplasm with 25% of its pedigree from Japanese cultivar Tamahikari and has high yield potential coupled with elevated seed and meal protein content. USDA‐N6005 is the first MG VI release derived from Tamahikari. In the USDA Uniform Tests–Southern States during 2017–2018, USDA‐N6005 yielded 102, 103, and 102% of the check cultivars NC‐Dunphy, NC‐Dilday, and NC‐Roy, respectively. It had significantly better lodging resistance (1.5) than NC‐Roy and NC‐Dilday (2.6 and 2.5, respectively). The seed protein content on a dry basis of USDA‐N6005 (424 g kg–1) was significantly higher than that of NC‐Dunphy and NC‐Dilday (392 and 383 g kg–1, respectively). The estimated meal protein content (49.0%) of USDA‐N6005 was significantly higher than that of NC‐Dunphy and NC‐Dilday (46.2 and 45.5%, respectively). Across the five environments of the 2016 USDA Preliminary Tests–Southern States, USDA‐N6005 yielded 100 and 102% of check cultivars AG6534 and NC‐Roy, respectively. This release should help to reverse the declining trend in genetic diversity and seed protein of U.S. soybean cultivars without negative impact on seed yield.