Vegetative and productive performance of two soybean cultivars at different plant densities

The spatial arrangement and plant population have been highlighted as fundamental tools for increasing productivity. The objective was to evaluate the vegetative and productive performance of two soybean cultivars at different plant densities. Seeds of soybean cultivars (TMG 7063 IPRO and BS 2606 IPRO), recommended for the Alto Paranaíba region in the state Minas Gerais, were used and sown at seven different densities (8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20 plants meter-1, equivalent to 160, 200, 240, 280, 280, 320, 360 and 400 thousand plants hectare-1, where they were evaluated in the development stages R1 (plant height) and R8 (height of the insertion of the first pod, plant height, number of nodes, number of branches, productivity per plant and productivity per hectare). The experiment was set up according to a randomized block design, in the factorial scheme A x B, being factor A composed by the cultivars and factor B by plant densities with three repetitions (blocks). Increased plant population resulted in greater first pod insertion height and final plant height, fewer nodes and branches and the average yield per hectare increased linearly, with the TMG 7063 IPRO cultivar being more productive under these conditions (52.7 bags of 60 kg per hectare).