Photoperiod-mediated rapid generation advancement in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.)

Soybean is a short-day crop and the long-duration variety takes 120 days for maturity. A protocol for rapid generation advancement in soybean breeding is worthwhile keeping in view its utility. The study emphasizes standardisation of physical conditions, especially using warm white and cool white light-emitting diodes to hasten flowering and pod setting in soybean (DS9712 genotype). Complete open flowers were obtained with a 16 L/8D (dark/light) photoperiod in 30 days. The results also highlighted the application of interventions of physical conditions and inputs, especially during the reproductive phase to shorten the seed-to-seed generation time by around 15 days in a low-cost method for soybean breeding. Breeding will be revolutionised in case economic speed breeding is combined with modern breeding technologies, thereby resulting in more generations per year.