Three novel soybean germplasms with unique fatty acid composition using multiple mutant alleles

Three soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] germplasms were previously developed for unique fatty acid content: LPKKC-3 has fap1 and sop1 alleles for reduced palmitic acid, HPKKC-7 has fap2 and fapx alleles for elevated palmitic acid and DHL has the ol allele for elevated oleic acid, and fan and fanx(a) alleles for reduced linolenic acid. If these loci are independently inherited, soybean germplasms with useful combinations of these fatty acids could be developed that would result in a novel oil quality of great value for the food industry. Crosses were made between DHL and LPKKC-3, and DHL and HPKKC-7. The data from F-2 seed and F-2 progeny of DHL X LPKKC-3 indicated that the loci controlling reduced palmitic acid (fap1 and sop1) were independently inherited from the locus controlling elevated oleic acid (ol), and the loci controlling reduced linolenic acid (fan and fanx(a)). Thus, the germplasm (LPDHL) with 4.0% palmitic, 51.0% oleic and 2.9% linolenic acids was easily developed. The data from F-2 seeds and F-2 progeny of DHL X HPKKC-7 indicated that the loci controlling elevated palmitic acid (fap2 and fapx), and reduced linolenic acid (fan and fanx(a)) were independently inherited. The locus controlling elevated oleic acid (ol) was also distinctly segregated but the contents of oleic acid were found to be reduced due to the presence of loci for elevated palmitic acid. Thus, one germplasm (HPLL) with 22.5% palmitic acid and 2.7% linolenic acid, and another germplasm (MHPDHL) with 17.1% palmitic acid, 41.8% oleic and 2.9% linolenic acids were developed.