Legume Genomics and Genetics 2025, Vol.16, No.1, 44-53 http://cropscipublisher.com/index.php/lgg 45 How to identify the key loci that control important characteristics from soybean genes. We plan to use the method of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to compare the genetic data of various soybean varieties with their actual growth performance - with a focus on tangible traits such as seed composition, plant height and root system. Of course, merely identifying suspicious SNP markers is not enough (although these markers are now quite convenient to measure). It is also necessary to draw a QTL graph to verify them again, and at the same time, see if they can match the previously reported QTLS (after all, previous research cannot be in vain). In fact, to put it bluntly, it's all about figuring out which genes control these traits, so that we can avoid some detours when breeding in the future. If it really works out, it might be possible to cultivate soybeans that are both high-yielding and can withstand extreme weather. These days, climate change is so rampant. It's always a good thing to be able to grow more grain. 2 Agronomic Traits of Interest in Soybean 2.1 Yield and yield-related traits When it comes to soybean yields, it's really not something that can be solved merely by fertilizing and watering. When researchers used GWAS to dig through genetic data, they found that some SNP markers were particularly interesting - such as those that simultaneously affected seed weight, plant height and final yield (Sonah et al., 2015; Shook et al., 2021). Interestingly, these connections can all hold true in different planting environments. Even more amazing is that someone has identified the gene locus that directly controls the 100-grain weight (Copley et al., 2018), which is a real key factor affecting the harvest. However, to be honest, although many related sites have been found now, how to combine them specifically to grow high-yield soybeans still needs further consideration. 2.2 Stress tolerance traits Nowadays, the most troublesome thing for growing soybeans is that the weather is too dry. These days, rain is becoming less and less reliable. Researchers rummaged through the soybean gene bank and actually found some tricks - for example, the gene called GmNFYB17 (Sun et al., 2022) can make the root system of soybeans more developed when water is scarce, and the yield naturally increases. It's quite interesting to say that after they crossed drought-tolerant and drought-intolerant varieties, a more drought-resistant strain did emerge in the offspring (Ouyang et al., 2022), which indicates that drought resistance can indeed be inherited. However, on the other hand, compared with drought resistance research, people's understanding of the heat tolerance of soybeans is still far behind. But since the drought-resistant genes can be identified, it should also work to study heat tolerance in this way. The weather is so abnormal now. If we could cultivate soybeans that are both drought-resistant and heat-tolerant, it would really be a great help to the farmers. In fact, the most practical use of these discoveries is that they can help breeders avoid detours and develop new varieties that can adapt to harsh environments earlier - after all, food security is no small matter. 2.3 Nutritional quality traits Whether soybeans taste good and are nutritious mainly depends on the oil and protein in the seeds. When researchers scanned genes using GWAS, they found that some loci were particularly interesting - they directly determined the lipid and protein contents (Sonah et al., 2015). More detailed research also uncovered genes that control the composition of fatty acids and amino acids (Shook et al., 2021), which is like finding the switch to adjust the nutritional formula of soybeans. To be honest, although we now know which genes are at play, to truly cultivate an ideal variety, we still need to fully understand the combination of these genes. After all, the matter of fat and protein content is not something that can be settled by just one or two genes. 2.4 Disease resistance traits Whether soybeans can grow healthily or not, their disease resistance is very crucial. Recently, I did a GWAS scan and found quite a few tricks - one study identified 33 candidate genes related to disease resistance in one go (Shook et al., 2021), which shows that improving disease resistance at the genetic level is completely feasible. In fact, it's not just disease resistance. In recent years, using GWAS to find genes has been quite effective. From yield to stress resistance and then to nutritional quality, the important loci that should be found have basically been
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