{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,26]],"date-time":"2026-09-26T18:36:19Z","timestamp":1790447779644,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":44,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,2,8]],"date-time":"2023-02-08T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1675814400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100002347","name":"German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF)","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["031B1046A"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["031B1046A"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100002347","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Plants"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Soybean is a crop in high demand, in particular as a crucial source of plant protein. As a short-day plant, soybean is sensitive to the latitude of the growing site. Consequently, varieties that are well adapted to higher latitudes are required to expand the cultivation. In this study, we employed 50 soybean genotypes to perform a multi-location trial at seven locations across Germany in 2021. Two environmental target regions were determined following the latitude of the locations. Adaptation and trait stability of seed yield and protein content across all locations were evaluated using Genotype plus Genotype-by-Environment (GGE) biplots and Shukla\u2019s stability variance. We found a moderate level of crossing-over type genotype-by-location interaction across all locations. Within the environmental target regions, the genotype-by-location interaction could be minimised. Despite the positive correlation (R = 0.59) of seed yield between the environmental target regions and the same best-performing genotype, the genotype rankings differed in part substantially. In conclusion, we found that soybean can be grown at a wide range of latitudes across Germany. However, the performance of genotypes differed between the northern and southern locations, with an 18.8% higher mean yield in the south. This in combination with the observed rank changes of high-performing genotypes between both environmental target regions suggests that selection targeted towards environments in northern Germany could improve soybean breeding for those higher latitude regions.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/plants12040756","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,2,8]],"date-time":"2023-02-08T04:57:41Z","timestamp":1675832261000},"page":"756","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":13,"title":["Do We Need to Breed for Regional Adaptation in Soybean?\u2014Evaluation of Genotype-by-Location Interaction and Trait Stability of Soybean in Germany"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8898-6016","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cleo A.","family":"D\u00f6ttinger","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Plant Breeding, Seed Science and Population Genetics, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4837-1460","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Volker","family":"Hahn","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Plant Breeding Institute, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Willmar L.","family":"Leiser","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"State Plant Breeding Institute, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7397-7731","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tobias","family":"W\u00fcrschum","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Plant Breeding, Seed Science and Population Genetics, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,2,8]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Nielsen, Z. (2021, March 19). Lebensmittel Zeitung. Available online: www.lebensmittelzeitung.net."},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"Ahrens, S. (2022, August 22). Umsatz mit Milchalternativen im Lebensmitteleinzelhandel nach Produktgruppe 2020. Available online: https:\/\/de.statista.com\/statistik\/daten\/studie\/1222972\/umfrage\/umsatz-mit-veganen-alternativen-im-lebensmitteleinzelhandel-nach-produktgruppe\/."},{"key":"ref_3","unstructured":"The Vegan Society (2022, August 22). A Growing Plant Milk Market. Available online: https:\/\/www.vegansociety.com\/news\/market-insights\/plant-milk-market."