J. Vollmann et al., Environmental and genetic variation of soybean seed protein content under Central European growing conditions, J SCI FOOD, 80(9), 2000, pp. 1300-1306
Seed protein content is important for both feed and food utilisation of soy
bean. In soybeans grown in Central Europe, considerable variation in protei
n content was due to seasonal influences, as demonstrated in different expe
riments from a breeding programme. In soybean genotypes of early maturity g
roups, average to high protein content (range 399-476 g kg(-1)) was found i
n years with high air temperature and moderate rates of rainfall during the
seed-filling period, whereas seed protein content was drastically reduced
(range 265-347 g kg(-1)) in seasons of insufficient nitrogen fixation or hi
gher amounts of precipitation during seed filling. In a set of 60 genotypes
, protein content was increased both by late nitrogen fertilisation before
the onset of seed filling and by inoculation of seed with nitrogen-fixing r
hizobia. Despite the high degree of environmental modification, genetic var
iation of seed protein content was considerable, and genotype,: environment
interaction was of low magnitude. Therefore selection of early maturing so
ybean genotypes with improved seed protein content appears to be feasible a
nd is only limited by the moderately negative correlation between protein c
ontent and seed yield. (C) 2000 Society of Chemical Industry.