Impact of pod and seed photosynthesis on seed filling and canopy carbon gain in soybean

Abstract

Abstract There is a limited understanding of the carbon assimilation capacity of nonfoliar green tissues and its impact on yield and seed quality since most photosynthesis research focuses on leaf photosynthesis. In this study, we investigate the photosynthetic efficiency of soybean (Glycine max) pods and seeds in a field setting and evaluate its effect on mature seed weight and composition. We demonstrate that soybean pod and seed photosynthesis contributes 13% to 14% of the mature seed weight. Carbon assimilation by soybean pod and seed photosynthesis can compensate for 81% of carbon loss through the respiration of the same tissues, and our model predicts that soybean pod and seed photosynthesis contributes up to 9% of the total daily carbon gain of the canopy. Chlorophyll fluorescence (CF) shows that the operating efficiency of photosystem II in immature soybean seeds peaks at the 10 to 100 mg seed weight stage, while that of immature pods peaks at the 75 to 100 mg stage. This study provides quantitative information about the efficiency of soybean pod and seed photosynthesis during tissue development and its impact on yield.<br><br>This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in Plant Physiology following peer review. The version of record [Impact of pod and seed photosynthesis on seed filling and canopy carbon gain in soybean. Plant Physiology 193, 2 p966-979 (2023)] is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiad324. <br><br>Deposited by shareyourpaper.org and openaccessbutton.org. We've taken reasonable steps to ensure this content doesn't violate copyright. However, if you think it does you can request a takedown by emailing [email protected]