Effect of Organic and Bio Fertilization and Magnesium foliar Application on Soybean Production

Abstract

E GYPT has paid great attention to expanding the cultivation of oil crops such as soybean by developing plans and strategies, including the research plans, which were developed by the Agricultural Research Center. These plans aim to increase the areas cultivated with oil crops and simultaneously raise the productivity of the cultivated unit. To improve soybean production, a field experiment was carried out in a split-plot design for two successive years (2021 and 2022) where the six treatments of organic and bio fertilization were found in the main plots [T1: Control (without), T2: Rhizobium inoculation (RH), T3: Farmyard manure FYM at rate of 36.0 m3 ha-1, T4: Plant compost PC (sugar cane and banana residues at ratio of 50:50) at rate of 36.0 m3 ha-1, T5: T2+ T3 (RH+ FYM) and T6: T2+ T4 (RH+ PC)]. The sub-main plots were assigned for foliar application of magnesium (Mg) [F1: Control (without foliar application) and F2: Mg sprayed at rate of 1440 g ha-1 using magnesium sulphate (MgSO4, consisting of 20.19 Mg % by mass)].The main results showed that the superior treatment for obtaining the maximum values of growth performance e.g., plant height (87.16 and 88.12 cm, for 1st and 2nd seasons, respectively), dry weight(14.99 and 15.18g, for 1st and 2nd seasons, respectively)and chlorophyll(46.22 and 47.41 SPAD, for 1st and 2nd seasons, respectively) wasthe T6 treatment (combination of RH and PC) followed by T5 treatment (combination of RH and FYM) then T4, T3, T2 and T1, respectively. The same trend was found also for all parameters which expressed quantitative and qualitative yield of soybean e.g.,number of pods plant-1, seed yields, oil, protein and carbohydrates in seeds, where the T6 treatment came in the first order, while theT1 treatment came in the last order. Regarding the Mg treatments, the plant growth performance, quantitative and qualitative yield significantly increased with Mg foliar application (F2)compared to the corresponding soybean plants grown without Mg addition(F1). Generally, it can be concluded that the combined treatment (rhizobium inoculant + plant compost+ magnesium) will achieve the highest plant growth performance, quantitative and qualitative yield of soybean. Thus, can meet people's needs for strategic oil crops.