7th May 2015, Berlin

GMO FREE EUROPE – Workshop: Danube Soya Innovation and Research: Update and future plans

Alena Pfeiffer

UNIVERSITÄT HOHENHEIM

Identification and Characterization of

Mega Environments and Standard

Varieties for Maturity Groups in

European Soybean Breeding Material

Problem

MG 000

Solution

Map of adaptation zones in USA from Zhang et al 2007

June 2013, Breeders workshop, Freising, Germany

Start of the Mega Environmental Trial

identify Mega Environments across Europe

identify Standard Varieties for Maturity Groups

2 replications

2014

75 European soybean

varieties

5 Maturity Groups (MG):

000, 00,0, I, II

Originally 34 locations of

13 countries

Megaenvironmental

Trial

Megaenvironmental

Trial

2014

75 European soybean

varieties

5 Maturity Groups (MG):

000, 00,0, I, II

Originally 34 locations of

13 countries

2 replications

locations without

data

eaten by

rabbits, not

conducted,……

23 locations

remained in

analysis

Mega Environmental Field Trial

11.06.2014

24.07.2014

10.09.2014

Data Evaluation

Weekly survey of growth

stage

BBCH vs. Fehr and

Caviness

Most important stages:

Flowering

Maturity

In weeks after sowing

11.06.2015

Flowering: BBCH 65 or R2 Maturity: BBCH 89 or R8

Data Analysis

ASReml BLUEs of single locations

BLUEs across locations

Identification of Mega Environments (ME)

correlation of locations based on BLUEs, correlation based on 1/0

(1 = Genotype matured, 0 = Genotype failed) and phenotypic

distance of the locations

Identification of Standard Varieties

Three stability parameters: environmental variance (s2), ecovalence

(Wi) (Wricke, 1962) and phenotypic stability parameter bi (Eberhart

and Russell, 1966) Growth development

Development of Standard varieties at each ME graphically

visualized

Area reached from 54.1 ° to 43.7 ° latitude

10 ° latitude difference, ~ 4 weeks difference in maturity

Results

Groß-Lüsewitz, Germany

54.1 °

Fundulea, Romania

44.45 °

G, L and GxL Variance components all significant!

Potential for Mega Environments

Results

= small distance

high similarity

= far distance

Phenotypic distance

for Maturity

ME 1

ME 2

ME 4

ME 3

ME 5

Results

MG 000-00

MG 000-0

MG 000-II

MG 000-0

MG 000-II

54 - 51 °

48.7 - 48.2 °

48.2 - 46.4 °

46.9 - 45.5 °

46.1 - 43.7 °

Results

Lissa

bo

n

Am

and

in

e

Ba

hia

Sig

alia

Jo

se

fin

e

An

a

Ru

zic

a

Isid

or

Bu

en

os

Luna

Stability

parameters

environmental

variance s²,

ecovalence Wi (Wricke, 1962)

phenotypic

stability

parameter bi (Eberhart and

Russell, 1966)

Results

Lissabon

000

Sigalia

00

Bahia

0

Ruzica

I

Buenos

II

ME 1 21.3 (21)

ME 2 21.1 (21.3) 22.1 (22.7) 22.8 (23.2)

ME 3 18.1 (18.5) 19.6 (20.0) 20.7 (21.2) 21.3 (21.9) 22.5 (22.4)

ME 4 18.7 (18.6) 19.3 (19.6) 20.3 (20.6)

ME 5 16.7 (16.8) 17.5 (17.5) 18.1 (18.1) 19.1 (19) 19.4 (19.5)

Maturity in weeks after sowing for each Standard Variety in each

Mega Environment ME. Means of MG in ME in brackets.

Results

Maturity

R8

Flowering

R2

Maturity is more influenced by temperature

Flowering is more influenced by photoperiod

Results

Maturity is more influenced by temperature

Flowering is more influenced by photoperiod Effects are stronger for later MG‘s

Results

Summary & Conclusion

Biogeographic regions influence the Mega Environments

For Map construction more locations needed

Either MEV Trial again OR

collecting data from regional field trials

Standard Varieties for each MG identified

Checks for field and breeding trials

BUT: No statement about best adapted MG in which ME

Yield data needed

E1-E4 genes of 75 varieties will be analyzed

all developmental stages important

Thanks

Alfred Sandmayer, Donau Soja

Dr. Volker Hahn, State Plant Breeding Institute Hohenheim

PD. Tobias Würschum, State Plant Breeding Institute

Hohenheim

All Participants !!!

Thanks

For Your Attention