613

TECHNIQUE FOR MEASURING VEGETATIVE VOLUME

AND SEED YIELD IN SOYBEANS
A non-destructive volume displacement technique for determining vegetative
volume as an estimate of biological yield (where the intact shoot of a plant is placed
in a cylinder of water and the water displaced by the shoot is measured) was
developed which allows soybean (Glycine max (I ,.) Merr.) plants to be carried to
maturitv for seed vield.
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In evaluating the efficiency of soybeans Volume Displocement Cylinder

(Glycine max (L.) Merr.) with respect to
photosynthetic potential, a distinction must I

be made between the total dry matter yield

(biological yield) and grain yield (economic The plexiglos overflow lube
( 15 mm OD.. l0mm l.D. )comes
yield) of a soybean plant (Nidiporovid slroighl oul from lhe
cylinder lhen lurns up
1956). More recent studies (Karami and oboul midwoy
Weaver 1972) have indicated that an
Tef lon lubino (l0mm OD.,
important relationship also exists between 8mm tD I 3crir inside over:
maximum vegetative dry weight and flow lube,2cm oulside

economic yield in cotton (Gossypium hir-

Can. J. Plant Sci. 1977.57:613-614.

sutum L.) and that this parameter, harvest Plexiglos,6.0 mm lhickness

index, may be a significant value in

selecting cotton strains better adapted for a
high-population, narrow-row cultural sys-
tem. Since soybeans shed their leaves at
maturity, it is difficult to obtain an estimate
of biological yield; therefore we developed
a non-destructive technique to obtain an
estimate of the maximum vegetative vol-
ume.
Plants of cvs. Wells, Wayne, Williams,
and Kent were grown outside in a l:l
(volume) mixture of Ray silt loam soil and
Jiffy-Mix (Jiffy Products of America, West
Chicago, Illinois 60185), and fertilized as
needed. Four sizes of pots were used; the
pots were arranged on 25 x 35-cm centers.
Plant volume was determined by the
following method. Fill the volume dis-
placement cylinder (Fig. l) with water,
(25-30 C) until it flows out of the Teflon
tube; allow the water to flow until it stops.
Place a tared weighing dish under the
Teflon tube. Lightly pack the surface of the
soil in the pot with the plant to be measured;
the soil should be moist but not too wet. The
surface of the soil should not be more than
1.3 cm from the top of the pot. Turn the pot
upside down and allow the loose soil to fall
Can J. Plant Sci. 572 613-614(Apr' 1977)
Fig.l. Equipment for determining vegetative
volume as an estimate of biological yield of
soybeans.
off. Insert the plant into the water until the
top of the soil rests on the top of the
cylinder. Allow the water to flow into the
weighing dish until it stops; remove the
dish. Remove the plant from the water and
weigh the dish. This weight of water is
equated to the volume displaced by the
plant. Density of water assumed to be I
g/cm3.
The volume displaced by the plant was
determined at early pod set, 16-19 days
after flowering started, to obtain an estimate
of the maximum vegetative volume. The
plants were grown to maturity' The seeds
were harvested, dried in a forced-air oven at
70 C for 48 h, and weighed to determine
 614 CANADIAN JOURNAL OF PLANT SCIENCE

Table l. Average performance using Wells, Wayne, and Williams soybean cultivars in different sizes of pots

Dry weight of seeds Vegetative

Pot Vegetative efficiency
size No. of volume CVI
(cma) plants (cm3) (c) (vo) CY (Vo)
8/cm3

9,s00 8 518 7'1 r4.8 .149 6.4

4,800
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22 394 58 t7.o .r4'7 11.2

1,8s0 l3 261 4l 10.6 . 158 8.4
440 t4 r45 26 30.1 . 185 30.2

lCoefficient of variation.

seed dry weights. The vegetative efficiency lower than the CV for seed dry weights,
was determined as seed dry weight at vegetative efficiency could be a useful
maturity (grams/plant) divided by vegera- index for selecting soybean cultivars with
tive volume at early pod set (cm3/planQ. higher yield potentials.
The data in Table I are illustrative of
results obtained by this
technique. The The authors thank Edward M. Slack and Earl
coefficient of variation (CV) for vegetative Thames for helping make volume measurements
and helping harvest the soybeans. We also thank
Can. J. Plant Sci. 1977.57:613-614.

efficiency, averaged over the Wells,

Edward M. Slack for discovering that Teflon
Wayne, and Williams cultivars, in each of
tubing would improve the overflow tube of the
the three larger pot sizes (9,500, 4,800, and
volume displacement cylinder.
1,850 cm)was lower than the CV for the
respective seed dry weight. The plants in KARAMI, E. and WEAVER, J. B., Jp.. 1972.
the 440-cm3 pots had water shortages on Growth analysis of American upland cotton,
some days; this seemed to increase the Gossypium hirsutum L., with different leaf
variability for seed yield and vegetative shapes and colors. Crop Sci. 12: 317-320.
efficiency. The Kent soybeans had frost NICIPOROVIC, A. A. 1956. Photosynthesis
damage which invalidated those 'results. and the theory of obtaining high crop yields.
Timiryazevskie Chteniya XV. Izdat. U.S.S.R.
Also, a few plants with broken branches had (English trans.) 1960. In Field Crop Abstr. 13:
to be discarded.
t69-t75.
The average vegetative efficiency for
Wells, Wayne, and Williams soybeans in
9,500-, 4,800-, and 1,850-cm3 pots was CHARLES D. HEINZMAN. Jr. and
0.151 g/cm3 with a coefficient of variation GARYL. EILRICH1
of lOVo. The average seed dry weight for the Contribution of Monsanto Agricultural
three cultivars in 9,500-, 4,800-, and Products Co., Agricultural Research De-
1,850-cm3 pots was 56 g with a coefficient partment, St. Louis, Missouri 63 166. Re-
of variation of 27Vo. Since the volume ceived 14 June 1976, accepted 20 Oct.
displacement technique is non-destructive 1976. tPresent address (G.L.E.): Diamond
and the CV for vepetative efficiencv was Shamrock Chemical Co., Cleveland, Ohio.