Post-flowering leaflet removals increase pod initiation in soybean canopies

Much of the yield variation in soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill) crops is related to changes in pod and seed number. Pod number is the result of pod initiation and pod abscission while seed number is the result of potential seed per pod and seed abortion. However, the physiological regulation of these processes is not well understood. A field experiment was conducted to investigate the role of post-flowering changes in source size and canopy structure on pod initiation, pod abscission and seed abortion in soybean. Two soybean genotypes: DM48 and A7409 (maturity groups IV and VII, respectively) were used. Leaflet removal treatments (L) consisted of removing none (L0), one (L1) or two (L2) lateral leaflets of every developed trifoliate leaf present. Leaflet removals were applied twice: the first at full bloom and the second shortly after the beginning seed stage. Crop growth rate (CGR), leaf area index (LAI), light interception (LI), and relative leaf growth rate, were determined during the periods in which numerical components are established. For the period between the first and the second leaflet removal, CGR remained unchanged among L treatments in both genotypes because LAI reductions were compensated through an increase in the net assimilation rate of the remaining leaves. The first leaflet removal increased the relative leaf growth rate and the number of pods initiated (PI) and these increases were inversely related to the remaining LAI in both genotypes. Moreover, the inverse relationship between LAI and PI was sustained at LAI below and above critical (i.e., LAI for 95% LI) and was not related to CGR or LI. The number of pod abscised also increased with the level of leaflet removal during the first and main abscission period in both genotypes and the percentage of pod abscission was directly related to the seed growth rate per unit leaf area during the abscission period. Seed abortion was inversely related to LAI after the second leaflet removal. Only the highest level of leaflet removals (i.e., L2) was able to reduce seed size in both genotypes. Whereas pod abscission, seed abortion and seed size could be related to indicators of canopy assimilatory capability pod initiation was not, suggesting that other physiological mechanism/s operate in the regulation of pod initiation. In addition, our results suggest that early (i.e., at flowering) canopy closure may negatively impact pod initiation in soybean. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to document that the number of initiated pods is inversely related to LAI in soybean canopies.