Advancing Soybean Resilience: The Role of Induced Polyploidy to Abiotic Stress Tolerance

Abiotic stress is one of the major constraints affecting the productivity of soybeans. It reduces germination ability, seedling growth, and development of the reproductive parts. Physiological traits, such as membrane and enzyme structure and functionality, are also negatively impacted due to the increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Polyploidy is known for creating diversification among plants, playing a key role in enhancing tolerance capacity against abiotic stress. These variations help plants survive under harsh conditions by modifying several morpho-physiological, molecular, and biochemical traits. However, polyploidy's role in enhancing tolerance to abiotic stress has been less explored in leguminous crops, particularly in soybeans. Additionally, no proper in-vitro or in-vivo techniques have been successfully employed to induce polyploidy in soybean and other legumes. Soybean, also known as soja bean or soya bean, has a history of polyploidy, which might be related to its tolerance mechanisms. This review paper discusses the limitations impacting soybean productivity under extreme environmental conditions and the role of synthetically developed polyploids in mitigating these abiotic stresses.