Effect of Nitrogen Fertilizer Application and Rhizobium Bacteria Inoculation on Growth and Yield of Soybean (Glycine Max (L.) Merrill) in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan
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Abstract
One of the major advancements in modern agriculture from biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) research is the development of Rhizobium inoculants. Soybean, a legume with high nitrogen demand, forms an effective symbiosis with Rhizobium species, making it highly responsive to BNF. In Afghanistan, however, limited information exists on the combined effects of nitrogen fertilizer and Rhizobium inoculation on soybean productivity. This study evaluated the effects of Rhizobium japonicum inoculation, nitrogen fertilizer at two rates (25 and 50 kg N ha⁻¹), and their integration on soybean growth and yield. A field experiment was conducted during the 2024 summer season in Behsud district, Nangarhar province, using a randomized complete block design with three replications. Treatments included control (no inoculation or nitrogen), Rhizo-Power inoculation, 25 kg N ha⁻¹, and 50 kg N ha⁻¹. Growth, reproductive, and yield parameters were measured, and data were analyzed using ANOVA at p < 0.05. Results showed significant treatment effects. The highest grain yield (1135 kg ha⁻¹), hay yield (821 kg ha⁻¹), and biological yield (1956 kg ha⁻¹) were obtained under full nitrogen application. Rhizobium inoculation alone and 25 kg N ha⁻¹ produced comparable grain yields (1025 and 992 kg ha⁻¹, respectively), while the control yielded the lowest (650 kg ha⁻¹). The findings demonstrate that integrating Rhizobium inoculation with reduced nitrogen fertilizer sustains high soybean yields, offering a cost-effective and environmentally friendly nutrient management strategy for Afghanistan’s agro-ecological conditions.
Keywords
Biological, nitrogen, fixation, Growth, fertilizer, Rhizobium, inoculation, Soybean, yield##plugins.themes.academic_pro.article.details##
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