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Heritability of Total and Fixed N Content of the Seed in Two Soybean Populations 1
Author(s) -
Ronis D. H.,
Sammons D. J.,
Kenworthy W. J.,
Meisinger J. J.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci1985.0011183x002500010001x
Subject(s) - biology , heritability , population , crop , yield (engineering) , fixation (population genetics) , horticulture , agronomy , zoology , botany , biochemistry , gene , genetics , demography , materials science , sociology , metallurgy
Improved seed yield in the soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merr.] may result from selection to increase the N 2 ‐fixing ability of the crop. To investigate that possibility, broad‐sense heritabilities of total and fixed N in the seed were estimated for two F 2 soybean populations. One population was derived from a cross of high (‘Ware’) and low (D66‐5566) N 2 ‐fixing parents and was grown years. The second population, grown in 1 year only, was derived from a cross of intermediate N 2 ‐fixing parents (‘Williams’ and ‘Calland’). Both populations and their parents were grown in 15 N‐labeled soil in the field along with ‘Clark’ rj 1 rj 1 nonnodulating plants as controls. The amount of fixed N in the mature seed at harvest was determined by the 15 N‐dilution method for individual plants. Broad‐sense heritability estimates of fixed N content of the seed ranged from 0.53 to 0.60. Estimates for percentage of fixed seed N varied from 0.12 to 0.43. Estimates for total seed N [as a weight (from 0.49 to 0.61) and as a percentage (from 0.20 to 0.87)], for seed yield (from 0.52 to 0.59), and for plant weights (from 0.57 to 0.62) are also reported. strong positive association was noted between seed dry weight and fixed N content of the seed (r = 0.99). These results suggest that improving N 2 fixation in the soybean is feasible through selection based on the mass of fixed N in the seed. Selection for high seed yield will probably likewise result in the identification of plants with a high rate of N 2 fixation.