IMPACT OF COTYLEDON INTEGRITY ON THE EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF SOYBEAN

Abstract

Soybean stands out as one of the main crops in Brazilian agribusiness, playing a strategic role in the production of oil, meal, and biofuels. During the early stages of development, the plant relies heavily on the cotyledons, which are responsible for supplying energy reserves until the establishment of the first trifoliate leaves. Considering the importance of these structures, this study evaluated the effect of different levels of cotyledon damage on the initial development of the crop. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with five damage levels (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100%) and six replications. The analyzed variables were plant height, number of nodes, stem diameter, chlorophyll content, and shoot dry mass. Significant differences were observed for plant height, number of nodes, and stem diameter, indicating that partial or total removal of cotyledons compromises vegetative growth. A negative linear effect was also observed for these variables, including shoot biomass accumulation. Chlorophyll content showed no statistical differences. It is concluded that cotyledon integrity is a determining factor for the initial vigor of soybean, reinforcing the need for management practices that minimize damage during seedling emergence.