Genetic variability of soybean pod maturity traits for environmental resilience and stress resistance using the Hayman model

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The ripening of soybean pods plays a crucial role in the plant's growth and development phases, as it is closely connected to the scheduling of planting practices and optimizing time efficiency in agricultural activities. Estimation of the genetic parameters of pod maturity in soybean plants is important to study before developing a breeding program. One of the breeding methods used to determine the action of these genes is diallel analysis by measuring quantities to illustrate genetic estimates. This study was conducted to examine the nature and magnitude of gene action involved in the inheritance of soybean pod maturity to inform breeding strategies in the face of environmental changes. The aims of the current study was to investigate the nature and extent of gene action involved in the inheritance of soybean pod maturity, with the goal of providing insights for developing breeding strategies that are resilient to environmental changes.METHODS: The study material for crosses is early maturing ( 90 days), namely DL-1 and DL-2. These elders were crossed, including backcrossing (reciprocal). This diallel cross uses Griffing's 1st method. The entire study material consisted of 5 parents and 20 combinations of crosses between different parents (10 combinations of hybrids and its reciprocally), resulting in 25 treatments. Furthermore, all genetic materials were planted using a randomized block design, repeated three times. Cross-diallel statistical analysis and genetic variant components were estimated using the Hayman method.FINDINGS: The study showed that soybean pods' maturity (GJ-1, GJ-2, GJ-3, DL-1, and DL-2) had complex gene actions, namely additive, non-additive and reciprocal effects. The imperfect dominant gene action found in genotypes GJ-1, GJ-2, GJ-3, DL-1, and DL-2 shows a small chance of getting offspring that has an earlier maturity than the early maturing parent. There is a link between the genes that influence the age characteristics of mature pods, and each allele contributes to this character. The maturity of the pods in genotype DL-2 is the parent, which has a proportion of recessive alleles, while Dl-1, GJ-1, GJ-2, and Gj-3 are the parents, which have a proportion of dominant alleles that influence character expression age of maturity of pods. CONCLUSION: Given the important role of the additive gene action observed in the genotypes studied, selection for earlier pod maturity could be initiated in the early generations of soybean breeding programs. These findings have important implications for the development of soybean varieties that are more resistant to environmental stress and able to adapt to changing climatic conditions. Breeding early maturing genotypes can reduce the susceptibility of soybean plants to adverse environmental factors such as short growing season drought. By focusing on genetic traits that promote early maturity, breeders can develop soybean varieties that are more suitable for diverse environmental conditions, especially in regions with limited growing seasons. In addition, these early-maturing varieties can provide farmers with greater flexibility in planting schedules and increase yields, thereby enhancing food security. Thus, the application of these genetic insights can contribute to a more sustainable and resilient agricultural system in the face of global environmental challenges.

Keywords

• diallel
• genetic
• maturity
• parameters
• soybean