Chemical and structural aspects of the physiological quality of soybean seeds

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the additive and non-additive genetic effects for thickness of the seed coat layers and of the lignin present in them, and to verify if the characters used to evaluate the physiological quality of the seeds is correlated with the lignin content. Three cultivars (M-Soy 8400, CD 201, CD 206) with high and three (CD 215, CD 202, Savana) with low physiological quality were used to obtain F1 and F2 hybrid seeds, including the reciprocals, using partial diallel crosses and the parental lines. First germination count, final germination count and germination rate, used to evaluate the physiological quality, can be correlated with lignin content. Positive correlations were observed between lignin content and the percentage of normal seedlings in the aging test at the 5th and 11th days after sowing, with the highest correlation values at the 5th day. The correlation between germination rate and lignin content was negative. The diallel analysis showed reciprocal effect, showing that the thickness of the seed coat layers and of the lignin contained in these layers can be explained by maternal effect.