Soybean seed coat properties as determinants of natto and sprout quality

By introducing a direct, scalable approach to quantify seed coat traits, this work provides a foundation for more precise breeding strategies and highlights the role of structural seed attributes in improving specialty soybean products. Future research could integrate seed coat thickness into genomic selection models to accelerate breeding progress. © 2026 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.