Authors : G. Ssendege, T. Obua, R. Kawuki, M. Maphosa and T. Tukamuhabwa
Abstract: This study was conducted to enhance soybean diversity and breeding for resistance to soybean rust (caused by Phakopsora pachyrhizi), the greatest obstacle to soybean production in Uganda. Exotic and local soybean genotypes from USDA Germplasm collection, Zimbabwe and the national breeding programme were evaluated for soybean resistance at Makerere University Agricultural Research Institute Kabanyolo (MUARIK) during the 2011 and 2012 seasons. Similarity matrices were calculated from the exotic and local soybean genotype Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) data fingerprint using NTSYSpc Version 2.2. Significant genetic variation was present among exotic soybean accessions indicating high divergence among them. However, three local soybean varieties Maksoy 1N, Maksoy 2N and Maksoy 3N had low genetic diversity as revealed by the dendrogram which clustered them into one group. Soybean accessions PI 462312 with the resistance gene Rpp3, PI 416826A, PI 417126, PI 615437 and PI 628935 showed resistance to soybean rust at MUARIK and thus are recommended for use in improving genetic diversity and resistance in released varieties in Uganda. However, there is a need to evaluate all the resistant genotypes in other regions of Uganda for broad spectrum soybean rust resistance.
G. Ssendege, T. Obua, R. Kawuki, M. Maphosa and T. Tukamuhabwa, 2015. Soybean Genetic Diversity and Resistance to Soybean Rust Disease in Uganda. Agricultural Journal, 10: 17-23.