Drying rate alters soluble carbohydrates, desiccation tolerance, and subsequent seedling growth of soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill) zygotic embryos during in vitro maturation

• Published in: Plant science (Limerick) Vol. 132; no. 1; pp. 1 - 12
• Main Authors: Obendorf, R.L, Dickerman, A.M, Pflum, T.M, Kacalanos, M.A, Smith, M.E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier B.V 27.02.1998; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; alcohols; Biological and medical sciences; cotyledons; desiccation; Desiccation tolerance; drying; Economic plant physiology; embryo (plant); embryo culture; Fructification and ripening; Fructification, ripening. Postharvest physiology; fructose; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; glucose; Glycine max; growth; Growth and development; In vitro seed culture; maltose; Pinitol; Plant physiology and development; raffinose; seed germination; seedlings; Stachyose; stems; sucrose; sugar alcohols; sugars; tolerance; Vegetative and sexual reproduction, floral biology, fructification; Zygotic embryo maturation; Zygotic embryo maturation; Desiccation tolerance; Pinitol; Stachyose; Glycine max; In vitro seed culture; Embryo; Germinability; Desiccation; Germination; Tissue culture; Tolerance; Ripening; Grain legume; Leguminosae; Investigation method; Dicotyledones; Seed; Angiospermae; Development; Spermatophyta; Carbohydrate; Biological accumulation; Drying
• ISSN: 0168-9452; 1873-2259
• DOI: 10.1016/S0168-9452(97)00258-6

In vitro culture of soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) seeds and zygotic embryos is used to study factors affecting seed growth, maturation, desiccation tolerance, and germination. While germination of in vitro matured zygotic embryos is usually greater than 80%, seedling growth is often lower than that of seeds matured in planta. Soluble carbohydrates in axis and cotyledon tissues of soybean zygotic embryos at 0–32 days of in vitro culture were assayed before drying, after fast drying, and after slow drying and related to changes in germination and axis growth of seedlings. Germinability was improved by slow drying. A low mass ratio of sucrose to raffinose plus stachyose was associated with germinability but was not sufficient for the maintenance of high seedling growth after prolonged culture in vitro. The loss of seedling growth as a function of days in culture correlated (r2=0.94) with a decline in stachyose concentration in axis tissues after slow drying. Total pinitol did not exceed that present in embryos before culture, and accumulation of galactopinitols and fagopyritol B1 was limited in embryos grown in vitro. Responses of zygotic embryos to in vitro culture may be useful in understanding problems associated with the conversion of soybean somatic embryos to plantlets and vigorous growth of plantlets.