Abstract: Thirty two accessions of soybean(Glycine max(L.)Merr.)selected from 83 representative entries fromHuang-huai-hai Region according to their root performance were used to study their genetic variation of root traits atseedling stage and their relationship with above-ground traits and tolerance to abiotic stresses. Dry root weight, total rootlength and root volume of accessions from Middle-Lower Chang-jiang Valleyswith later maturity developed more quicklythan those from Huang-huai-hai Valleys with earlier maturity. The correlations between these root traits and whole plantdry weight were pretty high,those between the meanmembership index of drought tolerance and the relative values of totalroot length,root volume and dry root weight per plant were all significant at 0. 01 level and so did for the correlations be-tween mean membership index of aluminum toxin tolerance and the stressed to unstressed relative valuesof number of lat-eral roots,tap root length,total root length,root volume and dry root weight. These relative root traits hadwide variation a-mong accessions and could be used for identification of drought and aluminum tolerance.

Key words: Soybean(Glycine max(L) Merr.), Root trait related to stress tolerances, Genetic variation

CLC Number: 

• S565.1