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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Columbus, Ohio » Soil Drainage Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #241581
Title: Flooding tolerance of soybean (Glycine max) germplasm from southeast Asia under field and screen-house environment

Author
item Vantoai, Tara
item TRAN, T - Cuu Long Delta Rice Research Institute
item NGUYEN, NGOC - Cuu Long Delta Rice Research Institute
item NGUYEN, HENRY - University Of Missouri
item SHANNON, GROVER - University Of Missouri
item RAHMAN, M - The Ohio State University

Submitted to: Open Agriculture Journal
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/8/2010
Publication Date: 12/1/2010
Citation: Vantoai, T.T., Tran, T., Nguyen, N., Nguyen, H., Shannon, G., Rahman, M.A. 2010. Flooding tolerance of soybean (Glycine max) germplasm from southeast Asia under field and screen-house environment. Open Agriculture Journal. 4:38-46.

Interpretive Summary: Soybean is a major crop for American farmers. Most soybeans are produced on poorly drained soil. Too much rain can cause the soil to become too wet or flooded. The varieties of soybeans used by most American growers are damaged by even short periods of soil flooding. Soybeans in Southeast Asia are often cultivated under wet conditions and some have high tolerance to flooding. The Asian soybean germplasm could provide new genetic resources for the improvement of flooding tolerance in American soybean. This study examined the responses of 21 soybean cultivars, landraces and plant introductions from Vietnam to flooding when grown in field plots, and also tested whether soybean cultivars can be screened for flooding tolerance in a screen house environment. Screen-house tests could distinguish tolerant from susceptible genotypes based on plant survival and seed yield. Three genotypes, VND2, Nam Vang and ATF15-1 showed the best waterlogging tolerant responses under field and screen-house conditions. These lines provide new germplasm resources for the genetic improvement of waterlogging tolerance in soya bean.

Technical Abstract: Soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) cultivars from the U.S. are generally intolerant to flooding stress. Soybean germplasm and cultivars originating from other countries and grown in rotations with paddy rice potentially could have better flooding tolerance. Screen-house and field tests were conducted to determine variations in flooding tolerance among 21 soybean varieties from Southeast Asia. Flooding for two weeks at the R2 growth stage reduced grain yield under field conditions between 36% and 100% (all plants dead). However, plants that survived were, on the average, 13% taller than control plants. Tolerance to R2 flooding was associated with higher number of pods per plant and 100-grain weight. Growth response to flooding stress, as determined by plant height, was correlated with grain yield in all three environments. While there was no correlation in yield between field and screen-house tests, the flood tolerance ranking of the field test was correlated with the ranking of one screen-house test. Screen-house tests could distinguish tolerant from susceptible varieties based on plant survival and grain yield. Three varieties - VND2, Nam Vang and ATF15-1 - showed the best flooding tolerant responses under field and screen-house conditions. These lines provide new germplasm resources for the genetic improvement of flooding tolerance in soybean.