PJB-2018-69
EFFECT OF SEED LONGEVITY ON GERMINATION AND IN VITRO PLANT REGENERATION IN SOYBEAN
Phetole Mangena
Abstract
The loss of viability by seeds used as propagules and source of explants for in vitro plant regeneration causes major negative effects on the growth and development of soybeans. The present study was aimed at assessing the influence that seed longevity has on seed germination and the capacity for the germinated seeds to produce amenable explants from which multiple shoots can be regenerated. Standard germination test was used to assess the viability of soybean seeds, from six cultivars, stored for nine months under ambient conditions. Percentage germination, seed vigour index, seedling establishment index and percentage normal seedlings decreased as seed storage progressed. Seed weight (100 seeds) and germination percentage decreased from 20.4 to 10.6 g/100 seeds and 100 to 64.2% respectively. The mean number of regenerated shoots also declined in all cultivars from the highest overall mean of 13.7 to 5.3 shoots per explant for one to nine months of seed storage. This resulted in mean reduction on regeneration efficiency with 26.7, 15.1, 8.3, 16.2, 19.8 and 28.1% for Dundee, LS 677, LS 678, Peking, TGx 1835-10E and TGx 1740-2F respectively. The variations also appeared genotype specific, thus concluding that, the decrease in seed longevity is directly proportional to storage duration and genotype response.
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