An important breakthrough in the technology of efficient breeding and seed production of hybrid soybean

After more than 30 years of unremitting efforts, the research group headed by Wei Baoguo, researcher of Shanxi Province Academy of Agricultural Sciences, has made important breakthroughs in high-efficiency breeding and seed production technology of hybrid soybean, which has opened up broad prospects for the utilization of heterosis of soybean in China and even in the world.

The research group headed by Wei Baoguo, researcher of Shanxi Province Academy of Agricultural Sciences, began to carry out soybean hybridization research since the early 1980s. In 1985, Wei Baoguo first discovered soybean photoperiod sterile material. Since then, he led the research group to try to expand the breeding of hybrid soybean "three-line" and creatively carry out "two-line" breeding. After nearly 30 years of dedicated research and development, a substantial breakthrough has been made in this field-greatly improving parent breeding and F1 hybrid seed production yield.

At the end of September this year, Gai Junyi, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and Han Tianfu, chief scientist of the National Soybean Industry Technology System, led the expert group to conduct field investigation on the project of "Creation and Application of Soybean Hybrid Seed" undertaken by Wei Baoguo, focusing on on-site identification of key indicators such as cross-crossing rate and yield of hybrid soybean breeding. The results showed that the outcrossing rate of CMS lines was 73.18%, the highest was 86.5%, and the seed production yield of hybrids was 60.27 kg/mu, the highest was 87.47 kg/mu, all of which reached the international leading level.

Academician Gai Junyi said: "We are a small step ahead of the industrialization of soybean hybrid breeding, but this small step allows us to see the prospect of breakthrough soybean hybrid breeding."

According to Wei Baoguo, this technology has also realized the technical matching of soybean hybrid sterile line, maintainer line and restorer line, and has been applied to the configuration and production of hybrid seed. The average yield per mu of two selected soybean strong heterosis combination production demonstration is 250 kg, and the yield increase effect is very remarkable.

Experts in the industry said that the breakthrough in high-efficiency breeding and seed production technology of hybrid soybean will make soybean reach or approach the industrialization index in hybrid breeding, breeding and seed production technology, which will provide powerful scientific and technological support for the industrialization of hybrid soybean in China and ensure the safety of national soybean production.