Researchers in Indiana claim they have found genes vital for soybean improvement.

A team led by Purdue University's soybean geneticist Jianxin Ma said they discovered two unusual genes controlling multiple traits in soybeans.

The study, published in Nature Genetics, claims to shed light on the potential of utilizing wild soybean relatives to engineer crop improvements, such as resistance to leafhopper insect pests.

It stated that the newfound genes known as long non-coding RNA genes (lncRNA) could control multiple traits despite sharing the same genetic locus.

Collaborating with researchers from Purdue and other institutions in the U.S. and China, Ma's team unveiled the first lncRNA genes in any domesticated plant or animal species that can be targeted for human selection.

Ma's team developed a biotechnological tool, termed 'de novo domestication,' that enables scientists to expedite the process of incorporating desirable traits from wild soybeans into cultivated varieties.

Co-author Blake Meyers of the University of California, Davis, said the study integrated traditional mapping methods with molecular analyses to uncover the shared molecular basis underlying diverse agronomic traits in soybeans, including leaf and stem size and insect resistance.

Randall Nelson, professor emeritus of soybean breeding at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, emphasized the synergistic collaboration between research programs, culminating in uncovering novel genetic controls associated with domestication.

Researcher Ma said: 'Our team serves as gene seekers, striving to unlock genetic variation for breeding superior soybeans. With our accumulated knowledge and technological advancements, the de novo domestication of wild soybeans and its relatives is now within reach.'

The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture provided funding for this research, along with support from various soybean industry stakeholders.