Abstract
Water supply is one of the key factors limiting soybean yield. Coming from the monsoon climate region, soybean lacks effective means of leaf surface growth restriction and is prone to produce excessive leaf area that leads to undesirable transpiration increase. Reducing branching rate and, correspondingly, leaf number per plant is usually proposed to decrease leaf area. However, as far as branching ability is generally a useful trait contributing to yield stability, we have undertaken a search for possible alternative ways of leaf area reduction. Soybean canopy structure was studied in our germplasm nursery in Kursk region. We have updated an express method of soybean trifoliate leaf surface calculation. A regression index for soybean trifoliate leaf surface by central leaflet length and width product characterizes leaflet shape and depends from its length to width ratio. In the sampling studied, trifoliate leaf surface varied from 79 to 150sq. cm. Leaf area index (LAI) varied from 4.0 to 8.6 sq. m/sq. m, with optimal LAI equal to 6.0 sq. m/sq. m. Excessive LAI (over 7.7 sq. m/sq. m) decreased yield by 20 %. Optimal LAI may be achieved by various combinations of leaf size and leaf number per plant. Lines possessing good branching rate but remaining within optimal LAI values due to small leaf size were revealed. Thus, lamina size reduction may be proposed as an alternative breeding direction to solve a conflict of bushy plant type and drought tolerance.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
