Abstract
In order to investigate the influences of localities of planting on the germination behaviours and chemical composition of the soybean seeds, two varieties of soybeans were planted on the 2 highlands and the 2 lowlands, where the temperature differed as much as 5°C on the average throughout the growing seasons. The results obtained were as follows: I. Germination behavior; Effects of the localities in which the seeds ripened varied with varieties. We found in Daizu Norin No. 3 that the seeds ripened on the highlands which are represented hereinafter as Hs were more delayed in the rate of water absorption and germination than those ripened on the lowlands which are represented hereinafter as Ls, but could not find it in Daizu Norin No. 2. From the results of germination tests with variously treated seeds it was pointed out that the difference in germination behavior had much to do with the permeability of seed coats to water. II. Chemical composition; It was known that Hs contained much more sugar and much less oil than Ls. No significant difference was found in the amount of protein contained between Hs and Ls. These phenomena mentioned above may not be attributed to the different soil properties but to the different mean temperatures during the growing seasons of the soybean plants, because these facts were also found anlong the seeds cultivated at the same location in different mean temperatures.
