Study on Seed Physical Characteristics and Phytic Acid Content of Soybean Germplasm

The present investigation was carried out with 250 soybean germplasm to study the seed physical characteristics and phytic acid content, which determine the quality of various soy foods. The seed phytic acid content ranges between 0.84 mg/g and 7.07 mg/g of dry seed weight. Results on seed physical characteristics showed 3.99 – 9.14 mm seed length, 3.28–6.70mm seed width and 2.15–5.72mm seed thickness. The seed weight fell in the range of 0.07–0.19g and the varieties recorded seed volume and seed density in the range of 0.07- 0.20ml and 0.63–1.45 g/ml respectively. The seed phytic acid content and seed physical parameters viz., seed length, seed width, seed thickness, seed weight and volume showed more heritability. All the seed physical characteristics except the seed density showed negative correlation with the phytic acid content and hence these traits can be used as physical markers after further conformational studies for selection of lines with low phytate content for improving the quality of various soy products.