Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Wilting index and root morphological characteristics used as drought-tolerance variety selection at the seedling stage in soybean (Glycine max L.)

  • Original paper
  • Published:
Plant Growth Regulation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Drought stress is a common issue that affects agriculture production. The soybean plant is one of the drought-sensitive crops that could lose the yield of up to 40% under severe drought years. Improvements in drought tolerance have been one of the main objectives of breeding programs in soybean. In this study, 62 soybeans [Glycine max (L.) Merri.] germplasms including landraces and elite cultivars were evaluated by analyzing canopy and root morphological characteristics at seedling stage under polyethylene glycol (2.5 M PEG 8000, − 0.54 MPa) simulated drought stress. The results showed that the wilting index of sixty-two soybean germplasms showed significant polymorphism differences after 4 days PEG treatment. The lowest wilting index was 2.75 in Tiefeng 31, while the largest reached 9 in Fengdou 93 and Songzidou. The wilting index was positively correlated with plant height, electrolyte leakage, and negatively correlated with a dry weight of the above-ground part, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate by regression analysis. The root system architecture (RSA) study showed root-canopy ratio, root length, number of the lateral roots, root surface area, and root volume were significantly negatively correlated with the wilting index and positively correlated with the root volume. Based on these results, sixty-two soybean germplasms were comprehensively evaluated for drought-tolerant cultivar by the principal component analysis (PCA). The results showed that Tiefeng 31 was the most drought-tolerant elite cultivar. However, Fengdou 93 was the most drought-sensitive elite variety. The drought tolerance screening results were consistent with the wilting index and RSA analysis, especially the root length. Both droughts tolerant and sensitive elite cultivar could be further used to breed drought-tolerant germplasms and to clarify the drought tolerance mechanism in soybean.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bagherzadi L, Sinclair TR, Zwieniecki M, Secchi F, Hoffmann W, Carter TE, Rufty TW (2017) Assessing water-related plant traits to explain slow-wilting in soybean PI 471938. J Crop Improv 31(3):400–417

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Battisti R, Sentelhas PC (2017) Improvement of soybean resilience to drought through deep root system in Brazil. Agron J 109:1612–1622

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bengough AG, McKenzie B, Hallett P, Valentine T (2011) Root elongation, water stress, and mechanical impedance: a review of limiting stresses and beneficial root tip traits. J Exp Bot 62:59–68

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bouslama M, Schapaugh WT (1984) Stress tolerance in soybeans. I. Evaluation of three screening techniques for heat and drought tolerance. Crop Sci 24(5):933–937

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Charlson DV, Bhatnagar S, King CA, Ray JD, Sneller CH, Carter TE, Purcell LC (2009) Polygenic inheritance of canopy wilting in soybean [Glycine Max (L.) Merr.]. Theor Appl Genet 119:587–594

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dogan E, Kirnak H, Copur O (2007) Deficit irrigations during soybean reproductive stages and CROPGRO-soybean simulations under semi-arid climatic conditions. Field Crop Res 103:154–159

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Douglas I, Alam K, Maghenda M, McDonnell Y, McLean L, Campbell J (2008) Unjust waters: climate change, flooding and the urban poor in Africa. Environ Urban 20:187–205

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fenta BA, Beebe SE, Kunert KJ, Burridge JD, Barlow KM, Lynch JP, Foyer CH (2014) Field phenotyping of soybean roots for drought stress tolerance. Agronomy 4:418–435

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fletcher AL, Sinclair TR, Allen LH Jr (2007) Transpiration responses to vapor pressure deficit in well-watered and ‘slow wilting’ and commercial soybean. Environ Exp Bot 61:145–151

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Foley JA, Ramankutty N, Brauman KA, Cassidy ES, Gerber JS, Johnston M, Mueller ND, Connell C, Ray DK, West PC, Balzer C, Bennett EM, Carpenter SR, Hill J, Monfreda C, Polasky S, Rockström J, Sheehan J, Siebert S, Tilman D, Zaks DPM (2011) Solutions for a cultivated planet. Nature 478:337–342. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature10452

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gilbert ME, Zwieniecki MA, Holbrook NM (2011) Independent variation in photosynthetic capacity and stomatal conductance leads to differences in intrinsic water use efficiency in 11 soybean genotypes before and during mild drought. J Exp Bot 62(8):2875–2887

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hasanah Y, Nisa T, Armidin H, Hanum H (2015) Isoflavone content of soybean (Glycine max (L.) merr.) cultivars with different nitrogen sources and growing season under dry-and conditions. J Agric Environ Int Dev (JAEID) 109(1):5–17

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirasawa T, Tanaka K, Miyamoto D, Takei M, Ishihara K (1994) Effects of pre-flowering moisture deficits on dry matter production and ecophysiological characteristics in soybean plants under drought conditions during grain filling. J Crop Sci 63:721–730

