Soybean variety a1035917

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to the soybean variety designated A1035917. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety A1035917. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety A1035917 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety A1035917 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to the field of soybean breeding. In particular, the invention relates to the novel soybean variety A1035917.
2. Description of Related Art

There are numerous steps in the development of any novel, desirable plant germplasm. Plant breeding begins with the analysis and definition of problems and weaknesses of the current germplasm, the establishment of program goals, and the definition of specific breeding objectives. The next step is selection of germplasm that possess the traits to meet the program goals. The goal is to combine in a single variety an improved combination of desirable traits from the parental germplasm. These important traits may include higher seed yield, resistance to diseases and insects, better stems and roots, tolerance to drought and heat, better agronomic quality, resistance to herbicides, and improvements in compositional traits.
Soybean, Glycine max (L.), is a valuable field crop. Thus, a continuing goal of plant breeders is to develop stable, high yielding soybean varieties that are agronomically sound. The reasons for this goal are to maximize the amount of grain produced on the land used and to supply food for both animals and humans. To accomplish this goal, the soybean breeder must select and develop soybean plants that have the traits that result in superior varieties.
 The oil extracted from soybeans is widely used in food products, such as margarine, cooking oil, and salad dressings. Soybean oil is composed of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids, with a typical composition of 11% palmitic, 4% stearic, 25% oleic, 50% linoleic, and 9% linolenic fatty acid content (“Economic Implications of Modified Soybean Traits Summary Report,” Iowa Soybean Promotion Board & American Soybean Association Special Report 92S, May 1990).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One aspect of the present invention relates to seed of the soybean variety A1035917. The invention also relates to plants produced by growing the seed of the soybean variety A1035917, as well as the derivatives of such plants. Further provided are plant parts, including cells, plant protoplasts, plant cells of a tissue culture from which soybean plants can be regenerated, plant calli, plant clumps, and plant cells that are intact in plants or parts of plants, such as pollen, flowers, seeds, pods, leaves, stems, and the like.
 In a further aspect, the invention provides a composition comprising a seed of soybean variety A1035917 comprised in plant seed growth media. In certain embodiments, the plant seed growth media is a soil or synthetic cultivation medium. In specific embodiments, the growth medium may be comprised in a container or may, for example, be soil in a field. Plant seed growth media are well known to those of skill in the art and include, but are in no way limited to, soil or synthetic cultivation medium. Advantageously, plant seed growth media can provide adequate physical support for seeds and can retain moisture and/or nutritional components. Examples of characteristics for soils that may be desirable in certain embodiments can be found, for instance, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,932,166 and 4,707,176. Synthetic plant cultivation media are also well known in the art and may, in certain embodiments, comprise polymers or hydrogels. Examples of such compositions are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,241,537.
Another aspect of the invention relates to a tissue culture of regenerable cells of the soybean variety A1035917, as well as plants regenerated therefrom, wherein the regenerated soybean plant is capable of expressing all the physiological and morphological characteristics of a plant grown from the soybean seed designated A1035917.
 Yet another aspect of the current invention is a soybean plant comprising a single locus conversion of the soybean variety A1035917, wherein the soybean plant is otherwise capable of expressing all the physiological and morphological characteristics of the soybean variety A1035917. In particular embodiments of the invention, the single locus conversion may comprise a transgenic gene which has been introduced by genetic transformation into the soybean variety A1035917 or a progenitor thereof. In still other embodiments of the invention, the single locus conversion may comprise a dominant or recessive allele. The locus conversion may confer potentially any trait upon the single locus converted plant, including herbicide resistance, insect resistance, resistance to bacterial, fungal, or viral disease, male fertility or sterility, and improved nutritional quality.
Still yet another aspect of the invention relates to a first generation (F₁) hybrid soybean seed produced by crossing a plant of the soybean variety A1035917 to a second soybean plant. Also included in the invention are the F₁ hybrid soybean plants grown from the hybrid seed produced by crossing the soybean variety A1035917 to a second soybean plant. Still further included in the invention are the seeds of an F₁ hybrid plant produced with the soybean variety A1035917 as one parent, the second generation (F₂) hybrid soybean plant grown from the seed of the F₁ hybrid plant, and the seeds of the F₂ hybrid plant.
 Still yet another aspect of the invention is a method of producing soybean seeds comprising crossing a plant of the soybean variety A1035917 to any second soybean plant, including itself or another plant of the variety A1035917. In particular embodiments of the invention, the method of crossing comprises the steps of a) planting seeds of the soybean variety A1035917; b) cultivating soybean plants resulting from said seeds until said plants bear flowers; c) allowing fertilization of the flowers of said plants; and d) harvesting seeds produced from said plants.
Still yet another aspect of the invention is a method of producing hybrid soybean seeds comprising crossing the soybean variety A1035917 to a second, distinct soybean plant which is nonisogenic to the soybean variety A1035917. In particular embodiments of the invention, the crossing comprises the steps of a) planting seeds of soybean variety A1035917 and a second, distinct soybean plant, b) cultivating the soybean plants grown from the seeds until the plants bear flowers; c) cross pollinating a flower on one of the two plants with the pollen of the other plant, and d) harvesting the seeds resulting from the cross pollinating.
