Soybean Genotype and Environment Interactions with Agronomic Traits

Soybean genotype and environment interact to influences the market value of soybean protein, oil, and fatty acid traits. Researchers from Univ. of Wisconsin evaluated the agronomic trait performance and stability of soybean genotypes in individual environments and across environments; and evaluated the relationship of test environments for selecting superior genotypes within the larger production area of southern Wisconsin.

The interaction between soybean genotype and environment results in significant differences in the performance of genotypes when evaluated in different locations. To understand the effects of genotype and environment on soybean performance, soybean multi-environment trials are conducted every year around the world to assist in the identification of superior genotypes and the evaluation of environment relationships, such as determining mega-environments.

Researchers have found significant genotype × year × location effects for grain yield.  

Several studies have investigated the effects of environments on fatty acids composition of soybean. These studies reported that higher environmental temperatures reduced linolenic and increased oleic concentration of soybean, and indicated that year effects had significant impact on fatty acid composition. Other researchers have found that genotype and year interaction was significant for all fatty acids, but genotype and location (GL) and the combined genotype, year, and location effects were only significant for oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids.

In this research, a total of 68 soybean genotypes were selected from University of Wisconsin soybean evaluation trials and grown at four locations in 2003 and 2004. Soybean genotypes, grown in trials with conventional and Roundup Ready herbicide treatments were analyzed for yield, protein, oil, and the fatty acid components palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, and linolenic acid.

The researchers found that genotype × environment interaction influenced agronomic traits. Some locations were better for testing than others. The repeatability of yield was lower than protein and oil, and unsaturated fatty acids displayed lower repeatability than saturated fatty acids.

Like repeatability, among agronomic traits, the ranking correlations of four locations were always lower for yield and linolenic acid, which contain three unsaturated double bonds. These results indicate that yield and unsaturated fatty acid, especially linolenic acid, are more sensitive to genotype and environment interaction than other agronomic traits.

“Which-won-where” information from biplots and genotype stability provided comprehensive information about features of each genotype across environments. The researchers state that this information makes it efficient to select suitable winning genotypes according to different requirements such as agronomic performance and stability.


Adapted from

Effects of Genotype × Environment Interaction on Agronomic Traits in Soybean
Yan Zhe, Joseph G. Lauer, Roger Borges and Natalia de Leon
Crop Science 2010 50: 2: 696-702
doi:10.2135/cropsci2008.12.0742

https://www.crops.org/publications/cs/abstracts/50/2/696