AgricultureID

Cultivar · Soybean cultivar

Forrest

Forrest is a public soybean cultivar released by USDA-ARS in 1973 from the cross Dyer × Bragg. A Maturity Group V cultivar for the mid-South, it is best known as a soybean cyst nematode–resistant line and a reference source of that resistance.

Dated referenceLast reviewed: 2026-07-12Updated: 2026-07-12
Illustrative diagram · AgricultureID (original)

Record

Cultivar / variety
Variety of
Soybean
Botanical taxon
Glycine max
Type
Cultivar (self-pollinated pure line)
Breeding method
Cross-breeding and pure-line selection
Origin
Mid-southern United States (Mississippi), United States
Released
1973
Breeder / institution
USDA-ARS (registered by E. E. Hartwig and J. M. Epps)
Registry status
Historical
Registries
  • USDA GRIN · United States · as of 2026-07-12Forrest is maintained in the USDA Soybean Germplasm Collection; specific accession identifiers are not reproduced here.
Adaptation
Maturity Group V, historically adapted to the mid-southern United States; maturity-group adaptation ties flowering and maturity to day length and latitude.
Intended use
Grain and oilseed soybean production in the mid-South (historical), Source of soybean cyst nematode resistance in breeding, Reference genotype for genetic mapping of nematode resistance
Pest resistance
  • Released as a soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines) resistant cultivar; resistance to the population historically designated race 3 is conditioned by two loci (Rhg1 and Rhg4). Resistance is specific to particular nematode populations (races / HG types) and is not effective against all of them.

Source-attributed claims; efficacy varies with pest biotype, pressure, and region.

Registry listing or variety protection is jurisdiction- and date-specific and does not by itself indicate current commercial availability, universal cultivation approval, patent status, or a recommendation.

Forrest is a public soybean cultivar developed by USDA-ARS and registered in 1973. It was selected from the cross of the cultivars Dyer and Bragg and is a Maturity Group V type adapted to the mid-southern United States.

Forrest became an important early example of a soybean cyst nematode (SCN) resistant cultivar and has since been used extensively as a resistance source and as a parent in genetic-mapping populations studying the inheritance of SCN resistance.

Development

Forrest was selected from the cross Dyer × Bragg and registered in 1973 through the USDA-ARS soybean program serving the southern United States. As a Maturity Group V cultivar, it was suited to mid-South latitudes.

Soybean cyst nematode resistance

Forrest was released as a cultivar resistant to soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines). Its resistance to the nematode population historically designated race 3 is conditioned by two loci, commonly referred to as Rhg1 and Rhg4, and Forrest has been widely used as a parent in mapping populations that dissected this resistance.

Status and use

Forrest has been superseded by newer cultivars for commercial production but remains significant as public germplasm: it is used as a resistance source in breeding and as a reference genotype in nematode-resistance research.

Scope & limitations

Geographic scope: Developed by USDA-ARS for the mid-southern United States; used internationally as a resistance source and research genotype.

Climate context: Maturity Group V soybean; maturity-group adaptation is latitude- and day-length-dependent.

  • Forrest is a historical public cultivar largely superseded for commercial production; agronomic performance is environment-specific.
  • Soybean cyst nematode resistance is population-specific (race / HG type) and can be eroded by shifts in the local nematode population; it is not universal resistance.

Sources

This article draws on the following authoritative sources. See our sources & methodology for how they are selected.

  1. [1]GRIN-Global / National Plant Germplasm System (opens in a new tab)

    USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS)

    Authoritative

    Cited for: Maintenance of Forrest in the USDA Soybean Germplasm Collection

    Type:
    Official registry
    Jurisdiction:
    United States / Global
    Accessed:
    2026-07-12
  2. [2]USDA ARS — Agricultural Research Service (opens in a new tab)

    USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS)

    Authoritative

    Cited for: Registration, parentage, and soybean cyst nematode resistance of Forrest

    Type:
    Government agency
    Jurisdiction:
    United States
    Accessed:
    2026-07-12

Related topics

Crops