Effect of Soybean Seed Inoculation with Symbiotic Bacteria

Background: The main advantage of leguminous plants is the ability to self-supply atmospheric nitrogen through symbiosis with the bacterium Bradyrhizobium japonicum. Therefore, seed inoculation with microbiological preparations is often used in agricultural practice to increase nodulation on the roots. Methods: A field experiment was conducted to examine the effect of commercial preparations or coated seeds containing Bradyrhizobium japonicum on soybean yield and quality. The experiment was performed in four replicates in a randomized block design. The seeds were inoculated using commercial preparations (HiStick® Soy, Nitragina®, TURBOSOY®, PRIMSEED® BIOM Soja, bi soya, RHIZOBIUM SOJA), which were mixed with the seeds on the day of sowing. Sowing coated seeds using the “Fix Fertig” technology did not require seed inoculation before sowing. Result: It has been demonstrated that HiStick® Soy and TURBOSOY® exerted the most beneficial effect on nodulation, SPAD index, number of pods per plant, TSW and yield. The preparation RHIZOBIUM SOY was also highly effective. Sowing inoculated or coated seeds positively affected the protein content of the seeds but the fat content was the highest in the control seeds. It has been demonstrated that the weather conditions in individual years modified the investigated parameters.