| Backcrossing and recurrent selection have been used to develop high-yielding, high-protein soybean lines, but more effective selection strategies are needed. Results of this study show that early generation selection in the F2 generation for high protein is very effective and that there is also significant variation for yield within and among F2-derived high-protein families. Protein concentrations of 90 F5 lines from three populations evaluated over 12 environments had an overall mean of 480 g kg-1, compared to 384 g kg-1 for three check cultivars. Over six environments, six lines from one population numerically exceeded the protein concentration of the high-protein parent (501 g kg -1), five lines from another population were not significantly different from the high-protein parent (535 g kg-1), and yield of 82 of 90 lines did not significantly differ from the high-yielding parent (C1979). Six lines showed significantly higher protein yields ha-1 than C1979 and the best check Dwight at a comparison-wise alpha=0.05.;Blue, light purple, and dark purple are three new flower color types identified in the USDA Soybean Germplasm Collection. Results of this study indicate that blue is conditioned by a recessive allele at a new locus (wb?), light purple is conditioned by a new allele that is allelic and recessive to W3 and w3, and dark purple is conditioned by a new allele that is allelic and shows incomplete dominance to W1. The wb? locus was found near Satt 601 on LG B2 of the soybean genome map. Mapping populations are being developed to confirm and position the light purple and dark purple alleles.;Six Harosoy 63 isolines that differ for flower color were evaluated for pleiotropic effects of the alleles for flower color. Blue (W1w3W4 wb?) and near white (W1w3w4Wb?), the only isolines tested that have recessive alleles at two loci, showed significantly higher oil concentrations than the other isolines, although the differences were small. It is not known if the association between oil concentration and flower color alleles is a genetic relationship, but it is a testable hypothesis that could be evaluated with additional flower color loci and in additional genetic backgrounds. |
