Short and Long Term Effects of Root and Shoot Chilling of Ransom Soybean

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Abstract
The immediate short-term effects on some physiological processes and the long-term effects on morphology and reproductive development of root- and shoot-chilled soybeans were studied. Roots or shoots of 16- or 17-day-old plants were chilled at 10.degree. C for 1 wk, and then rewarmed to 25.degree. C. Leaf elongation rate, net CO2 uptake rate, and stomatal conductance decreased during root or shoot chilling. Root chilling had only temporary effects on water relations, while shoot chilling caused large changes in potentials during chilling. Most processes measured returned to control levels after 2 days of rewarming. Root-chilled plants harvested 90 days after emergence were similar in morphology and seed weight to controls. Shoot-chilled plants showed a large increase over controls in axillary branch growth, but an early abortion of flowers and a delayed resumption of flowering caused a 78% reduction in seed weight. Root chilling in this study had little or no long-term effect on the plants, while shoot chilling caused significant changes in vegetative morphology, and a delay in flowering and subsequent pod filling.