Ks. Liu et al., ASSOCIATION OF SEED SIZE WITH GENOTYPIC VARIATION IN THE CHEMICAL-CONSTITUENTS OF SOYBEANS, Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society, 72(2), 1995, pp. 189-192
Ten soybean genotypes grown in 1992 with seed size ranging from 7.6 to
30.3 g/100 seeds and maturity group V or VI were selected and tested
for oil and protein content and for fatty acid composition. In these g
ermplasm, protein varied from 39.5 to 50.2%, oil, 16.3 to 21.6%, and p
rotein plus oil, 59.7 to 67.5%. Percentages of individual fatty acids
relative to total fatty acids varied as follows: palmitic, 11.0 to 12.
8; stearic, 3.2 to 4.7; oleic, 17.6 to 24.2; linoleic, 51.1 to 56.3 an
d linolenic, 6.9 to 10.0. Seed size showed no significant correlations
with individual saturated fatty acids, protein or oil content. Howeve
r, significant correlations were found between seed size and individua
l unsaturated fatty acids: positive with oleic, and negative with lino
leic and linolenic. Oil and protein content were negatively correlated
with each other. Among the major fatty acids, only the unsaturated we
re significantly correlated with each other: negative between oleic an
d linoleic or linolenic, and positive between linoleic and linolenic.
A subsequent study with soybeans grown in 1993 generally confirmed the
se findings. Variation in relative percentages of unsaturated fatty ac
ids and r values for most pairs of relationships were even higher than
those obtained from the 1992 crop.