A technology tool recently patented by Pioneer will help the
company save time in launching new soybean varieties with
resistance to pests that rob yield potential and cause
management headaches. The marker-assisted selection (MAS)
process patented by the company uses molecular markers to select
soybean varieties with resistance to soybean cyst nematodes
(SCN) and brown stem rot (BSR). The marker technology helps
company researchers identify high-yielding SCN- and BSR-
resistant varieties and bring them to market as much as two
years faster than in the past. Since 1996, every first-year
experimental soybean variety has been tested using MAS. Pioneer
screens more than 500,000 soybean plant samples annually. For
2001, four new SCN-resistant varieties and one new BSR-resistant
variety have been launched using the technology. Company
officials say the patented process will be key to the
development of markers for other valuable traits in the future,
including Phytophthora resistance in soybean varieties.