Study the Effect of Shade Stress on Indonesian Soybeans to Anticipate the Need for Breeding Superior Variety

Abstract

The need for superior soybeans which resistant against low light is a challenge for Indonesia that has large of soybean germplasms which potential for achieving national soybean self-sufficiency and sustainability. Unfortunately, research on this field still very lack. This study aims to investigate the responses of 28 soybean accessions to shade stress, and looking for potential candidates or basic material for the development of high-yielding varieties. The research was conducted in the Cikeumeuh-Bogor field using a randomized block factorial design with two treatments (genotype and percentage of shade), with three replications. Based on the results, all of the morph-agronomic characters significantly influenced by the treatments, except for the number of filled pods (p-value <0.001). There was interaction between genotypes and shade stress which influenced the plant height, number of branches, number of trifoliate leaves and flowering time. Based on this study, Kedelai Hijau (G-19) and Lokal Brebes (G-21) were potential to be candidate for breeding on shade-resistant varieties. G-19 had the best response to the number of branches and number of trifoliate leaves, while G-21 best on height and root length. This information becomes a novelty that contributes to breeding soybeans resistant to shade stress for food sustainability.