Characterization of Soybean Hybrid Seeds Resulted from Natural Hybridization between LM Soybean and Wild Soybean

Abstract

With increasing LM soybean import, the concern about unintentional gene flow from LM soybean to wild soybean and consequential weedy risk has been growing. Therefore, we conducted this study to characterize seed traits including germination of hybrids resulted from gene flow from LM soybean to wild soybean in comparison with their parents, LM soybean and wild soybean. Pollen-donor LM soybean seeds were much greater and heavier (about 15.0 g of 100 seed weight) than F2 hybrid (5.7 g), while pollen-recipient wild soybean and F1 hybrid seeds were smallest and lightest (about 2.5 g). F2 hybrid was brown, intermediate between yellow LM soybean seed and black wild soybean seed. These findings indicate that F1 hybrid seeds show similar characteristics with wild soybean, while F2 hybrid seeds show intermediate color and size between two parents. F2 hybrid seed showed intermediate traits between two parents in germination and dormancy rates, which were 35% and 65%, respectively. LM soybean showed no dormancy, while wild soybean showed greater than 90% dormancy. This finding indicates that F2 hybrid show intermediate characteristics in seed germination with high dormancy trait, suggesting a potential weediness of hybrids resulted from gene flow from LM soybean to wild soybean.