Still yet another aspect of the invention is a method for developing a soybean plant in a soybean breeding program comprising: obtaining a soybean plant, or its parts, of the variety A1035917; and b) employing said plant or parts as a source of breeding material using plant breeding techniques. In the method, the plant breeding techniques may be selected from the group consisting of recurrent selection, mass selection, bulk selection, backcrossing, pedigree breeding, genetic marker-assisted selection and genetic transformation. In certain embodiments of the invention, the soybean plant of variety A1035917 is used as the male or female parent.
 Still yet another aspect of the invention is a method of producing a soybean plant derived from the soybean variety A1035917, the method comprising the steps of: (a) preparing a progeny plant derived from soybean variety A1035917 by crossing a plant of the soybean variety A1035917 with a second soybean plant; and (b) crossing the progeny plant with itself or a second plant to produce a progeny plant of a subsequent generation which is derived from a plant of the soybean variety A1035917. In one embodiment of the invention, the method further comprises: (c) crossing the progeny plant of a subsequent generation with itself or a second plant; and (d) repeating steps (b) and (c) for, in some embodiments, at least 2, 3, 4 or more additional generations to produce an inbred soybean plant derived from the soybean variety A1035917. Also provided by the invention is a plant produced by this and the other methods of the invention.
In another embodiment of the invention, the method of producing a soybean plant derived from the soybean variety A1035917 further comprises: (a) crossing the soybean variety A1035917-derived soybean plant with itself or another soybean plant to yield additional soybean variety A1035917-derived progeny soybean seed; (b) growing the progeny soybean seed of step (a) under plant growth conditions to yield additional soybean variety A1035917-derived soybean plants; and (c) repeating the crossing and growing steps of (a) and (b) to generate further soybean variety A1035917-derived soybean plants. In specific embodiments, steps (a) and (b) may be repeated at least 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 or more times as desired. The invention still further provides a soybean plant produced by this and the foregoing methods.
 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The instant invention provides methods and composition relating to plants, seeds and derivatives of the soybean variety A1035917. Soybean variety A1035917 is adapted to mid group II. Soybean variety A1035917 was developed from an initial cross of 4025411-12/JW2207B4-A0YN. The breeding history of the variety can be summarized as follows:

Generation Year Description Cross 2007 The cross was made near Janesville, WI. F₁ 2007 Plants were grown near Isabela, PR and advanced using bulk. F₂ 2008 Plants were grown near Isabela, PR and advanced using single plant selection. F₃ 2008 Plants were grown near Janesville, WI and advanced using single plant selection. F₄ 2008 Plants were grown near Rancagua, Chile in Progeny Rows and the variety A1035917 was selected based on the agronomic characteristics, including but not limited to, general plant health, lodging, early emergence, and general disease resistance, including PRR, SCN, etc.
Yield Testing Generation Year No. of Locations Rank No. of Entries F₅ 2009 6 2 60 F₆ 2010 13 7 30 F₇ 2011 52 3 60 F₈ 2012 35 3 30

The soybean variety A1035917 has been judged to be uniform for breeding purposes and testing. The variety A1035917 can be reproduced by planting and growing seeds of the variety under self-pollinating or sib-pollinating conditions, as is known to those of skill in the agricultural arts. Variety A1035917 shows no variants other than what would normally be expected due to environment or that would occur for almost any characteristic during the course of repeated sexual reproduction.
 The results of an objective evaluation of the variety are presented below, in Table 1. Those of skill in the art will recognize that these are typical values that may vary due to environment and that other values that are substantially equivalent are within the scope of the invention.
TABLE 1 Phenotypic Description of Variety A1035917 Trait Phenotype Morphology: Relative Maturity   2.6 Flower Color White Pubescence Color Tawny Hilum Color Black Pod Color Tan Seed Coat Color Yellow Seed Coat Luster Dull Seed Shape Spherical flattened Cotyledon Color Yellow Leaf Shape Ovate Leaf Color Green Canopy Intermediate Growth Habit Indeterminate Disease Reactions Soybean Cyst Nematode Race 3 Moderately resistant Sudden Death Syndrome 4 Southern Stem Canker 3 Frog Eye Leaf Spot 9 White Mold 8 Chloride Sensitivity Includer Phytophthora Tolerance Race 25 6 Herbicide Reactions: Glyphosate Resistant, event MON89788 Sulfonylurea Susceptible

Event MON89788 is also known as event GM_A19788. Event MON89788 is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 7,632,985, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The performance characteristics of soybean variety A1035917 were also analyzed and comparisons were made with selected varieties. The results of the analysis are presented below, in Table 2.
