Developmental genetic analysis of seed size in soybean (Glycine max)

Seed size is one of the important factors of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] yield. There have been lots of reports about genetic effects and physiology--ecological researches on seed size, but the genetic behaviors of genes during seeds development were rarely discussed. Analysis of main genetic effects for fresh seed size (FSS) and dry seed size (DSS) of soybean was conducted with diallel cross data by using a seed genetic model. Analyses of unconditional and conditional variances and correlations were used to evaluate the developmental behavior of soybean. The phenotypic means of FSS and DSS in soybean at eight stages among three generations reached the highest value at 9/6 and 9/13, respectively. The means of FSS decreased dramatically after 9/6, but the means of DSS maintained relatively stable tendency at corresponding periods. The unconditional variance analysis showed that FSS and DSS were controlled by embryo, cytoplasmic and maternal effects in the whole growth period. Genetic effects due to cytoplasmic and maternal effects were relatively important for FSS and DSS at most of the growth periods. Conditional variance analysis showed that genes from different genetic system expressed discontinuously in the whole growth period. The net genetic effects due to cytoplasmic and maternal plant on FSS and DSS were larger than those of embryo effects at most of the growth periods. Different genetic system can affect the relationship of various stages to mature solely or simultaneously. Embryo additive effects at 8/16, embryo dominance effects at 8/9 and 8/16, maternal plant dominance effects at 8/2 and 8/16 could ultimately affect the performance of FSS at maturing stage. Embryo additive effects at 8/2 and 9/13, cytoplasm effects at 8/9, maternal plant dominance effects at 8/2 could ultimately affect the performance of DSS.