Abstract
The performance of the soybean (Glycine max) inoculated with Bradyrhizobium is influenced by cropping history. However, re-inoculation with elite strains of Bradyrhizobium generally provides increases in soybean grain yield. The Amazonian savanna has an agricultural frontier area where soybeans have recently been introduced. In this study, we evaluated soybean nodulation, N accumulation, N2 fixation, and grain yield responses to inoculation with the commercial Bradyrhizobium strains SEMIA 587 and SEMIA 5019 of B. elkanii, SEMIA 5079 of B. japonicum, and SEMIA 5080 of B. diazoefficiens. Four field experiments were performed in areas with or without previous cropping with inoculated soybean that contained preexisting bradyrhizobia populations of ≥ 103 or < 102 cells g−1 soil, respectively. Inoculation of soybean in first-year cropping areas resulted in increases in several parameters compared to those in non-inoculated soybean; as expected, these effects were less pronounced when areas had been previously cropped with soybean. Despite no statistical differences, re-inoculation provided average increases in grain yield of 12 to 18% compared to that in the non-inoculated control. A dose of 200 kg ha−1 of N-fertilizer impaired the nodulation and did not increase grain yields when compared with the inoculation. Estimates obtained with the 15 N natural abundance technique confirmed the high contribution of N2 fixation in inoculated plants, ranging from 84 to 90%. Although soybean cropping increases the soil bradyrhizobia population size, annual inoculation is important to guarantee host infection by efficient strains of soybean Bradyrhizobium and their persistence in savanna soils.
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Acknowledgements
Authors J.É. Zilli, O.J. Smiderle, S. Urquiaga and M. Hungria gratefully acknowledge "Research Productivity" fellowships from National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), and R.S. Pacheco a research grant from the Foundation for Research Support of the Rio de Janeiro State (FAPERJ). We would like to thank Editage (www.editage.com) for English language editing.
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Financial research support from INCT–Plant-Growth Promoting Microorganisms for Agricultural Sustainability and Environmental Responsibility (CNPq 465133/2014–2, Fundação Araucária-STI-043/2019, CAPES) and Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa).
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Zilli, J.É., Pacheco, R.S., Gianluppi, V. et al. Biological N2 fixation and yield performance of soybean inoculated with Bradyrhizobium. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 119, 323–336 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-021-10128-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-021-10128-7