 TABLE 2 Exemplary Agronomic Traits of Variety A1035917 and Selected Varieties Entries Compared YLD_BE MAT PHT LDG PSC PRO OIL A1035917 59.2 19.9 38 3.1 3.4 40.7 21.7 31-10RY 54.9 13.7 38.1 3.9 4 39.6 21.7 Deviation 4.3 6.14 −0.06 −0.73 −0.65 1.09 0.04 Significance ** ** * * * # Obs 100 24 11 20 32 8 8 Years 3 2 2 3 2 2 2 Win Percent 72 4 55 80 77 88 50 Test Mean 57.2 17.4 38.2 2.9 3.3 40 21.7 A1035917 58.7 22.6 39 2.8 3.2 40.4 21.9 AG2330 56.3 18.5 36.4 4.1 3.8 40.5 21.9 Deviation 2.46 4.17 2.56 −1.33 −0.51 −0.1 −0.04 Significance ** ** * * # Obs 73 11 6 11 17 5 5 Years 3 3 2 3 1 2 2 Win Percent 67 9 20 100 77 40 40 Test Mean 56.8 21 38.2 2.9 3.3 39.7 21.8 A1035917 57.3 20.5 38 2.6 3.1 40.5 21.8 AG2431 56.7 16.8 35.3 2 2.8 39 22.2 Deviation 0.54 3.69 2.68 0.59 0.29 1.55 −0.41 Significance ** ** * ** + # Obs 114 21 11 23 41 7 7 Years 3 3 2 3 2 2 2 Win Percent 56 14 9 28 33 100 14 Test Mean 55.2 18.8 38.4 2.5 3.1 39.9 21.8 A1035917 55.9 19.5 37.2 2.5 3.2 40.5 21.8 AG2433 56.6 15.2 36.2 1.7 2.6 40.2 21.7 Deviation −0.7 4.33 0.99 0.73 0.64 0.34 0.08 Significance ** ** ** # Obs 76 14 8 18 34 3 3 Years 3 2 2 3 2 1 1 Win Percent 49 7 38 15 17 100 67 Test Mean 54.4 16.8 38 2.4 3.1 40.1 21.5 A1035917 57.2 20.5 38 2.6 3 40.5 21.8 AG2531 55.1 15.6 38.3 2.9 3.4 40 21.8 Deviation 2.1 4.88 −0.35 −0.31 −0.32 0.51 0.05 Significance ** ** + * # Obs 114 21 11 24 43 7 7 Years 3 3 2 3 2 2 2 Win Percent 68 0 60 71 68 71 57 Test Mean 55.3 18.9 37.9 2.5 3.1 39.9 21.7 A1035917 60.7 22.1 39.2 2.7 3.2 40.5 21.9 AG2631 58.1 22.2 40.5 3.5 3.8 40.8 21.7 Deviation 2.61 −0.08 −1.34 −0.79 −0.65 −0.29 0.19 Significance ** + ** # Obs 68 13 5 12 19 4 4 Years 3 3 1 3 2 1 1 Win Percent 65 46 60 82 71 75 25 Test Mean 58.3 21.2 38.9 2.8 3.2 39.8 21.7 A1035917 57.5 20.8 38 2.6 2.9 40.5 21.8 AG2632 58.2 23.4 39 2.5 2.7 40.8 21.3 Deviation −0.75 −2.6 −0.96 0.04 0.23 −0.32 0.46 Significance ** * # Obs 107 19 11 24 41 7 7 Years 3 2 2 3 2 2 2 Win Percent 42 89 55 39 44 14 100 Test Mean 55.9 20.7 38.6 2.6 3 40 21.6 A1035917 57.7 20.8 38 2.7 3 40.5 21.8 AG2731 56.3 18.6 38.6 2.3 3.4 41.5 20.8 Deviation 1.41 2.21 −0.57 0.37 −0.35 −0.99 0.99 Significance * ** * + * ** # Obs 108 19 11 22 39 7 7 Years 3 2 2 3 2 2 2 Win Percent 63 11 50 35 65 14 100 Test Mean 56.1 20.7 38.4 2.7 3.1 40 21.6 A1035917 58.6 20.8 38 3.1 3.3 40.8 21.7 AG2831 57.5 20.2 37.9 3.3 3.6 39.5 21.2 Deviation 1.12 0.58 0.12 −0.23 −0.33 1.39 0.44 Significance + + * + # Obs 92 19 11 16 30 6 6 Years 3 2 2 3 2 2 2 Win Percent 57 32 36 71 64 100 83 Test Mean 56.1 21.3 38.9 3 3.3 40.2 21.4 A1035917 56.3 20.5 38 2.6 3 40.6 21.8 AG2931 56.7 22.8 40 2.7 3.2 39.5 21.4 Deviation −0.31 −2.31 −2.01 −0.15 −0.17 1.13 0.4 Significance ** ** * * # Obs 126 21 11 31 45 5 5 Years 3 3 2 3 2 2 2 Win Percent 48 95 91 54 51 80 100 Test Mean 54.7 21.4 39.3 2.6 3 40.1 21.5 A1035917 57.3 20 38 2.5 3.3 40.5 21.8 CR 2502N 56.6 15.1 38.1 3 3.4 39.6 21.7 Deviation 0.62 4.92 −0.11 −0.58 −0.09 0.94 0 Significance ** * ** # Obs 100 17 11 20 33 3 3 Years 3 2 2 3 2 1 1 Win Percent 57 0 50 79 58 100 67 Test Mean 55.5 18 38 2.5 3.2 40.2 21.5 A1035917 57.4 19.9 38 2.7 3 40.7 21.7 CR2 2823N 59.4 22.3 39.2 2.6 2.8 41.7 20.5 Deviation −2.01 −2.45 −1.2 0.12 0.19 −0.97 1.19 Significance ** ** ** ** # Obs 127 24 11 34 46 8 8 Years 3 2 2 3 2 2 2 Win Percent 36 96 64 30 27 0 100 Test Mean 56.1 19.9 38.7 2.7 3.1 40.1 21.5 A1035917 56.7 19.9 38 2.5 3.1 40.9 21.6 CS 24R203 55.9 15.8 35.1 2 2.9 39.6 21.6 Deviation 0.83 4.09 2.94 0.5 0.26 1.26 −0.08 Significance ** ** * * # Obs 113 18 11 22 39 4 4 Years 3 3 2 3 2 1 1 Win Percent 61 0 9 27 37 100 25 Test Mean 55 17.5 37.9 2.5 3.1 40.4 21.4 A1035917 58.4 20.2 38 2.9 3.6 40.2 22.1 MR2613N 58.1 17.1 37 2.5 3.1 38.7 23.4 Deviation 0.27 3.06 0.98 0.43 0.53 1.5 −1.26 Significance ** * * # Obs 92 16 11 14 22 4 4 Years 3 2 2 3 2 2 2 Win Percent 55 13 33 17 25 100 0 Test Mean 56.5 18.9 38.2 2.9 3.5 39.5 22.1 A1035917 57.2 19.5 38.4 2.4 3.3 40.5 21.8 92Y60 54 18.8 35.9 1.3 3.3 39.9 21.6 