Investment

Soybean is a minor summer crop in Australia yet plays an important role in the oilseed industry. Australian soybean production is ~35,000 t/year with expansion of the Australian soybean industry previously being limited due to inconsistent and unreliable production, which has been exacerbated by environmental factors, crop price, and variety choice.

The national soybean breeding program led by the University of Adelaide will focus on improved varieties for the existing soybean growing regions in Queensland and New South Wales and work towards expansion for new regions such as Central QLD and/or South Australia. A combination of approaches will be deployed in order to develop new soybean varieties for Australian growers and will include new germplasm evaluation, identification and development of molecular markers for marker-assisted selection of desirable traits using candidate gene sequencing, and the use of speed breeding techniques to accelerate the breeding cycle and aid in the selection of superior phenotypes.

Major priorities will include improved yield and seed quality profiles that meet the minimum requirement for the majority of the industry. Engagement with key stakeholders in the soybean industry is vital and will be established and maintained to inform and update our breeding targets. By 2030, it is anticipated that new elite soybean varieties adapted to current production regions that deliver higher yield potential than current varieties and meet the quality parameters of domestic and international end users will be available to Australian soybean growers. Industry growth and adoption of varieties in current, expanded, and new regions, will be vital if we are to reach a target of increasing annual soybean production to 150,000 tonnes per year over the next 10 years.