Rate and duration of dry matter accumulation in the soybean seed and its relation to grain yield

Abstract

The identification of readily measured traits that are associated with higher yields of soybeans (Glycine max L.) is important for breeding. The objective of this research was to determine the rate and duration of dry matter accumulation in the seeds of soybean genotypes adapted to Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, and to evaluate the association of these parameters with grain yield. The experimentation took place in irrigated fields at the Estação Experimental Agronômica da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, during the growing season of 1980/81, 1981/82 and 1982/83. Splinker irrigation was used during the reproductive stage. The results showed that, with favorable water conditions, what resulted in the maximization of the duration, the rate of dry matter accumulation in the seeds was more important for the determination of grain yield than the time during which the dry matter was accumulated in the seed.