The PAT Network: Delivering Value Beyond the Field

CHALLENGE: African breeders and seed companies face two distinct challenges. One results from isolation, which limits access to new materials and practices to achieve sustainable levels of breeding program productivity. The other results from the lack of data and subsequent understanding of genotype by environment (GxE) interaction, which limits the breeder from developing the next generation of improved and adapted soybean varieties.

The Pan-African Trial (PAT) program produces Industry Extension Reports for operators following every season with information on trial establishment, management, weather data, phenotypic data, and protein and oil concentration of all tested varieties. SOLUTION: The PAT network produces a new and unique database for the research community. SIL’s rich dataset involves a cross-section of 113 locations and 168 varieties with critical replicated data on yield, phenotype, disease, protein, and oil concentration with associated data on weather, soils, latitude, and elevation. This robust dataset is used to: • Define maturity groups, allowing farmers to select the right variety for their location, which reduces variability and improves productivity, and allowing seed companies to effectively market their products. • Allow processors to better understand how variety and location impact protein and oil concentration, critical metrics for their sourcing needs

• Identify rust-resistant soybean varieties and serve as an early warning system for emerging diseases and threats due to the year-round planting and harvesting nature of the PAT network

KEY IMPACTS • 70-member and growing peer-to-peer learning WhatsApp and Facebook groups • Web-based continuing education platform and matching online curriculum – self-paced, certificate-based, courses: • Electronic data collection • Plot purity management • Inoculum use and effectiveness • Disease scoring and management

• 35 (to-date) Industry Extension Reports on varietal performance and protein/oil concentration

• Online searchable and downloadable database containing all PAT data housed on the Tropical Soybean Information Portal

• Conversion to electronic data collection by

PAT operators using the free Field Book app

Field Book app for electronic field data collection by PAT network

A snapshot of a protein and oil Industry Extension Report generated by SIL for every season of the PAT program. SIL has produced 35 Industry Extension Reports to-date. Protein and oil concentration information is critical to the soybean industry to support processor needs.

The Tropical Soybean Information Portal houses all PAT data for use by network members and researchers..