Deviation 3.22 0.67 2.53 1.13 −0.03 0.62 0.12 Significance ** ** ** + # Obs 96 16 10 19 32 3 3 Years 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 Win Percent 72 46 0 0 50 100 67 Test Mean 55.2 17.7 38.2 2.3 3.2 39.9 21.8 A1035917 57 19.5 38.4 2.5 3.3 40.5 21.8 S25-R3 54.4 17.4 36.6 1.9 2.9 39.5 22.3 Deviation 2.62 2.15 1.8 0.58 0.38 1.06 −0.51 Significance ** ** + * ** + # Obs 105 16 10 20 32 3 3 Years 3 2 2 3 2 1 1 Win Percent 68 12 22 8 15 100 0 Test Mean 54.9 17.4 38.1 2.4 3.2 39.9 21.8 A1035917 59.8 18.8 38.4 3 3.7 40.9 21.6 92Y53 56 16 37.6 2.5 4.3 38.5 22.6 Deviation 3.81 2.82 0.85 0.5 −0.59 2.35 −1.07 Significance ** ** + * ** ** # Obs 83 20 10 16 24 4 4 Years 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 Win Percent 75 11 33 25 65 100 0 Test Mean 58 17.3 38 2.7 3.6 40.2 21.6 A1035917 58.6 19.2 38.4 2.9 3.7 40.5 21.8 CSR2633 55 16.2 38.8 3.1 3.5 40.1 22.1 Deviation 3.61 3.03 −0.4 −0.22 0.15 0.38 −0.33 Significance ** ** # Obs 91 17 10 14 21 3 3 Years 3 3 2 3 2 1 1 Win Percent 73 18 50 55 33 67 33 Test Mean 55.8 17.7 38.1 2.8 3.5 39.9 21.8 **, *, + Significant at P < 0.01, 0.05, or 0.10, respectively I. Soybean variety A1035917 is well suited to the development of new varieties based on the elite nature of the genetic background of the variety. In selecting a second plant to cross with A1035917 for the purpose of developing novel soybean varieties, it will typically be desired to choose those plants which either themselves exhibit one or more selected desirable characteristics or which exhibit the desired characteristic(s) when in hybrid combination. Examples of potentially desired characteristics include seed yield, lodging resistance, emergence, seedling vigor, disease tolerance, maturity, plant height, high oil content, high protein content and shattering resistance.
Choice of breeding or selection methods depends on the mode of plant reproduction, the heritability of the trait(s) being improved, and the type of variety used commercially (e.g., F₁ hybrid variety, pureline variety, etc.). For highly heritable traits, a choice of superior individual plants evaluated at a single location will be effective, whereas for traits with low heritability, selection should be based on mean values obtained from replicated evaluations of families of related plants. Popular selection methods commonly include pedigree selection, modified pedigree selection, mass selection, recurrent selection and backcrossing.
The complexity of inheritance influences choice of the breeding method. Backcross breeding is used to transfer one or a few favorable genes for a highly heritable trait into a desirable variety. This approach has been used extensively for breeding disease-resistant varieties (Bowers et al., Crop Sci., 32(1):67-72, 1992; Nickell and Bernard, Crop Sci., 32(3):835, 1992). Various recurrent selection techniques are used to improve quantitatively inherited traits controlled by numerous genes. The use of recurrent selection in self-pollinating crops depends on the ease of pollination, the frequency of successful hybrids from each pollination, and the number of hybrid offspring from each successful cross.
 Each breeding program should include a periodic, objective evaluation of the efficiency of the breeding procedure. Evaluation criteria vary depending on the goal and objectives, but should include gain from selection per year based on comparisons to an appropriate standard, overall value of the advanced breeding lines, and number of successful varieties produced per unit of input (e.g., per year, per dollar expended, etc.).
Promising advanced breeding lines are thoroughly tested and compared to appropriate standards in environments representative of the commercial target area(s) for generally three or more years. The best lines are candidates for new commercial varieties. Those still deficient in a few traits may be used as parents to produce new populations for further selection.
