Effect of Plant Topping on Seasonal Development, Physiological Changes, and Grain Yield of Soybean

Soybean (Glycine max L.) is vulnerable to environmental stresses, such as heavy rainfall and high winds, which promote lodging and reduce plant performance during the monsoon season. To mitigate these issues, we evaluated the effects of plant topping, a practice involving the removal of apical buds, on plant architecture, physiological traits, and grain yield in four soybean cultivars over two growing seasons (2021-2022). Plant topping was performed at the V6-7 stage by cutting 30-35 cm above the ground. Plant topping reduced plant height by up to 23.5% and decreased leaf area index (by 8.0-16.4%), potentially improving light penetration into the lower canopy. Although chlorophyll concentration declined temporarily (297.8 vs. 272.8 mg m^-2 for non-topping vs. topping, respectively), NDVI remained stable, indicating delayed senescence. Chlorophyll fluorescence parameters revealed cultivar-specific stress responses, particularly in Taegwang, which showed elevated ABS/RC, TR₀/RC, and DI₀/CS values under plant topping. Grain yield was generally unaffected, except in Jinpung, which increased by 34% under plant topping in 2021 (2701 kg ha^-1 vs. 3621 kg ha^-1 for non-topping vs. topping). In conclusion, plant topping may help improve canopy structure and light distribution without compromising yield, potentially reducing lodging risk and offering a cultivar-specific management strategy.