Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants

This research offers the potential of greater legume crop yields through the identification of key growth signaling genes and their future use in plant breeding programs. The research proposed here builds on the word of Ashikari et. al. (2005; Science 309:741) that revealed a DNA marker that accounts for increases in rice yields of forty percent. This high-yield marker was found to be a deficient plant hormone degrading enzyme cytokinin oxidase (CKX) - which limits the effects of cytokinin hormones which are strong regulators of plant growth. This discovery suggests that there is a major role for the cytokinins in the yield of rice and possibly other plants, such as legumes. To investigate the impact on soybean, a legume of particular economic significance to Canada, we will complete comprehensive analyses of seed cytokinins and the expression of genes known to affect cytokinin accumulation. This will identify important aspects of growth regulating genes in soybean. The source of differences in the form and abundance of cytokinins will be investigated through gene sequencing with a view to developing DNA-based markers which are linked to yield in soybean and that can be used to breed higher yielding soybean plants. Overall, this research could result in greater yields in all legumes and, ultimately, high protein yielding crops, more efficient land resource use, and domestic and international market expansion.