Research groups from CREA (Lodi, Italy), University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture UNIZG FAZ (Croatia) and Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops Novi Sad IFVCNS (Serbia) are the partners within the WP4 Genetic effects and genotyping tools in legumes and WP5 Proof of Concept – Breeding of grain legumes of the BELIS project, with activities focused on soybean (Glycine max L.) adapted to southeast-European growing conditions. Main phenotyping trials for our work on developing the genomic selection models for selection of various traits (grain yield and quality, drought tolerance, etc.) will start in 2025, but in 2024 we are actively preparing genetic materials which will be included in trailing. At the experimental field of University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture, a set of 115 soybean genotypes (cultivars and breeding lines) has been drilled in late April this year for the purpose of seed multiplication and screening of flowering and maturity time.
Drilling has been executed in almost perfect conditions and warm and rainy Spring allowed the good establishment of genotypes in the field. The same set of material has also been drilled at the experimental fields of the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops Novi Sad as backup, while some additional genotypes are also being growing with our partners from CREA (Italy). We are hoping for the good growing conditions in the following months and, hopefully, for the successful harvest in the Autumn which will enable us to continue smoothly with further activities.
