Enrichment, quality, and productivity of soybean seeds with cobalt and molybdenum applications

Abstract

– Cobalt (Co) and molybdenum (Mo) are vital nutrients for biological fixation and nitrogen assimilation by soybean. This study aimed to evaluate the increase of Co and Mo contents in soybean seeds by leaf applications. The experiment was carried out in a seed production field in a 3 × 3 factorial scheme with three Co and Mo doses and three treatments (times). Each treatment consisted of two application times: R3+R5.1 (T1), R3+R5.4 (T2), and R5.1+R5.4 (T3). Doses were 0, 400, and 600 g.ha−1 of Mo and 0, 40, and 60 g.ha−1 of Co. No difference was observed for productivity, one thousand-seed weight, and germination. An interaction was observed between dose and application time in the Mo content. The application of 400 g ha−1 of Mo in T1 (R3+R5.1) provided a higher Mo content in the seeds (13.5 g.kg−1), which is 1350% higher when compared to the control. For Co, there was a difference only for doses, and the application of 40 or 60 g.ha−1 of Co increased seed nutrient content by 30%. Therefore, a higher enrichment of Co and Mo was observed in seeds with applications of 40 and 400 g.ha−1, respectively, applied in R3+R5.1.