Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] seeds contain isoflavones that have positive impacts on human health. Field and greenhouse experiments were conducted in Quebec Canada to determine the effects of management and environmental factors [seeding date (late May and mid June), row spacing (20-, 40- and 60-cm), weeds (presence or absence), irrigation levels (low, moderate, and high) and genotypes (Proteina, Orford, and Golden)] and of foliar applications of elicitor compounds (i.e., LCOs, chitosan, and actinomycetes spores), on the isoflavone concentrations of mature soybean seeds, and other important seed characteristics. Our results indicated that environmental and agronomical factors have a great impact on soybean seed isoflavone concentrations of early maturity soybean cultivars. Year, seeding date, and weeds affected total and individual isoflavone concentrations, row spacing had no effect. Total isoflavone concentration was greater in 2003 than 2004. Seeding in mid June increased isoflavone concentration by 38%, compared to seeding in May. The presence of weeds increased total isoflavone concentrations by 9%. Isoflavone concentrations were significantly affected by cultivars and irrigation levels. In both of two growing seasons, Proteina had significantly greater isoflavone concentrations compared to Orford. Irrigation effects on isoflavone concentrations differed between years and cultivars. However, most responses were observed with the lower of the two irrigation levels, which increased isoflavone concentrations by as much as 60% compared to a non-irrigated control. Our results suggest that under greenhouse conditions most biotic elicitors tested increased the concentration of individual and total isoflavones in soybean seeds when compared to untreated control plants. LCOs proved to be the most effective in studies contrasting various elicitors. Response of field-grown plants was more variable than that of greenhouse-grown plants.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.102473 |
| Date | January 2006 |
| Creators | Al-Tawaha, Abdel Rahman. |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Doctor of Philosophy (Department of Plant Science.) |
| Rights | © Abdel Rahman Al-Tawaha, 2006 |
| Relation | alephsysno: 002573480, proquestno: AAINR27749, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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