Soy gene cluster regions and methods of use

A method of identifying a soybean plant that displays improved resistance to Phytophthora, the method comprising:

• (a) Isolating nucleic acids from a genome of a soybean plant;
• (b) detecting in the nucleic acids of (a) at least one allele of one or more marker locus associated with resistance to Phytophthora wherein the one or more marker locus is a marker locus localizing within a chromosomal interval on soy Chromosome 13 flanked by and including SSR markers Satt 325 and Satt 362;
• and
• (c) selecting a soybean plant or a progeny of said soybean plant based on the presence of said one or more marker locus associated with resistance to Phytophthora in (b) wherein the resulting plant displays improved resistance to Phytophthora as compared to a control plant.

The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more marker locus is a marker locus localizing within a chromosomal interval on soy chromosome 13 flanked by and including physical positions selected from the group consisting of:

• physical positions 28452978-28454963;
• physical positions 28550398-28673784;
• physical positions 28727753-28728253;
• physical positions 28822421-28978405;
• physical positions 29065592-29100947;
• and physical positions 29529477-29529674 wherein, said physical positions correspond to nucleic acid positions comprised in shotgun clone NC_016100.1.

The method of claim 1, wherein the marker locus comprises a marker associated with any one of SEQ ID NOs:

• 6-7;
• 9-11;
• 13;
• 15-18;
• 20-22;
• or 27.

A method for producing soybean progeny plants having improved resistance to Phytophthora, the method comprising the steps of;

• (a) detecting in a first soybean plant at least one allele of one or more marker locus associated with improved resistance to Phytophthora wherein the one or more marker locus is a marker locus localizing within a chromosomal interval on soy Chromosome 13 flanked by and including Satt 325 and Satt 362;
• (b) crossing the first soybean plant of (a) with a non-resistant soybean plant or germplasm wherein said non-resistant soybean plant or germplasm does not comprise the one or more marker locus of (a) associated with improved Phytophthora resistance;
• (c) introgressing improved Phytophthora resistance into the non-resistant soybean plant or germplasm of (b);
• and
• (d) producing progeny plants having improved resistance to Phytophthora as compared to a control plant.