With support from the United Soybean Board, Collins and his colleagues Said Ghabrial in plant pathology and Todd Pfeiffer and David Hildebrand in the agronomy have recently developed several genetic lines of soybean that have a virus disease gene engineered into them that will make future soybean varieties resistant to the bean pod mottle virus. The researchers are using the same strategies to develop soybeans that are resistant to the soybean mosaic virus. Both of these viruses pose serious production problems to Kentucky soybean farmers. The increased density may also provide some drought tolerance.
Wild species related to soybean are potentially useful in genetic improvement programs.
Support for this research has come from the United Soybean Board and the Kentucky Soybean Association.