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hoagland DR, Arnon DI (1938) The water-culture method for growing plants without soil. University of California Agricultural Research Station, Davis, C.A. Circular 347:1–39

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hudak CM, Patterson RP (1996) Root distribution and soil moisture depletion pattern of a drought-resistant soybean plant introduction. Agro J 88:478–485

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jogaiah S, Govind SR, Phan Tran LS (2013) Systems biology-based approaches toward understanding drought tolerance in food crops. Crit Rev Biotechnol 33(1):23–39

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • King CA, Purcell LC, Brye KR (2009) Differential wilting among soybean genotypes in response to water deficit. Crop Sci 49(1):290–298

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu X (1986) Discussing assessment methods of drought resistance of soybean. Chin J Oil Crop Sci 4(2):23–26

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu F, Anderson MN, Jacobson SE, Jensen CR (2005) Stomatal control and water use efficiency of soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) during progressive soil drying. Environ Exp Bot 54:33–40

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Manavalan LP, Guttikonda SK, Phan Tran LS, Nguyen HT (2009) Physiological and molecular approaches to improve drought resistance in soybean. Plant Cell Physiol 50(7):1260–1276

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Manavalan LP, Guttikonda SK, Nguyen VT, Shannon JG, Nguyen HT (2010) Evaluation of diverse soybean germplasm for root growth and architecture. Plant Soil 330:503–514

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Oosterhuis DM, Walker S, Eastham J (1985) Soybean leaflet movements as an indicator of crop water stress1. Crop Sci 25:1101–1106

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pantalone VR, Rebetzke GJ, Burton JW, Carter TE (1996) Phenotypic evaluation of root traits in soybean and applicability to plant breeding. Crop Sci 36:456–459

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Passioura JB (1983) Root and drought resistance. Agric Water Manag 7:265–280

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pathan SM, Lee JD, Sleper DA, Fritschi FB, Sharp RE, Carter TE, Nelson RL, King CA, Schapaugh WT, Ellersieck MR, Nguyen HT, Shannon JG (2014) Two soybean plant introductions display slow leaf wilting and reduced yield loss under drought. J Agron Crop Sci 200:231–236

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prince SJ, Valliyodan BB, Ye H, Yang M, Tai SS, Hu WS, Murphy M, Durnell LA, Song L, Joshi T, Liu Y, de Velde JV, Vandepoele K, Shannon JG, Nguyen HT (2019) Understanding genetic control of root system architecture in soybean: insights into the genetic basis of lateral root number. Plant Cell Environ 42:212–229

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ries LL, Purcell LC, Carter TE, Edwards JT, King CA (2012) Physiological traits contributing to differential canopy wilting in soybean under drought. Crop Sci 52:272–281

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sadok W, Gilbert ME, Raza MS, Sinclair TR (2012) Basis of slow-wilting phenotype in soybean PI 471938. Crop Sci 52:1261–1269

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sloane RJ, Patterson RP, Carter TE (1990) Field drought tolerance of a soybean plant introduction. Crop Sci 30:118–123

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sinclair TR, Messina CD, Beatty A, Samples M (2010) Assessment across the united states of the benefits of altered soybean drought traits. Agron J 102(2):475–482

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sinclair TR, Zwieniecki MA, Holbrook NM (2008) Low leaf hydraulic conductance associated with drought tolerance in soybean. Physiol Plant 132:446–451

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tester M, Langridge P (2010) Breeding technologies to increase crop production in a changing world. Science 327:818–822

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Thao NP, Tran LSP (2012) Potentials toward genetic engineering of drought-tolerant soybean. Crit Rev Biotechnol 32:349–362

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ye H, Roorkiwal M, Valliyodan B, Zhou LJ, Chen PG, Varshney RK, Nguyen HT (2018) Genetic diversity of root system architecture in response to drought stress in grain legumes. J Exp Bot 69:3267–3277

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yue CL, Huang YX, Yan Z (2003) SAS system and economic statistical analysis. China University of Science and Technology Press, Hefei (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Major Special Project for Transgenic Organisms, Ministry of Agriculture in China (No. 2016ZX08004-004-005).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Resources, Institute of Crop Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, China

    Guifeng Wang, Qizheng Zhou, Mengdi He, Xuanbo Zhong & Guixiang Tang

Authors
  1. Guifeng Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Qizheng Zhou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Mengdi He
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Xuanbo Zhong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Guixiang Tang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Guixiang Tang.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Wang, G., Zhou, Q., He, M. et al. Wilting index and root morphological characteristics used as drought-tolerance variety selection at the seedling stage in soybean (Glycine max L.). Plant Growth Regul 92, 29–42 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-020-00617-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-020-00617-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation