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Agronomy
Special Issues
Evaluation of Germplasm Resources, Molecular Breeding, and Utilization in Soybean
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Evaluation of Germplasm Resources, Molecular Breeding, and Utilization in Soybean

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Crop Breeding and Genetics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 October 2025 | Viewed by 1102

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Yingpeng Han

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology in Chinese Ministry of Education (Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology and Breeding/Genetics of Chinese Agriculture Ministry), Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
Interests: crop genetics and breeding; genomics and utilization; gene discovery and functional analysis; soybean genomics; QTL/association mapping; molecular/classical plant breeding; disease resistance
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over the past decades, significant advancements have been made in the evaluation of germplasm resources and molecular breeding in soybeans, enhancing yield, quality, and stress resistance of soybean. This Special Issue of Agronomy aims to explore the latest developments in this field, focusing on the identification, characterization, and utilization of soybean germplasm. Topics of interest include genetic diversity, advanced molecular breeding techniques, and the integration of genomic tools to accelerate breeding programs. We will highlight cutting-edge research such as CRISPR-based gene editing, genomic selection, and the development of high-throughput phenotyping methods. We invite original research articles and reviews that provide innovative insights and practical applications in germplasm evaluation and molecular breeding. Contributions addressing challenges and proposing novel solutions for sustainable soybean production are particularly welcome. This issue aims to serve as a comprehensive resource for researchers and practitioners dedicated to advancing soybean breeding and genetics.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Discovery and characterization of important soybean germplasm resources;
  • High-throughput methods for phenotypic evaluation in soybean;
  • QTL mapping and marker-assisted selection;
  • GWAS and genomic selection/prediction;
  • Molecular breeding by design;
  • Genotype–environment interactions;
  • Identification of key genes regulating important soybean traits.

Prof. Dr. Yingpeng Han
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agronomy is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • soybean
  • germplasm evaluation
  • molecular breeding
  • beneficial allelic variation
  • molecular marker
  • gene function

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 4557 KiB  
Article
Transcriptome and Physio-Biochemical Profiling Reveals Differentially Expressed Genes in Seedlings from Aerial and Subterranean Seeds Subjected to Drought Stress in Amphicarpaea edgeworthii Benth
by Jiancheng Kou, Yue Su, Tianyu Lei, Siqi Hou, Jiali Tian, Minglong Li, Shuzhen Zhang, Xiaodong Ding, Qiang Li and Jialei Xiao
Agronomy 2025, 15(3), 735; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15030735 - 19 Mar 2025
Viewed by 215
Abstract
Drought stress represents a prevalent environmental challenge that significantly impedes plant growth. The Chinese hog-peanut (Amphicarpaea edgeworthii Benth.), an amphicarpic legume, can produce both aerial seeds (ASs) and subterranean seeds (SSs). However, it is largely unknown whether there are differences between the [...] Read more.
Drought stress represents a prevalent environmental challenge that significantly impedes plant growth. The Chinese hog-peanut (Amphicarpaea edgeworthii Benth.), an amphicarpic legume, can produce both aerial seeds (ASs) and subterranean seeds (SSs). However, it is largely unknown whether there are differences between the seedlings from ASs and SSs in response to drought stress. In this study, the 30-day old AS and SS seedlings of A. edgeworthii are subjected to drought stress by withholding watering for five or ten days. Then, we identify the morphological and physio-biochemical characteristics of seedlings from both ASs and SSs under drought stress. Following ten days of drought treatment, the contents of proline (PRO) and malondialdehyde (MDA), the root shoot ratio, and the rate of water loss were significantly increased, whereas the chlorophyll content and the relative water content were significantly decreased in both AS and SS seedlings. Moreover, compared to AS seedlings, SS seedlings accumulated more hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) while exhibiting significantly lower peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities after exposure to ten days of drought stress. These findings indicate that SS seedlings are more susceptible to drought stress. To identify drought-associated genes and reveal the mechanisms underlying drought adaptability in AS and SS seedlings, we performed an RNA-seq-based transcriptomic analysis in AS and SS seedlings exposed to drought stress. We identified 1317 and 2029 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in AS seedlings five and ten days post-drought treatment, respectively, and 1793 DEGs in SS seedlings ten days post-drought treatment compared to the normal treatment (CK). These DEGs were commonly enriched in response-related GO terms. Furthermore, hundreds of transcription factor (TF) genes were identified among the DEGs in AS and SS seedlings after drought treatment. Notably, the ERF, bHLH, NAC, and C2H2 families were predominant in AS seedlings five days following drought treatment, while the bHLH, ERF, MYB-related, and WRKY families were prevalent in both AS and SS seedlings ten days following drought treatment. These findings suggest that the identified TFs may play crucial roles in the response of AS and SS seedlings of A. edgeworthii to drought stress. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Evaluation of Germplasm Resources, Molecular Breeding, and Utilization in Soybean)
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17 pages, 2077 KiB  
Article
GmGGDR Gene Confers Abiotic Stress Tolerance and Enhances Vitamin E Accumulation in Arabidopsis and Soybeans
by Xiaofang Yu, Jinghong Li, Yanting Bie, Xinfeng Cheng, Qingyun Zheng, Nan Li, Weili Teng, Yongguang Li, Yingpeng Han and Haiyan Li
Agronomy 2025, 15(2), 351; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15020351 - 29 Jan 2025
Viewed by 554
Abstract
Vitamin E, comprising tocopherols and tocotrienols, is a crucial fat-soluble antioxidant that helps maintain intracellular redox homeostasis in plants when they are under stress. Soybeans are a significant source of natural vitamin E. GGDR catalyzes the formation of phytyl diphosphate (PDP), a key [...] Read more.
Vitamin E, comprising tocopherols and tocotrienols, is a crucial fat-soluble antioxidant that helps maintain intracellular redox homeostasis in plants when they are under stress. Soybeans are a significant source of natural vitamin E. GGDR catalyzes the formation of phytyl diphosphate (PDP), a key vitamin E precursor, and it is involved in chlorophyll degradation. The GmGGDR gene, identified via RNA-seq in soybean germplasms with high and low vitamin E contents, encodes GGDR, a key enzyme involved in both vitamin E synthesis and chlorophyll degradation. This study shows that the GmGGDR-encoded protein is hydrophilic and stable, predominantly expressed in leaves, and markedly responsive to gibberellins. The GmGGDR gene enhances the tolerance of transgenic Arabidopsis and soybean plants to salt and drought stresses; transgenic soybeans overexpressing GmGGDR exhibited an approximately 8-fold increase in POD activity, with no significant changes in SOD and CAT activities. Moreover, the GmGGDR gene enhances the levels of α-, γ-, δ-, and total tocopherol content in transgenic soybean and Arabidopsis plants and also increases the chlorophyll a levels in the leaves of these transgenic plants. The increases in α-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol, and δ-tocopherol and total tocopherol in transgenic Arabidopsis seeds ranged from 177.8% to 600.0%, 42.9% to 90.0%, 17.6% to 292.9%, and 71.4% to 127.3% over the control, respectively. Similarly, transgenic soybeans exhibited a minimum increase of 42.9%, 27.8%, 7.1%, and 25.0% in these tocopherol fractions. Overexpression of GmGGDR also significantly elevated chlorophyll a levels in the leaves of these transgenic plants by 33.3–112.5%. This study preliminarily elucidated the function of the GmGGDR gene. It provides a theoretical foundation for further research. It presents a novel strategy for the genetic enhancement of soybean vitamin E content. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Evaluation of Germplasm Resources, Molecular Breeding, and Utilization in Soybean)
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