Soybean: Evaluation of Inoculation

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports, Sep 2017

Most of the nitrogen (N) required by a soybean plant is supplied via biological nitrogen fixation (BNF). When BNF is adequately established in the soil, soybean can obtain up to 50 to 75% of its N from the air. This project aims to quantify the response to inoculation for soybean in its second year in a field without previous history of this crop. Due to this objective, a field study was conducted during the 2015 and 2016 growing seasons at Ottawa, KS (East Central experiment field location). The treatments consisted of five different N-management approaches: non-inoculated (NI), inoculated ×1 (I×1), inoculated ×2 (I×2), inoculated ×3 (I×3), and non-inoculated but fertilized with 300 lb N/a (NF) as the main N source. In 2015, yields among treatments did not differ significantly from one another. In 2016, yields ranged from 36 to 59 bushels per acre. Greater yields were recorded when fertilized with 300 lb N/a, while lowest yield was related to the non-inoculated scenario. Treatments presented significant yield difference; however, the scenario with 300 lb N/a did not differ from the inoculated ×3; while the inoculated treatments were not different for the yield factor. In summary, further research should be pursued to be more conclusive as to the best management approach for N in soybeans in an area without history of this crop.

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Soybean: Evaluation of Inoculation

Soybean: Evaluation of Inoculation T. M. Albuquerque 0 O. Ortez 0 G. I. Carmona 0 I. A. Ciampitti 0 0 Kansas State University , USA Follow this and additional works at: https://newprairiepress.org/kaesrr Part of the Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons Recommended Citation - This report is brought to you for free and open access by New Prairie Press. It has been accepted for inclusion in Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports by an authorized administrator of New Prairie Press. Copyright 2017 Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service. Contents of this publication may be freely reproduced for educational purposes. All other rights reserved. Brand names appearing in this publication are for product identification purposes only. No endorsement is intended, nor is criticism implied of similar products not mentioned. K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Abstract Most of the nitrogen (N) required by a soybean plant is supplied via biological nitrogen fixation (BNF). When BNF is adequately established in the soil, soybean can obtain up to 50 to 75% of its N from the air. This project aims to quantify the response to inoculation for soybean in its second year in a field without previous history of this crop. Due to this objective, a field study was conducted during the 2015 and 2016 growing seasons at Ottawa, KS (East Central experiment field location). The treatments consisted of five different Nmanagement approaches: non-inoculated (NI), inoculated ×1 (I×1), inoculated ×2 (I×2), inoculated ×3 (I×3), and non-inoculated but fertilized with 300 lb N/a (NF) as the main N source. In 2015, yields among treatments did not differ significantly from one another. In 2016, yields ranged from 36 to 59 bushels per acre. Greater yields were recorded when fertilized with 300 lb N/a, while lowest yield was related to the noninoculated scenario. Treatments presented significant yield difference; however, the scenario with 300 lb N/a did not differ from the inoculated ×3; while the inoculated treatments were not different for the yield factor. In summary, further research should be pursued to be more conclusive as to the best management approach for N in soybeans in an area without history of this crop. Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. This Soybean article is available in Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports: https://newprairiepress.org/kaesrr/ vol3/iss6/20 Kansas Field Research 2017 Soybean: Evaluation of Inoculation Summary Most of the nitrogen (N) required by a soybean plant is supplied via biological nitrogen fixation (BNF). When BNF is adequately established in the soil, soybean can obtain up to 50 to 75% of its N from the air. This project aims to quantify the response to inoculation for soybean in its second year in a field without previous history of this crop. Due to this objective, a field study was conducted during the 2015 and 2016 growing seasons at Ottawa, KS (East Central experiment field location). The treatments consisted of five different N-management approaches: non-inoculated (NI), inoculated ×1 (I×1), inoculated ×2 (I×2), inoculated ×3 (I×3), and non-inoculated but fertilized with 300 lb N/a (NF) as the main N source. In 2015, yields among treatments did not differ significantly from one another. In 2016, yields ranged from 36 to 59 bushels per acre. Greater yields were recorded when fertilized with 300 lb N/a, while lowest yield was related to the non-inoculated scenario. Treatments presented significant yield difference; however, the scenario with 300 lb N/a did not differ from the inoculated ×3; while the inoculated treatments were not different for the yield factor. In summary, further research should be pursued to be more conclusive as to the best management approach for N in soybeans in an area without history of this crop. Introduction Soybean crop, as a legume species, has the characteristic of N fixation or can convert from the atmosphere when the proper symbiotic relationship with specific bacteria is established. The success of an effective symbiotic process depends on the existence of the bacteria in the soil. Thus, if the bacteria are not present in the soil, the “inoculation” practice can establish the specific rhizobia in the field, providing a successful N fixation. Based on previous information, inoculation is usually effective when: 1) soybean was never planted before or in the past 3 to 5 years; 2) soil pH is below 6.0 units; 3) soil has a high sand content; 4) in anaerobic conditions, field has been flooded for more than a week when nodulation was supposed to become established; and 5) early-season stress conditions (e.g. heat) affects plant-bacteria establishment. The inoculation has become a standard practice in soybean fields due to the critical supply of N coming from BNF and the high (...truncated)


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T. M. Albuquerque, O. Ortez, G. I. Carmona, I. A. Ciampitti. Soybean: Evaluation of Inoculation, Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports, 2017, Volume 3, Issue 6,