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Guriqbal Singh, G.S. (2010). The Soybean: Botany, Production and Uses, CABI.","DOI":"10.1079\/9781845936440.0000"},{"key":"ref_5","first-page":"137","article-title":"Untersuchungen zur Anbaueignung von Sojabohnen in Deutschland","volume":"69","author":"Recknagel","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Cultiv. Plants"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Shibles, R.M., Harper, J.E., Wilson, R.F., and Shoemaker, R.C. (2004). Soybeans: Improvement, Production, and Uses, American Socienty of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America. [3rd ed.].","DOI":"10.2134\/agronmonogr16.3ed"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Guriqbal Singh, G.S. (2010). The Soybean: Botany, Production and Uses, CABI.","DOI":"10.1079\/9781845936440.0000"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Guriqbal Singh, G.S. (2010). The Soybean: Botany, Production and Uses, CABI.","DOI":"10.1079\/9781845936440.0000"},{"key":"ref_9","unstructured":"Statistisches Bundesamt (2022, July 01). Landwirtschaftliche Betriebe, Fl\u00e4che: Bundesl\u00e4nder, Jahre, Bodennutzungsarten. Available online: https:\/\/www-genesis.destatis.de\/genesis\/online?operation=abruftabelleBearbeiten&levelindex=2&levelid=1656687314161&auswahloperation=abruftabelleAuspraegungAuswaehlen&auswahlverzeichnis=ordnungsstruktur&auswahlziel=werteabruf&code=41271-0012&auswahltext=&wertauswahl=823&wertauswahl=275&werteabruf=Werteabruf#abreadcrumb."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"658","DOI":"10.1086\/334903","article-title":"Interrelation of Light and Darkness in Photoperiodic Induction","volume":"101","author":"Hamner","year":"1940","journal-title":"Bot. Gaz."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"295","DOI":"10.1016\/S2095-3119(19)62850-9","article-title":"Principles and practices of the photo-thermal adaptability improvement in soybean","volume":"19","author":"Zhang","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Integr. Agric."},{"key":"ref_12","unstructured":"Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (2022, August 23). FAOSTAT Statistical Database. Available online: https:\/\/www.fao.org\/faostat\/en\/#data\/TCL."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"23","DOI":"10.1017\/S0376892901000030","article-title":"Soybean cultivation as a threat to the environment in Brazil","volume":"28","author":"Fearnside","year":"2001","journal-title":"Environ. Conserv."},{"key":"ref_14","unstructured":"Bundesanstalt f\u00fcr Landwirtschaft und Ern\u00e4hrung (2020). Ackerbohne, Erbse & Co.: Die Eiwei\u00dfpflanzenstrategie des Bundesministeriums f\u00fcr Ern\u00e4hrung und Landwirtschaft zur F\u00f6rderung des Leguminosenanbaus in Deutschland."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"894","DOI":"10.2135\/cropsci1986.0011183X002600050012x","article-title":"Stability Analysis: Where Do We Stand? 1","volume":"26","author":"Lin","year":"1986","journal-title":"Crop Sci."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1439-0523.1988.tb00261.x","article-title":"Stability Analysis in Plant Breeding","volume":"101","author":"Becker","year":"1988","journal-title":"Plant Breed."},{"key":"ref_17","unstructured":"Annicchiarico, P. (2002). Genotype x Environment Interaction: Challenges and Opportunities for Plant Breeding and Cultivar Recommendations, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations."},{"key":"ref_18","unstructured":"Miedaner, T. (2010). Grundlagen der Pflanzenz\u00fcchtung, DLG-Verlag."},{"key":"ref_19","unstructured":"Becker, H. (2011). Pflanzenz\u00fcchtung, 2. Aufl., Ulmer. UTB GmbH."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"219","DOI":"10.2135\/cropsci2003.2190","article-title":"Genotype \u00d7 Environment Interaction for Grain Color in Hard White Spring Wheat","volume":"43","author":"Hucl","year":"2003","journal-title":"Crop Sci."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"220","DOI":"10.2134\/agronj2006.0144","article-title":"Yield Stability of Maize Hybrids Evaluated in Multi-Environment Trials in Yunnan, China","volume":"99","author":"Fan","year":"2007","journal-title":"Agron. J."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"783","DOI":"10.1111\/2041-210X.13384","article-title":"\u2019C. metan: An R package for multi-environment trial analysis","volume":"11","author":"Olivoto","year":"2020","journal-title":"Methods Ecol. Evol."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2106","DOI":"10.2135\/cropsci2015.06.0336","article-title":"Analysis and Handling of G \u00d7 E in a Practical Breeding Program","volume":"56","author":"Yan","year":"2016","journal-title":"Crop Sci."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"7","DOI":"10.2135\/cropsci2000.4017","article-title":"Selection Response in Subdivided Target Regions","volume":"40","author":"Atlin","year":"2000","journal-title":"Crop Sci."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"623","DOI":"10.4141\/P05-169","article-title":"Biplot analysis of multi-environment trial data: Principles and applications","volume":"86","author":"Yan","year":"2006","journal-title":"Can. J. Plant Sci."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Yan, W., and Kang, M.S. (2003). GGE Biplot Analysis: A Graphical Tool for Breeders, Geneticists, and Agronomists, CRC Press.","DOI":"10.1201\/9781420040371"},{"key":"ref_27","first-page":"378","article-title":"K\u00fchletoleranz bei der Sojabohne (Glycine max (L.) Merr.)