Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #137712
Title: EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE ON OIL AND PROTEIN CONCENTRATION IN SOYBEAN SEEDS CULTURED IN VITRO.

Author
item PIPOLO, ANTONIO - EMBRAPA SOJA, BRAZIL
item Sinclair, Thomas
item CAMARA, GIL - ESALQ-USP, BRAZIL

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/1/2002
Publication Date: 3/5/2004
Citation: Pipolo, A.E., Sinclair, T.R., Camara, G.M. 2004. Effects of temperature on oil and protein concentration in soybean seeds cultured in vitro. Annals of Applied Biology. 144:71-76.

Interpretive Summary: Soybean are grown primarily as a source of protein and oil. Therefore, the concentration of protein and oil are critical factors determining the economic value. While both concentrations are sensitive to the environment, the exact response of protein and oil concentration to the environment has not been resolved. This study involving an ARS-USDA scientist at Gainesville, FL, was designed specifically to examine the influence of temperature on protein and oil accumulation in isolated, growing soybean seeds. The results of this study were rather surprising in that they showed that oil and protein accumulation was fairly insensitive to temperature. Dry weight accumulation also was fairly insensitive to temperature, although at a constant low temperature (63 F) and high temperature (91 F) dry weight accumulation decreased. Decreased dry weight accumulation at these extreme temperatures resulted in an increase in concentration of protein and oil.

Technical Abstract: Much of the economic value of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is based on the amount of protein and oil produced in the seeds. To examine the influence of temperature on seed oil and protein concentration, immature soybean seeds (cv. Williams 82) were grown in vitro at temperatures of 17, 21, 25, 29 and 33 C. The seeds were incubated in Erlenmeyer flasks in liquid medium for 8 d. Sucrose concentration was 204.5 mM and glutamine concentration was 62.5 mM. The oil and protein concentration and seed growth rate did not show statistical difference (P > 0.05) within the temperature range from 21 to 29 C. However, across all temperatures the quadratic regression on oil concentration (R2 = 0.66) showed a minimum at 24.1 C and the quadratic regression on protein concentration (R2 = 0.59) showed a minimum at 24.3 C. Therefore, there was an inverse relationship between DGR vs. oil and DGR vs. protein concentration. Since oil and protein concentrations were the lowest when DGR was the greatest, dilution accounted for much of the variation in concentrations. These results in short-term culture indicated that the temperature effect was mainly on total dry matter accumulation and not directly on oil or protein synthesis.