Soya Bean Seed Growth and Maturation by In Vitro Pod Culture

Immature Glycine max (L.) Merr. seeds initially at 50–70 mg fresh weight were successfully grown and matured in vitro in detached pods. Surface sterilized pods were floated in a liquid medium containing 5 per cent sucrose, minerals, and glutamine in 125 ml Erlenmeyer flasks and incubated at 25 °C under 350–400 μE m−1 s−1 white light. Seeds which were matured in vitro increased tenfold in dry weight, were visually similar to commercial seeds of the same size, were tolerant to desiccation and germinated with normal seedling growth. Excised pods transported dye from the pedicel to the growing seed within 120 min. Soya bean pod culture is a useful technique to study the influence of single or combinations of chemical or environmental parameters on regulation of seed growth, seed maturation, and subsequent germination events without the confounding interactions with the mother plant.