These processes, which lead to the final step of marketing and distribution, may take as much as eight to 12 years from the time the first cross is made. Therefore, development of new varieties is a time-consuming process that requires precise forward planning, efficient use of resources, and a minimum of changes in direction.
A most difficult task is the identification of individuals that are genetically superior, because for most traits, the true genotypic value is masked by other confounding plant traits or environmental factors. One method of identifying a superior plant is to observe its performance relative to other experimental plants and to one or more widely grown standard varieties. Single observations are generally inconclusive, while replicated observations provide a better estimate of genetic worth.
 The goal of plant breeding is to develop new, unique and superior soybean varieties and hybrids. The breeder initially selects and crosses two or more parental lines, followed by repeated selfing and selection, producing many new genetic combinations. Each year, the plant breeder selects the germplasm to advance to the next generation. This germplasm is grown under unique and different geographical, climatic and soil conditions, and further selections are then made, during and at the end of the growing season. The varieties which are developed are unpredictable. This unpredictability is because the breeder's selection occurs in unique environments, with no control at the DNA level (using conventional breeding procedures), and with millions of different possible genetic combinations being generated. A breeder of ordinary skill in the art cannot predict the final resulting lines he develops, except possibly in a very gross and general fashion. The same breeder cannot produce the same variety twice by using the exact same original parents and the same selection techniques. This unpredictability results in the expenditure of large amounts of research monies to develop superior new soybean varieties.
Pedigree breeding and recurrent selection breeding methods are used to develop varieties from breeding populations. Breeding programs combine desirable traits from two or more varieties or various broad-based sources into breeding pools from which varieties are developed by selfing and selection of desired phenotypes. The new varieties are evaluated to determine which have commercial potential.
 Pedigree breeding is commonly used for the improvement of self-pollinating crops. Two parents which possess favorable, complementary traits are crossed to produce an F₁. An F₂ population is produced by selfing one or several F₁'s. Selection of the best individuals may begin in the F₂ population (or later depending upon the breeder's objectives); then, beginning in the F₃, the best individuals in the best families can be selected. Replicated testing of families can begin in the F₃ or F₄ generation to improve the effectiveness of selection for traits with low heritability. At an advanced stage of inbreeding (i.e., F₆ and F₇), the best lines or mixtures of phenotypically similar lines are tested for potential release as new varieties.
Mass and recurrent selections can be used to improve populations of either self- or cross-pollinating crops. A genetically variable population of heterozygous individuals is either identified or created by intercrossing several different parents. The best plants are selected based on individual superiority, outstanding progeny, or excellent combining ability. The selected plants are intercrossed to produce a new population in which further cycles of selection are continued.
Backcross breeding has been used to transfer genetic loci for simply inherited, highly heritable traits into a desirable homozygous variety which is the recurrent parent. The source of the trait to be transferred is called the donor or nonrecurent parent. The resulting plant is expected to have the attributes of the recurrent parent (i.e., variety) and the desirable trait transferred from the donor parent. After the initial cross, individuals possessing the phenotype of the donor parent are selected and repeatedly crossed (backcrossed) to the recurrent parent. The resulting plant is expected to have the attributes of the recurrent parent (i.e., variety) and the desirable trait transferred from the donor parent.
 The single-seed descent procedure in the strict sense refers to planting a segregating population, harvesting a sample of one seed per plant, and using the one-seed sample to plant the next generation. When the population has been advanced from the F₂ to the desired level of inbreeding, the plants from which lines are derived will each trace to different F₂ individuals. The number of plants in a population declines each generation due to failure of some seeds to germinate or some plants to produce at least one seed. As a result, not all of the F₂ plants originally sampled in the population will be represented by a progeny when generation advance is completed.
In a multiple-seed procedure, soybean breeders commonly harvest one or more pods from each plant in a population and thresh them together to form a bulk. Part of the bulk is used to plant the next generation and part is put in reserve. This procedure is also referred to as modified single-seed descent or the pod-bulk technique.
The multiple-seed procedure has been used to save labor at harvest. It is considerably faster to thresh pods with a machine than to remove one seed from each by hand for the single-seed procedure. The multiple-seed procedure also makes it possible to plant the same number of seeds of a population each generation of inbreeding. Enough seeds are harvested to make up for those plants that did not germinate or produce seed.
 Descriptions of other breeding methods that are commonly used for different traits and crops can be found in one of several reference books (e.g., Allard, “Principles of plant breeding,” John Wiley & Sons, NY, University of California, Davis, Calif., 50-98, 1960; Simmonds, “Principles of crop improvement,” Longman, Inc., NY, 369-399, 1979; Sneep and Hendriksen, “Plant breeding perspectives,” Wageningen (ed), Center for Agricultural Publishing and Documentation, 1979; Fehr, In: Soybeans: Improvement, Production and Uses,” 2d Ed., Manograph 16:249, 1987; Fehr, “Principles of cultivar development,” Theory and Technique (Vol 1) and Crop Species Soybean (Vol 2), Iowa State Univ., Macmillian Pub. Co., NY, 360-376, 1987; Poehlman and Sleper, “Breeding Field Crops” Iowa State University Press, Ames, 1995; Sprague and Dudley, eds., Corn and Improvement, 5th ed., 2006).
