Translating Genomic Information to 'Allen' Glyphosate Resistant Cultivar Development.

Allen is a glyphosate-resistant, BC3F2 single-plant derivative of the registered cultivar ‘5601T’. Addition of the gene for resistance to glyphosate herbicide was accomplished through hybridization from the donor line TN93-99RR, which itself is backcross conversion of the registered germplasm TN93-99. The glyphosate resistant conversion line Allen was progeny test selected from among those developed via molecular marker recurrent parent genome recovery, utilizing 89 polymorphic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, spanning the 20 molecular linkage groups of the soybean genome. The SSR markers enabled the identification of specific BC1F1, BC2F1, and BC3F1 individual plants, whose DNA profiles had the greatest commonality with the genome of the recurrent parent 5601T. This strategy enabled rapid accomplishment of full recovery of all 89 markers, capturing the high yielding 5601T genome. The glyphosate resistant Allen is highly similar in its characteristics to the backcross recurrent parent, 5601T, having white flowers, gray pubescence, tan podwall, a determinate growth habit, and yellow seeds with smooth seed coats and buff hila. In the 2006 USDA Southern Uniform Test for maturity group (MG) V, averaged over 18 environments, the recurrent parent check cultivar 5601T ranked #1 for seed yield at 3343 kg/ha and Allen was equivalent at 3306 kg/ha. However, Allen was significantly later in maturity, taller in plant height, and lower in seed protein concentration than 5601T. Since its release as a cultivar, Allen ranked #1 for MG V seed yield averaged over two years (2006-2007) in the Tennessee State Variety Test and #1 for seed yield in the 2007 Tennessee Standardized Testing program where it exceeded the average commercial yield by over 524 kg/ha.