Phosphorus Application and Rhizobia Inoculation on Growth and Yield of Soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill)

Abstract

An experiment was conducted in the major and minor cropping seasons of 2012 and 2013 under field conditions at Bolgatanga Polytechnic, to study the effect of phosphorus fertilizer and Rhizobia inoculation on growth and yield of soybean using randomized complete block design and three replications. The treatments studied were:  Soybean + phosphorus fertilizer + Rhizobia inoculation (+P/+I), Soybean + phosphorus fertilizer only (+P/-I), Soybean inoculated with Rhizobia (-P/+I) and the control-Soybean only (-P/-I). Results indicated that Phosphorus fertilizer application is required for shoot growth, pod and seed yield. Nodulation and root growth were significantly increased by Phosphorus + Rhizobia inoculation (+P/+I) but P fertilizer only did not enhance root growth. Dry matter accumulation was highest between onset of flowering and Podding. Grain yield was again highest for Rhizobia inoculation plus Phosphorus fertilizer (+P/+I) and Phosphorus fertilizer only (+P/-I) recording 7.61 t/ha and 7.30 t/ha respectively whiles Rhizobia inoculation only (-P/+I) and the control (-P/-I) produced the lowest grain yield (4.41 t/ha) and (3.80 t/ha) respectively