SOYBEAN AGRONOMIC PERFORMANCE IN RESPONSE TO MINERAL FERTILIZATION

Abstract

Soybean is in high demand for both human and animal consumptions because of its nutritional values and potential use of biodiesel product. This crop is broadly cultivated on world arable soils with low nutritive elements. Investigation of soybean yield and related yield component traits with different types of fertilizer and different doses will help improve field management to optimize soybean production. The paper aimed to present the effects of different mineral fertilizers rates on soybean yield and yield components in 13 soybean cultivars from 3 different maturity groups: very early (000), early (00) and semi-early (0) genotypes. The results from this study reveals that positive response to mineral fertilization was mostly influenced by genotype and also maturity group (MG). A positive yield response to fertilization was observed in semi-early soybean genotypes at the 150 kg/ha rate of fertilization with an increase of production of 175 kg/ha compared to the mean of the experimental variants. Data obtained in this experiment showed that it is possible to achive high soybean yields without supplying fertilizers on soils with good nutrient content.