Rate My Professor Dechun Wang

Dechun Wang is a Professor in the Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences at Michigan State University, where he earned his Ph.D. He also serves as Regular Faculty in the Molecular Plant Sciences Program, Professor in the Genetics & Genome Sciences Program, and Professor in the BioMolecular Science Gateway. His research specializes in soybean genetics and genomics aimed at improving plant performance, host plant resistance, and seed chemical composition. Wang's work includes soybean breeding and genetics, soybean molecular genetics, and applications of molecular techniques in plant breeding.

Wang has advanced soybean improvement through extensive genetic research, including mapping quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for resistance traits. Key publications from his early work encompass genetic mapping of QTLs underlying partial Sclerotinia stem rot resistance in soybean PI 391589A and PI391589B (Crop Sci., 2008), SSR marker diversity of soybean aphid resistance sources in North America (Genome, 2007), molecular marker diversity of soybean cyst nematode resistant sources (Genome, 2006), and genetic mapping of seed shape in soybean recombinant inbred lines (Theor. Appl. Genet., 2006). He registered A X N-1-55 soybean germplasm with partial resistance to Sclerotinia stem rot (Crop Sci., 2006) and the 'Skylla' soybean variety (Crop Sci., 2006). His highly cited papers include 'Genetic improvement of US soybean in maturity groups II, III, and IV' (Crop Science, 2014; 292 citations), 'A low-cost, high-throughput polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis system for genotyping with microsatellite DNA markers' (Crop Science, 2003; 255 citations), 'Identification of putative QTL that underlie yield in interspecific soybean backcross populations' (Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 2004; 252 citations), 'Resistance to soybean aphid in early maturing soybean germplasm' (Crop Science, 2005; 211 citations), 'Genome-wide association mapping of quantitative resistance to sudden death syndrome in soybean' (BMC Genomics, 2014; 203 citations), and 'Breeding for disease resistance in soybean: a global perspective' (Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 2022; 175 citations). Wang co-authors soybean variety trial reports, including the 2024, 2023, and 2025 editions, contributing to practical soybean production advancements.