A farmer uses a machine to plant soybeans in Bozhou, Anhui province. [File photo by Liu Qinli/For China Daily]

JINAN -- Chinese scientists have explored structural variations of soybean genomes and broadened the available genetic resources of molecular breeding, providing theoretical support for soybean germplasm innovation.

The research team, led by Zhang Dajian at Shandong Agricultural University, constructed reference genomes of the soybean subgenus Glycine for the first time. They identified effective genetic loci of wild perennial soybeans that could be applied in breeding new soybean varieties with high yield and quality.

The study provides insights into the mechanism of polyploid genome evolution and lays the foundation for unleashing genetic resources of the perennial soybean gene pools for cultivated soybean improvement.

It was published in Nature Plants on March 15, 2022.