Proper testing should detect any major faults and establish the level of superiority or improvement over current varieties. In addition to showing superior performance, there must be a demand for a new variety that is compatible with industry standards or which creates a new market. The introduction of a new variety will incur additional costs to the seed producer, the grower, processor and consumer; for special advertising and marketing, altered seed and commercial production practices, and new product utilization. The testing preceding release of a new variety should take into consideration research and development costs as well as technical superiority of the final variety. For seed-propagated varieties, it must be feasible to produce seed easily and economically.
 Identification of plants and plant parts which are genetically superior as a result of an event comprising a backcross conversion, transgene, or genetic sterility factor can also be accomplished with molecular marker profiling using a variety of molecular markers including, but not limited to, simple sequence repeat (SSR), single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), sequence-tagged sites (STS), randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), variable number tandem repeat (VNTR), short tandem repeat (STR), single feature polymorphism (SFP), simple sequence length polymorphism (SSLP), restriction site associated DNA, allozyme, and isozyme markers (Gupta et al., 1999; Korzun et al., 2001). SSR markers, for example, can be used to identify individual varieties developed from specific parent varieties, as well as cells or other plant parts thereof. For example,

Any time the soybean variety A1035917 is crossed with another, different, variety, first generation (F₁) soybean progeny are produced. The hybrid progeny are produced regardless of characteristics of the two varieties produced. As such, an F₁ hybrid soybean plant may be produced by crossing A1035917 with any second soybean plant. The second soybean plant may be genetically homogeneous (e.g., inbred) or may itself be a hybrid. Therefore, any F₁ hybrid soybean plant produced by crossing soybean variety A1035917 with a second soybean plant is a part of the present invention.
 Soybean plants (Glycine max L.) can be crossed by either natural or mechanical techniques (see, e.g., Fehr, “Soybean,” In: Hybridization of Crop Plants, Fehr and Hadley (eds), Am. Soc. Agron. and Crop Sci. Soc. Am., Madison, Wis., 590-599, 1980). Natural pollination occurs in soybeans either by self pollination or natural cross pollination, which typically is aided by pollinating organisms. In either natural or artificial crosses, flowering and flowering time are an important consideration. Soybean is a short-day plant, but there is considerable genetic variation for sensitivity to photoperiod (Hamner, “Glycine max(L.) Merrill,” In: The Induction of Flowering: Some Case Histories, Evans (ed), Cornell Univ. Press, Ithaca, N.Y., 62-89, 1969; Criswell and Hume, Crop Sci., 12:657-660, 1972). The critical day length for flowering ranges from about 13 h for genotypes adapted to tropical latitudes to 24 h for photoperiod-insensitive genotypes grown at higher latitudes (Shibles et al., “Soybean,” In: Crop Physiology, Some Case Histories, Evans (ed), Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, England, 51-189, 1975). Soybeans seem to be insensitive to day length for 9 days after emergence. Photoperiods shorter than the critical day length are required for 7 to 26 days to complete flower induction (Borthwick and Parker, Bot. Gaz., 100:374-387, 1938; Shanmugasundaram and Tsou, Crop Sci., 18:598-601, 1978).
 Sensitivity to day length is an important consideration when genotypes are grown outside of their area of adaptation. When genotypes adapted to tropical latitudes are grown in the field at higher latitudes, they may not mature before frost occurs. Plants can be induced to flower and mature earlier by creating artificially short days or by grafting (Fehr, “Soybean,” In: Hybridization of Crop Plants, Fehr and Hadley (eds), Am. Soc. Agron. and Crop Sci. Soc. Am., Madison, Wis., 590-599, 1980). Soybeans frequently are grown in winter nurseries located at sea level in tropical latitudes where day lengths are much shorter than their critical photoperiod. The short day lengths and warm temperatures encourage early flowering and seed maturation, and genotypes can produce a seed crop in 90 days or fewer after planting. Early flowering is useful for generation advance when only a few self-pollinated seeds per plant are needed, but not for artificial hybridization because the flowers self-pollinate before they are large enough to manipulate for hybridization. Artificial lighting can be used to extend the natural day length to about 14.5 h to obtain flowers suitable for hybridization and to increase yields of self-pollinated seed.
The effect of a short photoperiod on flowering and seed yield can be partly offset by altitude, probably due to the effects of cool temperature (Major et al., Crop Sci., 15:174-179, 1975). At tropical latitudes, varieties adapted to the northern U.S. perform more like those adapted to the southern U.S. at high altitudes than they do at sea level.
 The light level required to delay flowering is dependent on the quality of light emitted from the source and the genotype being grown. Blue light with a wavelength of about 480 nm requires more than 30 times the energy to inhibit flowering as red light with a wavelength of about 640 nm (Parker et al., Bot. Gaz., 108:1-26, 1946).
Temperature can also play a significant role in the flowering and development of soybean (Major et al., Crop Sci., 15:174-179, 1975). It can influence the time of flowering and suitability of flowers for hybridization. Temperatures below 21° C. or above 32° C. can reduce floral initiation or seed set (Hamner, “Glycine max(L.) Merrill,” In: The Induction of Flowering: Some Case Histories, Evans (ed), Cornell Univ. Press, Ithaca, N.Y., 62-89, 1969; van Schaik and Probst, Agron. J., 50:192-197, 1958). Artificial hybridization is most successful between 26° C. and 32° C. because cooler temperatures reduce pollen shed and result in flowers that self-pollinate before they are large enough to manipulate. Warmer temperatures frequently are associated with increased flower abortion caused by moisture stress; however, successful crosses are possible at about 35° C. if soil moisture is adequate.
