Effect of drought and defoliation stress in the field on soybean seed germination and vigor

The effects of drought on seed germination and vigor were determined in soybean grown under field conditions. Drought conditions reduced yield, seed number and seed size by 13 to 64%. However, moisture stress did not affect seed germination and vigor. Defoliation treatments, meant to simulate premature plant death due to moisture stress, reduced seed size but had no effect on seed quality. The results suggest that soybean plants can be subjected to significant levels of moisture stress during seed filling without affecting seed germination or vigor.