Genetic yield improvements and associated physiological and agronomic traits in soybean cultivars released from 1940 to 2021 in Northeast China

IF 5.6 1区农林科学 Q1 AGRONOMY

Field Crops Research Pub Date : 2025-05-01 DOI:10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109956

Ahmed Waqar , Shuangzhe Li , Yinlin Liu , Kunpeng Jiang , Shuai Wang , Mingliang Yang , Shen Yuan , Qingshan Chen , Limin Hu , Le Xu

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Context

Soybean is a major leguminous crop, providing protein and oil for food and feed in China. In Northeast China, a primary soybean-producing region, soybean yield have substantially increased over the past century, largerly attributed to plant breeding advancements. However, the evolution of agronomic traits and the physiological mechanisms underlying these genetic gains remain inadequately researched.

Method

In a two-year field experiment, nine representative cultivars released in Northeast China from 1940 to 2021 were evaluated to characterize yield performance, agronomic characteristics, canopy light interception, and radiation use efficiency (RUE).

Results

Soybean yield was positively correlated with the year of cultivar release, with an average genetic yield gain of 8.7 kg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ over the 80-year breeding period. Yield improvements were primarily associated with increased seed number per plant, 100-seed weight, and the improved the portion of three-seed and four-seed pods relative to one-seed and two-seed pods. These yield gains were driven by increases in aboveground biomass at maturity and harvest index, particularly due to the enhanced biomass accumulation post R3 stage in new cultivars. Although total intercepted solar radiation during growing season was not significantly improved, new cultivars exhibited greater canopy RUE, especially during the R3–R8 stages, which explained the observed differences in biomass production. The improved RUE was associated with optimized canopy architecture, including reduced branching, a lower canopy extinction coefficient suited to high planting densities, and enhanced chlorophyll content and leaf area duration during the late reproductive stages.

Conclusion

This study identifies that genetic yield gains in Northeast China soybean mainly resulted from synergistic improvements in seed-related traits and canopy architecture which enhanced canopy RUE and biomass accumulation. These traits should be prioritized in future breeding programs to sustain yield progress in the region.

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1940 ~ 2021年东北大豆品种产量遗传改良及相关生理农艺性状研究

大豆是一种主要的豆科作物，在中国为食品和饲料提供蛋白质和油脂。在中国东北，大豆主要产区，大豆产量在过去一个世纪里大幅增加，这在很大程度上归功于植物育种的进步。然而，农艺性状的进化和这些遗传增益背后的生理机制仍未得到充分的研究。方法利用1940 ~ 2021年在东北地区发布的9个代表性品种，对其产量性能、农艺性状、冠层截光和辐射利用效率（RUE）进行了为期2年的田间试验。结果大豆产量与品种释放年份呈正相关，80年育种期平均遗传产量增加8.7 kg ha−1年−1。产量的提高主要与单株种子数、百粒重以及三粒和四粒荚果相对于一粒和两粒荚果的比例的提高有关。这些产量的增加是由成熟期地上生物量和收获指数的增加所驱动的，特别是由于新品种在R3阶段后生物量积累的增加。尽管在生长季节，总拦截太阳辐射没有显著提高，但新品种的冠层RUE表现出更大的变化，特别是在R3-R8阶段，这解释了生物量产量的差异。改进的RUE与优化的冠层结构有关，包括减少分枝，降低适合高种植密度的冠层消光系数，提高叶绿素含量和生殖后期叶面积持续时间。结论东北大豆遗传产量的提高主要是由于种子相关性状和冠层结构的协同改善，从而提高了冠层生物量积累。在未来的育种计划中应优先考虑这些性状，以保持该地区的产量进步。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Field Crops Research 农林科学-农艺学

CiteScore

9.60

自引率

12.10%

发文量

307

审稿时长

46 days

期刊介绍： Field Crops Research is an international journal publishing scientific articles on: √ experimental and modelling research at field, farm and landscape levels on temperate and tropical crops and cropping systems, with a focus on crop ecology and physiology, agronomy, and plant genetics and breeding.