Variety evaluation usually consists of comparing the performances of candidate varieties to "standard" varieties, in multilocal trials. This is usually not sufficient to identify the varieties with the best potential in limiting conditions, like drought or strong weed infestation, as stress conditions may result in the abandon of the location, due to an extreme high variability among plots and locations. It is, therefore, important to define a new methodology to assess variety performance in a large range of growing conditions.
The first step will consist of improving the knowledge of variety adaptation to drought and weed stress. The best strategies (morphologically and physiologically) will be identified in field trials.
The second step will be to test non-destructive measurement tools and choose the most relevant for routine evaluation.
The third step will be to implement these methods to routine evaluation, in organic and conventional conditions.
At the end of the project we will have new evaluation strategies allowing us to propose varieties with better performance in stress conditions, for both feed and food, and a better description of each variety's potential depending on the environmental conditions. Furthermore, farmers will learn about soybean cultivation and implications of drought, stress- and weed tolerant varieties thanks to strip trials, field visits and other dissemination activities.
Project coordination, Field trials, Dissemination
