186-7 Improved In-Furrow Liquid Bradyrhizobium Nodulation Vs. Seed-Applied Treatments for Texas High Plains Soybean.



Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Henry Gonzalez Convention Center, Hall C, Street Level

Sean M. Wallace and Calvin Trostle, Texas Agrilife Extension Service, Lubbock, TX
In general liquid inoculants deliver higher numbers of N-fixing bacteria to planted crop seed than seedbox powders or in-furrow granular inoculants.  Peanut farmers in the Texas High Plains equip planters to apply liquid inoculant in-furrow—which improves nodulation and yields, but this is not done in soybean production.  The objective is to gauge nodulation and soybean yield due to soybean-specific liquid inoculant (Bradyrhizobium japonicum) applied both on the seed as well as sprayed directly in furrow using a streamjet spray tip.  Field tests were conducted 2008-2011 at Lubbock, TX (Becker Underwood ‘Vault’ and EMD CropBioscience ‘Cell-Tech’), and 2010-2011 at Etter, TX (Cell-Tech) using an RCBD layout comparing seed-applied and in-furrow (water carrier volume ~65 liters/ha) inoculant at the manufacturer’s labeled rates).  Soybean nodulation was assessed at ~90 days for nodules per plant, and plots were harvested with a small plot combine.  At Lubbock on a sandy loam soil per-plant nodulation improved by over six-fold to ~23 nodules per plant using in-furrow application vs. 3 nodules per plant with seed-applied liquid application (1 nodule per plant on controls) though no nodulation was measured in 2009 when the soil remained very dry after planting.  Etter nodulation improved ~50% with in-furrow application.   Yields were significantly higher at Lubbock due to in-furrow application but not at Etter.  Improved nodulation using in-furrow inoculant application suggests producers should consider the cost of applying liquid inoculants in-furrow for soybean in the Texas High Plains.
See more from this Division: ASA Section: Agronomic Production Systems
See more from this Session: Applied Soybean Research Community: II