Soybean seed quality is often determined by its constituents which are important to sustain overall nutritional aspects. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of soil moisture stress during reproductive stage on seed quality and composition. Plants were subjected to five levels of soil moisture stresses at flowering, and yield and quality traits were examined at maturity. Seed protein, palmitic and linoleic acids, sucrose, raffinose, stachyose, N, P, K, and Ca significantly decreased whereas oil, stearic, oleic and linolenic acids, Fe, Mg, Zn, Cu, and B increased in response to soil moisture deficiency. The relationship between seed protein and oil was negatively correlated. The changes in seed constituents could be due to changes in nutrient accumulation and partitioning in soybean seeds under water stress. This information suggests the requirement of adequate soil moisture during flowering and seed formation stages to obtain the higher nutritional value of soybean seeds.
Keywords: Drought tolerance; Fatty acids; Seed composition; Seed protein; Seed sugar; Soybean yield.
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