Physico-Chemical Properties of Immature Pods of Japanese Soybean Cultivars

Abstract

Twelve Japanese cultivars and JS335, the most popular soybean cultivar in India, weregrown in the field. Days to arrival of R6 stage (when pods are still green, immature, andtight with fully developed immature green seeds) of these cultivars were recorded. Podspicked at this stage were evaluated for pod yield per plant, pod characteristics (width,presence of hairs) fresh green seed weight and percent moisture content. Fresh green seedswere analyzed for compositional traits viz. protein content, trypsin inhibitor lipoxygenaseisozymes, oil content, and polyunsaturated fatty acids (essential fatty acids). Japanese culti-vars showed higher fresh green seed weight and pod yield than JS335. On a fresh weightbasis, Japanese cultivars exhibited lower protein content but higher oil content than JS335.Most of the Japanese cultivars showed lower trypsin inhibitor content and a varying level oflipoxygenase-I, as well as lipoxygenase-II + III when compared to JS335. Total polyunsat-urated fatty acids content in JS335 was higher than some of the Japanese cultivars. Thenumber of pods per plant showed a positive correlation (r = 0.863, p < 0.001) with pod yieldper plant. Some of the Japanese cultivars offer great potential for consumption at the greenpod stage or as a source for desirable traits.