Partitioning of assimilate between vegetative and reproductive growth in soybean

Partitioning of assimilate between vegetative and reproductive growth in soybean

1985

A:PS

Field experiments were conducted for several years on Typic Argiudoll and Typic Paleudalf soils to investigate the effect of cultivars, growth habit, and enivronmental conditions on the partitioning of assimilate between vegetative and reproductive plant parts in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] during flowering and fruit set. The nodes on the main stem and on the branches reached a maximum at R5 in all cases. Determinate cultivars produced fewer nodes on the main stem between R1 and R5; however, they produced more branch nodes and the total node production was greater than the indeterminate cultivars. The number of pods containing developing seed increased until approximately R6, suggesting that the production of new vegetative sinks in soybean stopped before the total fruit load was established. The partitioning coefficients increased rapidly from < 5% at growth stage R3 to >= 30% at R6. The partitioning coefficient at any growth stage varied only slightly across the variables included in the experiments. This suggests that variation in fruit and seed number may be more closely rlated to variations in crop growth rate than to variations in the allocation of assimilate between vegetative and reproductive plant parts. [AS]

v.77(6):917-922, AGRONOMY JOURNAL

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