Yield and N accumulation responses of late‐season determinate soybean to irrigation and inoculation with various strains ofBradyrhizobium japonicum

Abstract

Cobb and Coker 488, late‐season (maturity group VIII) cultivars of soybean [Glycine max(L.) Merr], were grovn under irrigated and non‐irrigated conditions on a Norfolk loamy sand in a two‐year field experiment. Each cultivar was inoculated withBradyrhizobium japonicumstrains [USDA 3I1b110; Brazil 587; NifTAL 184 and 102 (NifTAL cultures of Brazil 587 and USDA 110, respectively); and North Carolina 1001, 1004, 1005, 1010, and 1029). Drought conditions were present both years, and irrigation significantly increased the overall yield (2.49 vs 1.92 Mg ha^‐1). Coker 488 was significantly higher in seed yield than Cobb (2.55 vs 2.02 Mg ha^‐1). Strain ofB.japonicumalso affected seed yields. NC1010‐inoculated soybean was significantly higher in seed yield rank than all other soybean at the P<0.01 level, when compared by single degree of freedom contrast (sdfc). The yield ranking of soybean inoculated with NC1001 was significantly lower than soybean inoculated with all other strains, when compared by sdfc (P<0.10). Other strains differed in responses which ranged from good to poor inoculants under specific water management conditions. For instance, under nonirrigated conditions, soybean inoculated with strains ofB.japonicumfrom North Carolina was significantly higher in seed yield than those inoculated with the cultures of USDA 110, B587, or the control, when compared by sdfc (P>0.03, 0.05, 0.06, respectively). Since soybean inoculated with either strain of USDA 110 was generally high in yield rank under irrigated conditions, their response to irrigation was large relative to soybean inoculated with the NC strain (P<0.04). Neither seed nitrogen nor xylem water potential was highly correlated to seed yield. Since seed yield and N content were not highly correlated, the amount of N accumulated in soybean dry mass and that removed in seed were not highly correlated. Thus, the amount of N returned to the soil would be affected by management combinations of late‐season determinate soybean cultivar,B.japonicumstrain, and irrigation

Key words:

• Glycine maxL
• drought
• xylem water potential
• cultivar
• nodulation
• N‐fixation