Expanding the gene pool for soybean improvement with its wild relatives

Genetic diversity is a cornerstone of crop improvement, However, cultivated soybean (Glycine max) has undergone several genetic bottlenecks, including domestication in China, the introduction of landraces to other areas of the world and, latterly, selective breeding, leading to low genetic diversity the poses a major obstacle to soybean improvement. By contrast, there remains a relatively high level of genetic diversity in soybean’s wild relatives, especially the perennial soybeans (Glycine subgenus Glycine), which could serve as potential gene pools for improving soybean cultivars. Wild soybeans are phylogenetically diversified and adapted to various habitats, harboring resistance to various biotic and abiotic stresses. Advances in genome and transcriptome sequencing enable alleles associated with desirable traits that were lost during domestication of soybean to be discovered in wild soybean. The collection and conservation of soybean wild relatives and the dissection of their genomic features will accelerate soybean breeding and facilitate sustainable agriculture and food production.