Soybean grown on high‐aluminum soil exhibits a marked inhibition of development of lateral branches of the shoot. This inhibition can be alleviated with exogenous cytokinin applications to the shoot. A primiry effect of aluminum is to restrict root meristematic development. Substantial evidence exists to show that the root meristem is a major site of cytokinin biosynthesis for transport to the developing shoot. The common locality of ytokinin synthesis and primary aluminum toxicity effects in the root meristems implies that limited cytokinin supply may inhibit lateral shoot development during aluminum toxicity stress. This is possibly due to a limitation in cytokinin‐induced meristematic development of the lateral shoots. In addition, the inhibition may involve altered calcium transport and cytokinin‐mediated distribution of calcium in these regions.