 Soybeans have been classified as indeterminate, semi-determinate, and determinate based on the abruptness of stem termination after flowering begins (Bernard and Weiss, “Qualitative genetics,” In: Soybeans: Improvement, Production, and Uses, Caldwell (ed), Am. Soc. of Agron., Madison, Wis., 117-154, 1973). When grown at their latitude of adaptation, indeterminate genotypes flower when about one-half of the nodes on the main stem have developed. They have short racemes with few flowers, and their terminal node has only a few flowers. Semi-determinate genotypes also flower when about one-half of the nodes on the main stem have developed, but node development and flowering on the main stem stops more abruptly than on indeterminate genotypes. Their racemes are short and have few flowers, except for the terminal one, which may have several times more flowers than those lower on the plant. Determinate varieties begin flowering when all or most of the nodes on the main stem have developed. They usually have elongated racemes that may be several centimeters in length and may have a large number of flowers. Stem termination and flowering habit are reported to be controlled by two major genes (Bernard and Weiss, “Qualitative genetics,” In: Soybeans: Improvement, Production, and Uses, Caldwell (ed), Am. Soc. of Agron., Madison, Wis., 117-154, 1973).
 Soybean flowers typically are self-pollinated on the day the corolla opens. The amount of natural crossing, which is typically associated with insect vectors such as honeybees, is approximately 1% for adjacent plants within a row and 0.5% between plants in adjacent rows (Boerma and Moradshahi, Crop Sci., 15:858-861, 1975). The structure of soybean flowers is similar to that of other legume species and consists of a calyx with five sepals, a corolla with five petals, 10 stamens, and a pistil (Carlson, “Morphology”, In: Soybeans: Improvement, Production, and Uses, Caldwell (ed), Am. Soc. of Agron., Madison, Wis., 17-95, 1973). The calyx encloses the corolla until the day before anthesis. The corolla emerges and unfolds to expose a standard, two wing petals, and two keel petals. An open flower is about 7 mm long from the base of the calyx to the tip of the standard and 6 mm wide across the standard. The pistil consists of a single ovary that contains one to five ovules, a style that curves toward the standard, and a club-shaped stigma. The stigma is receptive to pollen about 1 day before anthesis and remains receptive for 2 days after anthesis, if the flower petals are not removed. Filaments of nine stamens are fused, and the one nearest the standard is free. The stamens form a ring below the stigma until about 1 day before anthesis, then their filaments begin to elongate rapidly and elevate the anthers around the stigma. The anthers dehisce on the day of anthesis, pollen grains fall on the stigma, and within 10 h the pollen tubes reach the ovary and fertilization is completed (Johnson and Bernard, “Soybean genetics and breeding,” In: The Soybean, Norman (ed), Academic Press, NY, 1-73, 1963).
 Self-pollination occurs naturally in soybean with no manipulation of the flowers. For the crossing of two soybean plants, it is often beneficial, although not required, to utilize artificial hybridization. In artificial hybridization, the flower used as a female in a cross is manually cross pollinated prior to maturation of pollen from the flower, thereby preventing self fertilization, or alternatively, the male parts of the flower are emasculated using a technique known in the art. Techniques for emasculating the male parts of a soybean flower include, for example, physical removal of the male parts, use of a genetic factor conferring male sterility, and application of a chemical gametocide to the male parts.
 For artificial hybridization employing emasculation, flowers that are expected to open the following day are selected on the female parent. The buds are swollen and the corolla is just visible through the calyx or has begun to emerge. The selected buds on a parent plant are prepared, and all self-pollinated flowers or immature buds are removed. Special care is required to remove immature buds that are hidden under the stipules at the leaf axil, and which could develop into flowers at a later date. To remove flowers, the flower is grasped and the location of the stigma determined by examining the sepals. A long, curvy sepal covers the keel, and the stigma is on the opposite side of the flower. The calyx is removed by pulling each sepal down and around the flower, and the exposed corolla is removed just above the calyx scar, taking care to remove the keel petals without injuring the stigma. The ring of anthers is visible after the corolla is removed, unless the anthers were removed with the petals. Cross-pollination can then be carried out using, for example, petri dishes or envelopes in which male flowers have been collected. Desiccators containing calcium chloride crystals are used in some environments to dry male flowers to obtain adequate pollen shed.
 It has been demonstrated that emasculation is unnecessary to prevent self-pollination (Walker et al., Crop Sci., 19:285-286, 1979). When emasculation is not used, the anthers near the stigma frequently are removed to make it clearly visible for pollination. The female flower usually is hand-pollinated immediately after it is prepared; although a delay of several hours does not seem to reduce seed set. Pollen shed typically begins in the morning and may end when temperatures are above 30° C., or may begin later and continue throughout much of the day with more moderate temperatures.
