Effect of Seed Coating on Seed Yield and Yield Contributing Characters of Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill.]

Abstract

During the 2025 kharif season, a field trial at the AICRP on Soybean, Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani, examined the effects of seed-coating treatments on growth, yield attributes and seed yield of soybean variety MAUS-731. Nine treatments were assessed in a randomised block design, each with three replications. The treatment groups included untreated seed and separate or combined applications of Rhizobium plus phosphate-solubilising bacteria, thiophanate-methyl plus pyraclostrobin, carbendazim plus mancozeb and thiamethoxam. Significant differences were observed among treatments for several growth- and yield-related traits. Overall, the combined treatments generally recorded higher values than the untreated control for the measured growth and yield attributes. Treatment T9, comprising Rhizobium + PSB + thiophanate-methyl + pyraclostrobin + thiamethoxam, recorded plant heights of 38.64, 52.97 and 61.03 cm at 30, 60 and 90 days after sowing, respectively. It also recorded leaf area values of 15.74 and 26.47 at 45 and 75 days after sowing, chlorophyll content values of 53.19 and 48.52, 30.35 pods per plant and 2.72 seeds per pod. The same treatment produced the highest seed index (12.40), seed yield per plant (12.23 g) and harvest index (45.46%). For soybean grown under the experimental conditions, T9 yielded the highest measurements for the majority of growth and yield traits assessed.