A feast brought about by "molecular design breeding"

the use of molecular design breeding technology directional improvement of the "Joint Agricultural 71" soybean varieties yield 447.47 kg per mu, once again to refresh the national soybean yield record.in recent years, the Northeast Institute of Geography and Agricultural Ecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has followed the international scientific and technological frontiers, made forward-looking plans and scientific layouts, undertaken a series of major national projects, and its ability to serve the state and local areas has been continuously enhanced , and its position as the Northeast Regional Agricultural Research Center has become increasingly prominent. From now on, China Science Daily launched a series of reports on major national projects, focusing on the fruitful results and valuable experience gained since the implementation of these projects.now, more and more people are finally understanding the value of the "Major Cash Crop Molecular Design Breeding" project team.
project is led by the Northeast Institute of Geography and Ad agricultural ecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (hereinafter referred to as the Northeast Institute of Geography), with Feng Xianzhong as the lead scientist. Since 2007, Feng led the team to take the lead in establishing a database of soybean mutants in China and engaging in soybean molecular design and breeding, but these practices were questioned and even opposed at the time.
, however, when these practices are constantly validated in the National Key Research and Development Program," the "Molecular Design Breeding of Major Cash Crops" project, the challenge becomes expectation, and the path is becoming the same. This is from the country's 17 units, more than 320 researchers collective strength, they aimed at soybeans, cotton, peppers, rape and other major cash crops, contributed to a design and breeding feast., Feng and his team members were not enough to be sure whether to apply for a national key research and development program. Feng told China Science Daily that, given the actual situation, they only wanted to spread the idea of "letting others know what molecular design breeding is like."
In his view, molecular design breeding can be a future breeding direction by using molecular biology and systems biology to design and improve crop varieties using molecular biology and systems biology knowledge about molecular regulatory networks of genetic functions and biogenes.
Feng Xianzhong was originally engaged in the study of plant molecular genetics, mainly in systems biology and computational biology during his studies abroad, so in the eyes of breeders, he is an outsider. But in Feng's view, any species is determined by genes, as long as the function of genes, can be like chess, by coordinating the design of different genes for crop varieties.
a long time, soybean breeding mostly uses conventional breeding methods, that is, breeders by virtue of experience, do a large number of hybrid combinations, the genes of many good characters aggregated together. "It's not only difficult, it's also possible to introduce bad features, which can be time-consuming." Li Yanhua, a member of the project team and a researcher at the Northeast Institute of Geography, told China Science Daily.
The scientist, affectionately known as the "Golden Bean Lady" by bean farmers, joined the project team and found that molecular design breeding techniques were able to purposefully combine the different good characters of soybeans, thus speeding up the breeding process.
mutants are an important tool for molecular biology to understand gene function, Feng Xianzhong team more than 10 years ago in China to take the lead in the establishment of mutant databases, currently set up 400,000 strains of soybean mutants, become the world's largest soybean mutants, as well as soybean molecular design breeding components and gene resources.
In 2013, Feng Xianzhong came to the Northeast Geographical Institute, just in time for the Chinese Academy of Sciences to launch a strategic pilot science and technology special "molecular module design breeding innovation system", which gave him and his team a rare opportunity to explore, polish and accumulate.
Although the Northeast Geographical Institute very much supported Feng Xianzhong's team in declaring the "major cash crop molecular design breeding" project, but he was extremely cautious, because the main cash crop molecular design breeding is still mainly at the theoretical research level, not mainstream. Before the project declaration, the domestic counterpart reminded him to consider the current situation in the country. Surprisingly, the review experts and the Ministry of Science and Technology finally approved their project declaration plan.
So, every time the project team meets, Feng Xianzhong will repeatedly stress, "the project is the domestic counterparts in their own bowl of rice selflessly to us, must be able to afford the trust of the country and peer support, so that every penny of benefits greater than a penny."mid-term assessment, all aspects of the project have achieved the desired goals. Feng said. Over the past few years, through molecular design breeding and breeding of high-yielding high-quality soybeans, cotton, peppers, cucumbers and other nearly 40 new varieties, varieties to promote 12 million mu, economic benefits of more than 1 billion yuan, over-completion of the project assessment indicators.
