This study was carried out to establish the association between floral bud size and the corresponding microspore developmental stages for Brazilian soybean cultivars. Microspore developmental stage distributions were examined in young buds from cv Década, IAS5 and RS7. The data indicated that for a given bud-size group, the microspores of different cultivars were at different developmental stages, with cv RS7 and Década distributed at the youngest and cv IAS5 at the most advanced stages. Microspore stages distribution were also compared among the ten anthers of the same bud of the above cultivars. The ten anthers from a given bud were clearly distributed at different developmental stages. Caution should be exercised when adopting the standard anther culture practice of using the microspore stage of one anther to represent the entire bud.
Glycine max; soybean; microsporogenesis; anther culture
