Relationship between radiocesium concentrations of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) seeds and shoots at early growth stages

Abstract

Abstract: To predict the concentration of radiocesium (134Cs + 137Cs) in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) seeds before harvest, we examined its relationship with the concentration in shoots at earlier growth stages from 2011 to 2013 in several contaminated fields in Fukushima Prefecture. Radiocesium concentrations of seeds (15% moisture content) were highly correlated with those of aboveground parts (fresh-weight basis) at the R3 (beginning pod) stage of reproductive growth irrespective of soil type, potassium (K) fertilization, and year, but they had a much lower correlation at the vegetative stage (before flowering). The radiocesium concentration of soybean seeds can be predicted before harvest from the concentration during the early reproductive growth stage.