QTLs associated with and methods for identifying lodging resistance in soybean

A method of selecting a first soybean plant or soybean germplasm that displays improved lodging resistance, the method comprising:

• (a) detecting in a first soybean plant or soybean germplasm at least one allele of one or more marker locus within or linked to a quantitative trait locus (QTL) associated with improved lodging resistance, wherein the allele positively correlates with improved lodging resistance, and wherein the at least one allele of the one or more marker locus comprises an allele selected from the group consisting of allele A of marker locus Gm13:36431456, allele T of marker locus Gm13:36490271, allele T of marker locus Gm13:36491753, allele T of marker locus Gm13:36491754, allele T of marker locus Gm13:36492037, allele G of marker locus Gm13:36492926, allele A of marker locus Gm13:36492955, allele G of marker locus Gm13:36493615, allele G of marker locus Gm13:36494839, allele A of marker locus Gm13:36517239, allele T of marker locus Gm13:36539789, allele T of marker locus Gm13:36539798, allele C of marker locus Gm13:36540415, allele C of marker locus Gm13:36593549, allele T of marker locus Gm13:36613902, allele T of marker locus Gm13:36644196, allele T of marker locus Gm13:36644203, allele T of marker locus Gm13:36644207, allele A of marker locus Gm13:36678427, allele G of marker locus Gm13:36697528, allele T of marker locus Gm13:36795108, allele C of marker locus Gm13:36704369, allele A of marker locus Gm13:36300296, allele T of marker locus Gm13:36567042, allele A of marker locus Gm13:36792347, allele A of marker locus Gm13:36864280, and allele G of marker locus Gm13:37443784;
• (b) selecting a first soybean plant or soybean germplasm comprising the at least one allele from step (a), thereby selecting a soybean plant or soybean germplasm that displays improved lodging resistance;
• and
• (c) crossing the selected first soybean plant or soybean germplasm with a second soybean plant or soybean germplasm to introgress the QTL into a progeny soybean plant or soybean germplasm.