A research team led by Prof. Hou Xingliang from the South China Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has used genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to identify a rare allele that controls seed protein content and was lost during soybean domestication.

Their findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Oct. 30.

Domesticating wild plants into crops represents a breakthrough in human history, yet key beneficial traits are often lost in the process. Soybeans are a good example. Modern soybean cultivars have lower seed protein content (30%–40%) than their wild ancestors, wild soybeans (Glycine soja), which typically contain 50%–60% protein. Since soybeans (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) are the primary source of plant-based protein for both livestock feed and human nutrition, increasing seed protein content is a critical goal for agricultural research.