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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Raleigh, North Carolina » Soybean and Nitrogen Fixation Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #394010
Research Project: Exploiting Genetic Diversity through Genomics, Plant Physiology, and Plant Breeding to Increase Competitiveness of U.S. Soybeans in Global Markets

Location: Soybean and Nitrogen Fixation Research

Title: Characterization of a soybean population for germination and seedling root traits under water stress conditions

Author
item KAKATI, JOYTI - Clemson University
item Fallen, Benjamin
item BRIDGES, WILLIAM - Clemson University
item NARARYANAN, SRUTHI - Clemson University

Submitted to: Agronomy Journal
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/15/2022
Publication Date: 8/18/2022
Citation: Kakati, J.P., Fallen, B.D., Bridges, W.C., Nararyanan, S.K. 2022. Characterization of a soybean population for germination and seedling root traits under water stress conditions. Agronomy Journal. 12(8). https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12081944.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12081944

Interpretive Summary: For farmers dry soil conditions at the time of soybean planting can result in poor stand establishment, which can reduce yield and in extreme cases require replanting. The objective of this study was to evaluate a diverse collection of 41 soybean lines for germination and early root development under water stress conditions. Soybean lines were evaluated under no, low, mild, severe and extreme water stress conditions at the time of planting. Among the 41 soybean lines evaluated, 10 lines had a germination rate above 90% under severe water stress. However, only 1 of the 10 lines had a germination rate above 90% under extreme water stress. The same 10 lines identified to have a higher germination rate under severe water stress were ranked among the top 15 for all measured root traits. The 10 lines identified in this study could be useful for breeding programs in developing new soybean varieties with drought tolerance at emergence and help expand a relatively new but limited farming practice, double cropping after corn.

Technical Abstract: Dry soil conditions at the time of soybean planting results in poor stand establishment, which often necessitates replanting. We conducted a study to identify soybean genotypes that can maintain germination rates and possess better root morphology under water stress conditions. We tested 41 Plant Introductions (PI) for germination and seedling root traits under controlled environmental conditions at five water potentials: 0.00 MPa (no water stress), -0.27 MPa (low water stress), -0.54 MPa (mild water stress), -0.82 MPa (severe water stress), and -1.09 MPa (extreme water stress). The same genotypes were tested for emergence and seedling root traits under field conditions at Florence in South Carolina. Among the 41 genotypes evaluated, PI 424605A, PI 398566, and PI 398532 could maintain higher germination percentage under water stress. The same genotypes were ranked among the top 15 for all measured root traits (total-root and fine-root length, surface area, and volume) under water stress. Furthermore, they had high emergence percentage under field conditions. The superior genotypes identified in this study (PI 424605A, PI 398566, and PI 398532) that had better germination and root morphology under water-stress and no-stress conditions and better emergence would be useful for breeding programs for drought tolerance during emergence.