- Obtaining 131 molecular markers for breeding;
- obtaining 63 functional genes and site points to control important agro-artistic features, 99 available molecular breeding schemes,
- established soybean gene spot integration technology and gene deletion technology, established cotton gene spot integration technology and fractured Cre recombinant enzyme activity reconstruction technology, established rape gene knocking technology, etc.
the creation of a molecular design breeding platform is one of the highlights since the implementation of the project. The researchers collected data from soybeans, cotton, cucumbers, chili peppers and other major cash crops, analyzed and obtained the target gene and molecular markers, and then designed high-yield, high-quality, anti-reversible, nutritionally efficient utilization, polysexual improved polymerization and other breeding programs through the simulation and combination of molecular markers.
is understood that the platform is currently the only platform that can integrate high-volume data analysis and all-gene selection breeding tools, has been a number of domestic breeding enterprises to try.
Yuan Longping Agricultural High-Tech Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Longping Gaoke), Tahe Breeding Industry and other advantages of breeding enterprises, for the smooth implementation of the project, especially in the transformation of results to provide important help.
most of the research projects are 'you give money, I work', which is a more normal phenomenon, " he said. Feng Xianzhong told the China Science Daily that Longping Gaoke tasted the sweetness brought about by the use of molecular design breeding platform, he asked upstream for its molecular markers, new varieties of breeding, the original subject behavior into corporate behavior, a strong impetus to the transformation of research results.
With its cultivation of new varieties of Asatian chili peppers as an example, in 2018 the series of varieties in Yunnan, Henan, Guizhou to promote more than 300,000 mu, the new economic benefits of 240 million yuan, to promote the upgrading of the local chili industry structure, for rural revitalization and precision poverty alleviation provides a strong scientific and technological support. recalled the project at the beginning of the "pointing jiangshan" passion, now Feng Xianzhong has long since lost the original full of ambition, he described his state is "down-to-earth to solve practical problems."
fact, the complexity of the problems in breeding practice has gone far beyond what scientists suspect, and it has always been the focus of the project team to make scientific research truly a variety that farmers increase their income.
't bear the first heart, a happy thing followed.
2018, the national soybean yield record of 423.77 kg per mu was set by the new soybean variety "He Nong 91" cultivated by the project team, which increased the soybean yield record by 2.4 kg in China. In 2019, the new varieties of "Hennon 71" soybeans, which are oriented and improved by molecular design breeding technology, produced 447.47 kg per mu, which raised the soybean yield record by 23.7 kg, marking a new height of soybean breeding level in China.
soybean production has been one of the breeders' top concerns. At present, the average yield of soybeans in China is less than 130 kg/acre, while the average yield of soybean-producing countries such as the United States and Brazil is 230 to 240 kg/acre. "More than 85% of China's soybeans rely on imports, major varieties and technological innovation, is to solve the soybean 'neck' problem of important scientific and technological reserves." Feng said.
, Soybean breeding in China mainly depends on the increase of individual yield to improve yield. With the support of the national key research and development plan project, Feng Xianzhong's team put forward a plan to increase China's soybean production by increasing the group production, which has been seen in the two varieties of "HeNon 91" and "He Nong 71". This is the change of breeding idea brought about by molecular design breeding technology.
" molecular design breeding technology is our advantage, so that it serves the country's major strategic is also our responsibility to undertake the country's major scientific research tasks. Feng stressed. At present, Feng's team and researchers from the Institute of Seed Innovation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences are working with relevant departments in Brazil, Russia and Africa to organize and implement the Global Soybean Improvement Program, which provides a "China Program" to ensure the safe supply of soybeans in the world.
Feng is convinced that with more tangible research results and the application and popularization of varieties, molecular design breeding technology will play an increasingly important role in the breeding of major cash crops.