Klitsenko G. Morphological aspects of heterospermy of soybean and its use for selection of seeds.

3. Object –– morphological features of soybean seeds, their connection to biological properties of plants in progeny and use for selection of sowing material. Goal – to study morphological features of heterospermy of soybean varieties Khersons’ka 908, Odes’ka 124, Vytyaz’ 50 and their influence on sowing and yielding properties of seeds with the purpose of substantiation of the new principle of selection of sowing material. Methods – generic scientific (observations, measurements of biometric parameters, comparative analysis) and special (field, laboratory, laboratory-field, statistical experimental data manipulation). Results. Variability of mass, linear dimensions, form of seeds and their mutual correlations has been studied. Dependence of biological properties of seeds on their mass, linear dimensions and form in case of three soybean varieties has been studied for the first time. Absence of dependence of yielding properties of soybean seeds on their mass and linear dimensions and very close correlation between plant productivity in progeny and seeds’ form have been convincingly proved. Close negative correlation between the extent of seeds’ deformation, which is expressed by means of deformation index, and the intensity of seedlings’ growth has been revealed. Connection between form of soybean seeds and their germinating capacity has been educed, which enables forecasting of this quality parameter of sowing material. Morphological characteristics of seeds in dependence on the position of their formation at mother plant and their connection to sowing and yielding properties have been studied. With the example of soybean the most important theoretical proposition – the main factor of biological power of seeds is harmony of their development, which is expressed by their form or shape, formerly established with other plants, has been conclusively proved. Imperfection of modern systems of seed selection, which are based at sorting on mass and separate geometric parameters has been shown. Sphere of application – assessment of morphological and biological properties of seeds in seed breeding and selection of soybean