Pilot planting 1,500 soybean genes for raw material development

After 10 years of research, Vinasoy Soybean Applied Research Center (VSAC) has introduced a pilot planting and evaluation of 1,533 precious soybean genetic resources at the Central Highlands Soybean Testing Station (CHSTS).

This is a round to evaluate the entire group of existing soybean genes to be used as hybriding materials with the aim to develop new soybean varieties with high nutritional quality and yield, suitable for raw material areas nationwide and for the production of soy milk at Vinasoy's 3 factories across the country.

Mr. Le Hoang Duy, Deputy Director of VSAC, said that the soybean gene bank is a great achievement of VSAC after many years of collecting and researching soybean lines/varieties in the country and abroad, from wild soybean lines/varieties to those with specific characteristics such as high yield, high protein, anti-pest capacity, salt and alum resistance, etc.

Vinasoy preserves these precious genes in optimal conditions to ensure the seed quality maintenance for a long time. At the same time, it is currently applying molecular genetic technology (molecular biological indicators) in selecting and creating breeds, so the identification of good hybrids is done very quickly, accurately and without much waiting time for results.

Vinasoy chose Cu Jut district, Dak Nong province to set up the CHSTS because with the advantage of climate and soil there, Cu Jut can grow soybean in 4 seasons a year. This helps the pilot planting and evaluation more convenient and faster, shortening half the time compared to the traditional method, even faster than some famous research centers in the world such as those in Costa Rica and Central America.

The station will be the place to conduct research, select and create breeds, and test cultivation techniques to develop new varieties for Vinasoy's raw material areas throughout the country.

With these two factors, Vinasoy has shortened the time to select new varieties and develop the good ones into only 4-5 years (compared to an average time of 10 years in famous soybean-supplying countries such as Canada and the US).

Mr. Dinh Cong Chinh, Deputy Head of Foodstuff Plants Division, Department of Crop Production, highly appreciated Vinasoy's efforts in research, selection, and breeding to form soybean material areas. With more than 1,500 precious genes that Vinasoy has collected, the ability to create soybean varieties with good yield, high quality, and valuable agronomical characteristics is very high.

Up to now, Vinasoy has developed 4 raw material areas in the country including the Central, Mekong River Delta, Red River Delta and Central Highlands, with a potential area of up to 9,000ha.