Legumes
The soya bean also grows in Germany and is increasingly being cultivated here!
It is the most important oil plant in the world. Oil extraction produces by-products such as oilseed cake and meal, which are mainly used as high-protein animal feed. Soya is also a good source of protein for human consumption, with a high protein content and very good protein quality. The growing demand for plant-based foods is leading to increased cultivation of soybeans for human consumption.
The State Seed Breeding Institute has been involved in soybean breeding research since 2008. One of the main goals is to produce breeding material that matures well under our climatic conditions and achieves high yields and good protein content. To achieve this, modern breeding schemes are used, supported by genomic studies, speed breeding and sensor-based studies in the field and laboratory.
Sunflower is one of the world's most important oil crops. Currently, more than 20 million hectares are cultivated worldwide. The LSA is one of the few research institutions in Germany intensively involved in breeding research for this oil plant. The work focuses on resistance breeding, improvement of oil quality, use of genetic resources and, more recently, the investigation of sunflower for use in biogas plants. The soybean is the world's most important crop for protein production. In recent years, the breeding of new, more cool-tolerant varieties and climate change have made soybean cultivation economically successful in Germany. High-yielding, cold-tolerant varieties are needed to expand cultivation to cooler regions and improve the economics of soybean production. In contrast to breeding in the USA and Canada, where the focus is on breeding oil-rich soybeans, our research is concentrating on creating protein-rich varieties. Another focus is on breeding soybean varieties for the production of tofu. In addition to high protein content, other quality traits need to be improved.