Study on Plant Morphological Traits and Production Characteristics of Super High-Yielding Soybean

Super high-yielding soybean cultivar Liaodou 14, soybean cultivars from Ohio in the United States, and the common soybean cultivars from Liaoning Province, China, with similar geographic latitudes and identical pod-bearing habits were used as the study materials for a comparison of morphological traits and production characteristics to provide a theoretical basis for the breeding of improved super high-yielding soybean cultivars. Using a randomized block design, different soybean cultivars from the same latitude were compared under conventional and unconventional treatments for their production characteristics, including morphological traits, leaf area index （LAI）, net photosynthesis rate, and dry matter accumulation. The specific characteristics of the super high-yielding soybean cultivar Liaodou 14 were analyzed. The results showed that the plant height of Liaodou 14 was significantly lower than that of the common cultivars from Liaoning, whereas the number of its main-stem nodes was higher than that of the cultivars from Ohio or Liaoning. A high pod density was observed in Liaodou 14 under conventional treatments. Under both conventional and unconventional treatments, the branch number of Liaodou 14 was markedly higher than that of the common cultivars from Liaoning, and its branch length and leaf inclination angle were significantly higher than those of common cultivars from Liaoning or Ohio. Only small changes in the leaf inclination angle were observed in Liaodou 14 treated with conventional or unconventional methods. Under each treatment, Liaodou 14 exhibited the lowest amplitude of reduction in SPAD values and net photosynthesis rates from the grain-filling to ripening stages; the cultivars from Ohio and the common cultivars from Liaoning exhibited more significant reductions. Liaodou 14 reached its peak LAI later than the other cultivars but maintained its LAI at a higher level for a longer duration. Under both conventional and unconventional treatments, Liaodou 14 produced a higher yield than the other two cultivars, with significant differences from the Ohio cultivars. In summary, super high-yielding soybean cultivars have several main features： suitable plant height, high pod density, good leaf structure with strong functionality, and slow leaf senescence at the late reproductive stage, which is conducive to the accumulation of dry matter and improved yield.

Leaf Photosynthetic Characteristics of High-Yield Soybean[Glycine max(L.)Merr.]Under Different Planting Densities,Different Fertilization Rates,and Single/Mixed Planting Patterns

Understanding the photosynthetic characteristics of high-yield soybean[Glycine max(L.)Merr]cultivar(HYC)would aid research aiming at investigating the soybean high yield formation mechanism and optimization of cultivation system.To assess the photosynthesis of HYC,a pot experiment was conducted to quantify the differences in photosynthetic characteristics between HYC and common-yield soybean cultivar(CC)under different planting densities,fertilization rates,and single/mixed planting patterns.The leaf greenness(Lg),net photosynthetic rate(Ph),stomatal conductance(St)and transpiration rate(Tr)were significantly higher in HYC than CC mainly in seed-filling stages.HYC was more tolerant to dense and mixed planting because the decreases of Ph and St under high planting density and those of Ph,St,and Tr under mixed planting were lower in HYC than CC.The Lg and Ph in HYC were more superior to those in CC at high fertilization rate.Thus,the HYC has a superior performance in photosynthetic characteristics under the varied cultivation practices,which may contribute to the greater seed yield in HYC than CC.