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Fixation Drought Tolerance of the Slow‐Wilting Soybean PI 471938
Author(s) -
Devi M. J.,
Sinclair T. R.
Publication year - 2013
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/cropsci2013.02.0095
Subject(s) - wilting , biology , cultivar , turgor pressure , agronomy , drought tolerance , glycine , brassica , greenhouse , osmotic pressure , nitrogen fixation , horticulture , crop , botany , biochemistry , genetics , amino acid , bacteria
To overcome the severe limitation of crop yield that may result from drought, specific plant traits are being explored. Soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merr.] genotypes that express a “slow‐wilting” phenotype have been evaluated as sources of useful drought traits. However, the unique physiological characteristic of PI 471938 resulting in slow‐wilting progeny and in high‐yielding progeny has not been resolved. This study was undertaken to explore the possibility that it may have especially tolerant N fixation activity as soil dries. In fact, greenhouse experiments confirmed this possibility with its N fixation tolerance being among the greatest reported for soybean genotypes. Like other genotypes with N fixation drought tolerance, the accumulation of ureides in its leaves is low compared to a fast‐wilting cultivar. Measurements of water status of PI 471938 as compared to the fast‐wilting cultivar Benning showed that PI 471938 is able to maintain a greater leaf turgor pressure during soil drying as a result of a lower osmotic potential.