Influence of seed inoculation by nitrogenfixing bacteria and varieties on morphological properties and soybean productivity (Glicine max L.)

Recommended agrotechnical measure that is performed immediately before sowing of soybean is the inoculation of grain with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. The purpose of the experiment was to examine the influence of inoculation and variety on morphological characteristics, yield and content of primary grain metabolites. Three domestic soybean cultivars (Apollo, Gorštak and Trijumf) were examined on the plot on which soybeans were previously grown, on chernozem-type land, at the experimental field of the Tamiš Pancevo Institute. The following morphological characteristics and yield parameters were studied: plant height, number of side branches, number of nodes, plant height to the first pod, number of pods per plant, the mass of pods per grain per plant, grain weight per plant and grain yield per hectare. The content of oil, nitrogen and protein was determined by standard analytical methods. Inoculation had a statistically significant effect on the morphological trait of plant height up to the first pod, while inoculation had no statistically significant impact on other morphological traits and yield parameters. Inoculation did not have a statistically significant effect on oil, nitrogen and protein content. For most of the examined parameters, the effect of genotype was observed. The average yield of plants of inoculated seed (1250 kg ha-1) and non-inoculated seed (1230 kg ha-1) was far lower than the multi-year average, due to significantly lower precipitation compared to the multi-year average and high average air temperatures during the growing season.