\u2013Voraussetzung f\u00fcr die Ausweitung des Sojaanbaus in Deutschland","volume":"66","author":"Balko","year":"2014","journal-title":"J. F\u00fcr Kult."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"708","DOI":"10.1111\/pbr.12734","article-title":"Cold stress tolerance of soybeans during flowering: QTL mapping and efficient selection strategies under controlled conditions","volume":"138","author":"Balko","year":"2019","journal-title":"Plant Breed."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"126415","DOI":"10.1016\/j.eja.2021.126415","article-title":"Agro-economic prospects for expanding soybean production beyond its current northerly limit in Europe","volume":"133","author":"Karges","year":"2022","journal-title":"Eur. J. Agron."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"765","DOI":"10.1111\/pce.12896","article-title":"Identification of mega-environments in Europe and effect of allelic variation at maturity E loci on adaptation of European soybean","volume":"40","author":"Kurasch","year":"2017","journal-title":"Plant Cell Environ."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Sobko, O., Stahl, A., Hahn, V., Zikeli, S., Claupein, W., and Gruber, S. (2020). Environmental Effects on Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr) Production in Central and South Germany. Agronomy, 10.","DOI":"10.3390\/agronomy10121847"},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Toleikiene, M., Slepetys, J., Sarunaite, L., Lazauskas, S., Deveikyte, I., and Kadziuliene, Z. (2021). Soybean Development and Productivity in Response to Organic Management above the Northern Boundary of Soybean Distribution in Europe. Agronomy, 11.","DOI":"10.3390\/agronomy11020214"},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"617","DOI":"10.1007\/s00122-018-3134-2","article-title":"The soybean experiment \u20181000 Gardens\u2019: A case study of citizen science for research, education, and beyond","volume":"132","author":"Leiser","year":"2019","journal-title":"Theor. Appl. Genet."},{"key":"ref_34","unstructured":"(2022, March 30). Agrarmeteorologie Bayern. Available online: www.wetter-by.de."},{"key":"ref_35","unstructured":"(2022, March 30). Agrarmeteorologie Baden-W\u00fcrttemberg. Available online: www.wetter-bw.de."},{"key":"ref_36","unstructured":"(2022, March 30). Climate Data Center. Available online: https:\/\/opendata.dwd.de\/climate_environment\/CDC\/observations_germany\/climate\/daily\/kl\/historical\/."},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"381","DOI":"10.1198\/108571106X154443","article-title":"On the design of early generation variety trials with correlated data","volume":"11","author":"Cullis","year":"2006","journal-title":"JABES"},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1881","DOI":"10.1534\/genetics.107.074229","article-title":"Computing heritability and selection response from unbalanced plant breeding trials","volume":"177","author":"Piepho","year":"2007","journal-title":"Genetics"},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"597","DOI":"10.2135\/cropsci2000.403597x","article-title":"Cultivar Evaluation and Mega-Environment Investigation Based on the GGE Biplot","volume":"40","author":"Yan","year":"2000","journal-title":"Crop Sci."},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"237","DOI":"10.1038\/hdy.1972.87","article-title":"Some Statistical Aspects of Partitioning Genotype-Environmental Components of Variability","volume":"29","author":"Shukla","year":"1972","journal-title":"Heredity"},{"key":"ref_41","unstructured":"R Core Team (2021). R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing, R Foundation for Statistical Computing."},{"key":"ref_42","unstructured":"Butler, D. (2020). Asreml: Fits the Linear Mixed Model, VSN International."},{"key":"ref_43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Wickham, H. (2016). Ggplot2: Elegant Graphics for Data Analysis, Springer. [2nd ed.].","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-319-24277-4"},{"key":"ref_44","unstructured":"Jun, C., Granville, M., and Samson, L.D. (2022, September 01). Ggcorrplot2: Visualize a Correlation Matrix using Ggplot2. R Package Version 0.1.2. Available online: https:\/\/github.com\/caijun\/ggcorrplot2."}],"container-title":["Plants"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2223-7747\/12\/4\/756\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T18:27:49Z","timestamp":1760120869000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2223-7747\/12\/4\/756"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2023,2,8]]},"references-count":44,"journal-issue":{"issue":"4","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,2]]}},"alternative-id":["plants12040756"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/plants12040756","relation":{},"ISSN":["2223-7747"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2223-7747","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2023,2,8]]}}}