Water status influences common events of soluble carbohydrate accumulation during soybean seed development and germination

Seed development and germination are two distinct physiological stages that are normally separated by a metabolically quiescent period in orthodox seeds. Comparison of seed water status during these two processes and how it influences the biochemical activities remains unclear. The objective of this study was to compare soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill cv. Ohio FG1) seed development and germination, including the first 6 h after radicle protrusion, with respect to soluble carbohydrate occurrence at different stages characterized by water content and osmolality. Cyclitols and sugars were monitored at nine stages of development and during the first 30 h of germination. Three phases of water loss and osmolality increase found during seed development were correlated with three phases of water absorption and osmolality decrease during seed germination. This study provided evidence that soybean seed cotyledons and axes have similar patterns of water content and osmolality during seed development and germination and that three major events of soluble carbohydrate occurrence are shared by soybean seed parts during development and germination.