Investigation of the Structural Characteristics of Seed Surfaces of Some Soybean Genotypes by Using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)

Soybean (Glycine max) is a partly climbing, branched, annual plant in the Fabaceae family, native to East Asia. The plant is grown for its edible beans. Soybeans have many uses in agronomic practice. It plays a crucial role in East Asian cuisine and the animal feed industry as it is one of the plants with the highest protein yield per cultivated area and is rich in nutritional value. Therefore, the characterization of soya genotypes and seed surface structural properties is critical. SEM technique, one of the techniques that can be used for this purpose, provides high-resolution images of the surfaces and allows detailed examination of the microstructure of the materials. This study used SEM microscopy to determine seed surface characteristics such as surface roughness, reticulation, tubercles, and raised and grooved surface decorations in 12 soya genotypes. As a result of the study, soybean genotypes were divided into 3 groups according to their micro-morphological characteristics and their similarities and differences were revealed. In conclusion, it was once again demonstrated that this classification based on surface characteristics can be useful for various agricultural, botanical and research purposes by helping to identify and compare seeds.