RESPONSE OF SOYBEAN GENOTYPES TO BORON, ZINC AND MANGANESE DEFICIENCY IN TISSUE-CULTURE

The effect of boron (B), zinc (Zn), and manganese (Mn) deficiency in the medium on eight soybean genotypes was evaluated using friable callus after a 21 day growth period. Of the three micronutrients evaluated, Zn and B deficiencies had the greatest effect on callus weight, while Mn had only a slight effect. Despite this, significant differences in callus weight reduction of the eight genotypes tested were observed on the three different media. These results indicate that genotypic variation for response to B, Zn, and Mn deficiency is present in soybean at the cellular level. If the resistant genotypes identified in this study are also resistant at the whole plant level, then they could be used in soils which are deficient in the above micronutrients.