Ten indeterminate MG00 and MG000 soybean genotypes of Swiss and North
American origin, representing different levels of cold tolerance, were
studied during 3 years in a total of five environments. The results s
howed that cold tolerance during flowering is based on three independe
nt and synergistic traits, viz: number of flowers produced on central
racemes; capacity to retain central raceme flowers despite cold stress
; and capacity to compensate a loss of central raceme flowers by rapid
and sustained flower development on lateral racemes. Within the mater
ial studied large genotypic variability exists for each of these trait
s. Particularly interesting is a 3 degrees difference between tolerant
and susceptible genotypes in the threshold below which temperatures c
an be considered to be damaging (15 and 18 degrees C, respectively). T
he relative importance of different compensation mechanisms is discuss
ed and the vulnerability of genotypes showing synchronous flowering of
central and lateral racemes is confirmed. At harvest, susceptibility
of soybean genotypes to low temperatures occurring during flowering ca
n be distinguished by an irregular distribution of pods and seeds alon
g the stem. Low yielding or barren nodes were the result of stress ind
uced flower abscission. Results showed that narrow sense tolerance, i.
e., reduced abscission of flowers following cold stress, can be assess
ed at maturity by rating pod set on central racemes of the median part
of the stem.