EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF SOWING DATES ON SOYBEAN YIELD, SEED QUALITY AND TRYPSIN INHIBITOR ACTIVITY

Abstract

In order to evaluate the influence of different sowing dates on soybean yield and seed quality, ten genotypes from three different maturity groups were studied at Research and Development Station for Agriculture Turda and provided results from two different sowing dates. The laboratory analysis included the examination of various parameters and assessed the several quality parameters; these analyses were conducted non-destructively using NIR spectrometry, ensuring the integrity of the grains. The trypsin inhibitor activity was determined using benzoyl-DL-arginine-p-nitranilide. The obtained results revealed that sowing date had a profound impact on: number of pods, grains and weight per plant. Notably, a substantial reduction in yield was observed when soybeans were sown later compared to the optimal sowing date. Moreover, a substantial decrease in oil content was noted with late sowing dates, while a significant increase in protein content was achieved. Furthermore, the trypsin inhibitor activity exhibited lower levels across all studied cultivars during late sowing experiments compared to the optimal sowing date. It's also worth noting that the fatty acid profile displayed variations dependent on both the genotype and sowing date