Agronomic characteristics and genetics of a chromosome interchange in soybean

Summary A chromosome interchange in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) was studied agronomically and genetically, and comparisons of seed or abortion position within the pod were related to chromosome structure. Comparisons were among plants heterozygous for a chromosome interchange (N/T), plants homozygous for the interchange (T/T), and homozygous normal-chromosome plants (N/N). The latter two genotypes were male fertile and female fertile. Heterozygous interchange plants, which are about 50% pollen sterile and ovule sterile, are typical of a large number of plants that have equally frequent alternate and adjacent chromosome segregation. Yield, lodging, plant height, and seed oil and protein percentages among all three genotypes were similar even though significant differences existed for seed weight, seed number, and pod number per plant. Seed abortions were more frequent in the basal position of the pod than in either the middle or apical positions in N/N and T/T genotypes. Ovule abortions in N/T plants were equally frequent among all positions both in two- and three-ovule pods. The middle seed in a three-ovule pod was heavier than the basal or apical seed among all three genotypes.Joint contribution: USDA ARS, and Journal Paper No. J-11300 of the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA, Project 2471.USDA ARS, Department of Agronomy and Genetics, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA.Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50001, USA.