Key findings:

The soybean variety PM 12-3 (Gute-19) showed promising traits, including high seed yield (2779.1 kg/ha) and oil content (22.3%). It demonstrated resistance to bacterial blight and bacterial pustule, outperforming the standard check (PRAC-3) by 20.1% in seed yield. The variety was recommended for release based on its performance and stability.

What is known and what is new?

The soybean variety PM 12-3 (Gute-19) has high seed yield, oil content, and resistance to bacterial diseases, making it a promising candidate. PM 12-3 (Gute-19) outperformed the standard check (PRAC-3) by 20.1% in seed yield and showed stability in grain yield performance, leading to its recommendation for release by the national variety release committee.

What is the implication, and what should change now?

Implication is the successful evaluation and recommendation of PM 12-3 (Gute-19) for release suggest improved soybean production and quality in the region. There should be a focus on promoting and adopting PM 12-3 (Gute-19) among farmers to enhance soybean production and meet market demands.

Gute -19 soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] Variety designated by pedigree of PM 12-3. This variety was tested across multi-environments (locations and years). Results from multi-location yield trials revealed that PM 12-3 was found to be superior and stable in seed yield and quality traits than the commercial variety viz., PARC-3. In addition, PM-12-3 varieties are resistant to bacterial blight and bacterial pustule. Hence, PM 12-3 variety was released by Bako Agricultural Research Center for Western part of Oromia regional state and similar agro-ecological zones of western parts of Ethiopia. 

ORIGIN AND PEDIGREE 

Gute-19 soybean variety is with pedigree of PM 12-3 was brought from Jimma Agricultural Research Center. 

MORPHOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION 

Gute-19 is similar in seed shape (round), seed coat color (gray) and seed coat luster (creamy). It is indeterminate and has erected growth habit, which enable them to prevent from pod rot during heavy rain fall. Gute-19 has large seed size compared to the commercial variety, PARC-3 (Table 1). Their leaf size is large and more uniform and is suitable for intercropping with erected leaf type maize verities. 

PHENOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION 

On three locations (Bako, Billo-Boshe and Gute) and two years (2016/2017 and 2017/2018) mean basis, Gute-19 flowered in 74 days and matured in 141 days, respectively. 

AGRONOMIC DESCRIPTION 

Gute-19 with pedigree of PM-12-3 was heavier than the standard check, PARC-3 in terms of seed weight (Table 1). Gute-19 has better pod load than PARC-3 with comparable average seeds per plant (Table 1). 

YIELD PERFORMANCE 

Gute-19 soybean variety was evaluated with standard check PARC-3, in multi-locations yield trials. Gute-19 gave a seed yield ranging from 1.8 to 2.7 ton ha^-1 on research stations and 1.5 to 2.4 ton ha^-1 on farmers' fields (Table 1). Gute-19 has outperformed than PARC-3 by 20 % and 14 % on station and on-farm in seed yield, respectively.

Table 1: Summary of Mean Grain Yield and other Data of Gute-19 Variety along With Commercial Variety (PARC-3) Across Years and Location.

OIL AND PROTEIN CONTENT 

22.3 % of oil content recorded from Gute-19 while 22.6 % recorded from commercial variety   PARC-3. The laboratory result revealed that Gute-19 had higher seed yield and comparable oil content with commercial variety PARC-3. However, the newly released Gute-19 soybean variety had comparable protein content with that of the commercial verity PARC-3. 

STABILITY PERFORMANCE 

Yield stability comparisons for twelve soybean genotypes including Gute-19 and PARC-3 for two years and three locations were illustrated based on meta-analysis (GGE Biplot) method (Yan and Tinker, 2005). Genotype x environments interaction was partitioned into principal component axes and the first IPCA (69.28%) and the second IPCA (22.41%) explained the largest proportion (91.68 %) of the interactions. The result of the study revealed that Gute-19 (PM-12-3) is ideal and stable varieties compared to the commercial variety, PARC-3 (Figure 1). Gute-19 was found to be a more stable soybean variety and higher in oil content compared to the commercial variety PARC-3.

Figure 1: Ranking the genotypes relative to the ideal genotype.

DISEASE REACTION 

Gute-19 (PM-12-3) was resistant (n ˂ 3 where n = 1-9 scores) to the common soybean diseases viz., bacterial blight, bacterial pustule and rust (Table 1). 

BREEDER SEED MAINTENANCE 

Breeder and foundation seed of the variety is maintained by Bako Agricultural Research Center.

PARC-3. The seeds of the new varieties have also   higher oil contents compared to the seed of the commercial variety, PARC-3. Those variety was also resistant to common soybean diseases viz., bacterial blight, rust and bacterial pustule and hence, have been released for Western Oromia and similar agro ecologies of the Western Ethiopia.

Acknowledgement 

We greatly appreciate AGP-II of Oromia Agricultural Research Institute for financing the development of the variety. We also thank International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and Jimma Agricultural Research Center for germplasm sharing.  Our appreciation and thank extended to staff of Bako Agricultural Research Center for facilitating the necessary requirements during the trial management starting from trial planting to harvesting. 

Funding: No funding sources 

Conflict of interest: None declared

Ethical approval: The study was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee of Bako Agricultural Research Center

1. Yan, Weikai, and Nicholas A. Tinker. "An integrated biplot analysis system for displaying, interpreting, and exploring genotype× environment interaction." Crop Science 45.3 (2005): 1004-1016. https://doi.org/10.2135/cropsci2004.0076