Pollen is available from a flower with a recently opened corolla, but the degree of corolla opening associated with pollen shed may vary during the day. In many environments, it is possible to collect male flowers and use them immediately without storage. In the southern U.S. and other humid climates, pollen shed occurs in the morning when female flowers are more immature and difficult to manipulate than in the afternoon, and the flowers may be damp from heavy dew. In those circumstances, male flowers may be collected into envelopes or petri dishes in the morning and the open container placed in a desiccator for about 4 h at a temperature of about 25° C. The desiccator may be taken to the field in the afternoon and kept in the shade to prevent excessive temperatures from developing within it. Pollen viability can be maintained in flowers for up to 2 days when stored at about 5° C. In a desiccator at 3° C., flowers can be stored successfully for several weeks; however, varieties may differ in the percentage of pollen that germinates after long-term storage (Kuehl, “Pollen viability and stigma receptivity of Glycine max (L.) Merrill,” Thesis, North Carolina State College, Raleigh, N.C., 1961).
 Either with or without emasculation of the female flower, hand pollination can be carried out by removing the stamens and pistil with a forceps from a flower of the male parent and gently brushing the anthers against the stigma of the female flower. Access to the stamens can be achieved by removing the front sepal and keel petals, or piercing the keel with closed forceps and allowing them to open to push the petals away. Brushing the anthers on the stigma causes them to rupture, and the highest percentage of successful crosses is obtained when pollen is clearly visible on the stigma. Pollen shed can be checked by tapping the anthers before brushing the stigma. Several male flowers may have to be used to obtain suitable pollen shed when conditions are unfavorable, or the same male may be used to pollinate several flowers with good pollen shed.
When male flowers do not have to be collected and dried in a desiccator, it may be desired to plant the parents of a cross adjacent to each other. Plants usually are grown in rows 65 to 100 cm apart to facilitate movement of personnel within the field nursery. Yield of self-pollinated seed from an individual plant may range from a few seeds to more than 1,000 as a function of plant density. A density of 30 plants/m of row can be used when 30 or fewer seeds per plant is adequate, 10 plants/m can be used to obtain about 100 seeds/plant, and 3 plants/m usually results in maximum seed production per plant. Densities of 12 plants/m or less commonly are used for artificial hybridization.
 Multiple planting dates about 7 to 14 days apart usually are used to match parents of different flowering dates. When differences in flowering dates are extreme between parents, flowering of the later parent can be hastened by creating an artificially short day or flowering of the earlier parent can be delayed by use of artificially long days or delayed planting. For example, crosses with genotypes adapted to the southern U.S. are made in northern U.S. locations by covering the late genotype with a box, large can, or similar container to create an artificially short photoperiod of about 12 h for about 15 days beginning when there are three nodes with trifoliate leaves on the main stem. Plants induced to flower early tend to have flowers that self-pollinate when they are small and can be difficult to prepare for hybridization.
Grafting can be used to hasten the flowering of late flowering genotypes. A scion from a late genotype grafted on a stock that has begun to flower will begin to bloom up to 42 days earlier than normal (Kiihl et al., Crop Sci., 17:181-182, 1977). First flowers on the scion appear from 21 to 50 days after the graft.
 Observing pod development 7 days after pollination generally is adequate to identify a successful cross. Abortion of pods and seeds can occur several weeks after pollination, but the percentage of abortion usually is low if plant stress is minimized (Shibles et al., “Soybean,” In: Crop Physiology, Some Case Histories, Evans (ed), Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, England, 51-189, 1975). Pods that develop from artificial hybridization can be distinguished from self-pollinated pods by the presence of the calyx scar, caused by removal of the sepals. The sepals begin to fall off as the pods mature; therefore, harvest should be completed at or immediately before the time the pods reach their mature color. Harvesting pods early also avoids any loss by shattering.
Once harvested, pods are typically air-dried at not more than 38° C. until the seeds contain 13% moisture or less, then the seeds are removed by hand. Seed can be stored satisfactorily at about 25° C. for up to a year if relative humidity is 50% or less. In humid climates, germination percentage declines rapidly unless the seed is dried to 7% moisture and stored in an air-tight container at room temperature. Long-term storage in any climate is best accomplished by drying seed to 7% moisture and storing it at 10° C. or less in a room maintained at 50% relative humidity or in an air-tight container.
 II. Further Embodiments of the Invention

In certain aspects of the invention, plants of soybean variety A1035917 are modified to include at least a first desired heritable trait. Such plants may, in one embodiment, be developed by a plant breeding technique called backcrossing, wherein essentially all of the morphological and physiological characteristics of a variety are recovered in addition to a genetic locus transferred into the plant via the backcrossing technique. By essentially all of the morphological and physiological characteristics, it is meant that the characteristics of a plant are recovered that are otherwise present when compared in the same environment, other than occasional variant traits that might arise during backcrossing or direct introduction of a transgene. It is understood that a locus introduced by backcrossing may or may not be transgenic in origin, and thus the term backcrossing specifically includes backcrossing to introduce loci that were created by genetic transformation.
In a typical backcross protocol, the original variety of interest (recurrent parent) is crossed to a second variety (nonrecurrent parent) that carries the single locus of interest to be transferred. The resulting progeny from this cross are then crossed again to the recurrent parent and the process is repeated until a soybean plant is obtained wherein essentially all of the desired morphological and physiological characteristics of the recurrent parent are recovered in the converted plant, in addition to the transferred locus from the nonrecurrent parent.
