Vegetative and Reproductive Morphology

Knowledge of the vegetative and reproductive morphology of soybean is important for cultivar development. The breeder should be able to distinguish each trait and understand the variation in the soybean germplasm before pursuing the goals in cultivar development. To efficiently select lines in a breeding program requires familiarity with the traits and the range of available variation. In this chapter the root system, stem, leaves, flower, fruit, and seeds of the soybean plant with breeding purpose in mind are addressed.