Genetius

The study presents a 3D phenotyping workflow that integrates deep‑learning mask generation, Structure from Motion/Multi‑View Stereo reconstruction, and surface reconstruction to estimate leaf area. Using soybean data, they identified optimal mask magnification and usage scenarios that improve point‑cloud quality and processing speed, and demonstrated that B‑spline surface fitting yields leaf‑area estimates that best correlate with destructive measurements.

A meta-analysis of 48 studies examined how soil and foliar nitrogen fertilization affect soybean (Glycine max L.) grain yield, protein, and oil content. Both fertilization methods increased yield by roughly 14% (p < 0.05) but did not significantly alter protein (~38%) or oil (~20%) concentrations, highlighting variability across experiments and a need for standardized trials.

The study uncovers the molecular evolution of Bowman‑Birk inhibitors (BBIs) in legumes and cereals, revealing two divergent gene families with seed‑specific and stress‑responsive subfamilies, and demonstrates that CRISPR/Cas9 knockout of seed‑specific BBIs in soybean markedly reduces trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitor activities without affecting key agronomic traits. These findings highlight BBIs’ role in stress adaptation rather than core development and suggest a strategy for improving seed nutritional quality.

Using single-nucleus RNA sequencing, the study generated a high‑resolution transcriptomic atlas of soybean roots infected with soybean cyst nematode, comparing resistant (PI 88788, Forrest) and susceptible (Williams 82) cultivars across infection stages. Syncytial cells were identified via the GmSNAP18 marker, revealing resistance‑associated gene induction in resistant syncytia and, through overexpression assays, confirming three novel genes that suppress nematode development. Pseudotime analysis traced syncytium origin to procambial cells, highlighting cultivar‑specific developmental pathways.

The study integrates genome, transcriptome, and chromatin accessibility data from 380 soybean accessions to dissect the genetic and regulatory basis of symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF). Using GWAS, TWAS, eQTL mapping, and ATAC-seq, the authors identify key loci, co‑expression modules, and regulatory elements, and validate the circadian clock gene GmLHY1b as a negative regulator of nodulation via CRISPR and CUT&Tag. These resources illuminate SNF networks and provide a foundation for soybean improvement.

The authors present a telomere-to-telomere (T2T) genome assembly for Gp03, a soybean (Glycine max) cultivar exhibiting unusually high genetic transformation efficiency and favorable agronomic traits. The 1.01‑Gb assembly, spanning 20 chromosomes with comprehensive annotation of 61,832 genes and extensive repetitive content, provides a high-quality reference to facilitate functional genomics and accelerated molecular breeding in soybean.

The study investigated how native soil microbes affect heat tolerance in soybean (Glycine max) by comparing plants grown in natural versus microbiome‑disturbed soils under optimal and elevated temperatures. Using 16S rRNA and ITS sequencing alongside non‑targeted root metabolomics, the authors found significant shifts in bacterial and fungal communities, suppressed nodule‑forming bacteria, and altered root metabolites that correlated with reduced nodulation efficiency under heat stress. Integrated multi‑omics analyses linked microbial composition to metabolite profiles and nitrogen‑fixation traits, highlighting a coordinated response of the root physiological system to combined heat and microbiome perturbations.

The study introduced narrow‑leaf alleles (GmJAG1) into a elite soybean cultivar to create 204 near‑isogenic lines and evaluated their performance in field trials across two locations and row spacings. Despite a 13% reduction in peak leaf area index and modest changes in photosynthetic traits, the narrow‑leaf lines maintained comparable yields to broad‑leaf lines and produced a markedly higher proportion of four‑seeded pods. These results suggest that a single‑gene narrow‑leaf trait can reduce canopy size without sacrificing productivity.

The study examined soybean (Glycine max) responses to simultaneous drought and Asian soybean rust infection using combined transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses. Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis identified stress-specific gene modules linked to metabolites, while Copula Graphical Models uncovered sparse, condition‑specific networks, revealing distinct molecular signatures for each stress without overlapping genes or metabolites. The integrative approach underscores a hierarchical, modular defense architecture and suggests targets for breeding multi‑stress resilient soybeans.

The study performed a genome-wide assessment of gene family expansions in legumes, integrating over 5,000 soybean RNA‑Seq datasets to pinpoint genes implicated in nodulation. It confirmed known nodulation genes and uncovered novel nodule‑specific β‑glucosidase and cytochrome P450 genes, highlighting the role of lineage‑specific and whole‑genome duplication‑derived duplicates in the symbiosis.