Formation Mechanism and Occurrence Law of Pod Shattering in Soybean: A Review

Seed shattering refers to the phenomenon in which the pods split along the abdominal and back sutures before the crop is received, so that the seeds are spread. Seed shattering is vital to the reproduction of their offspring in wild plants, but it is also the main cause of crop yield loss reason. Pod-explosion resistance is a complex process of physical and physiological and biochemical reactions. Soybean seed shattering phenomenon is widespread, which severely restricts the development of soybean industry. Seed shattering (pod cracking or fruit dropping) is essential for the reproduction of its offspring in wild plants, but it is also the main cause of crop yield loss. This article analyzes the morphology and structure of pods related to seed shattering from the morphology of pods. On the basis of the regularity of the occurrence of seed shattering and the summary of phenotypic index identification methods, physiologically introduced the regulation mechanism of key enzymes and endogenous hormones on seed shattering. The localization, labeling and cloning of seed shattering genes are introduced in molecular biology. The study focused on reviewing the latest advances in the research on soybean seed shattering characteristics, and discussed with the research results of related crops. Finally, the research and application of soybean seed shattering resistance were prospected for several aspects.