Maturation times, growth and yield of soybean seeds in lowlands

Abstract

This work aimed to evaluate, through field experimentation, the inoculation response associated with three different seed lots, using commercial soybean seeds, saved seeds and seeds exposed to the sun (simulating inadequate storage and/or transport conditions). Treatments were divided into four collection times, according to reproductive stages R1, R2, R4 and R6. During the conduction of the experiment, the count of total nodules (n-total), active (n-ati) and inactive (n-ina), mass of nodules presents in the main root (n-prin), mass of nodules of the root’s secondary (n-sec), root dry mass (ms-r), leaf dry mass (ms-f), pod dry mass (ms-v), stem dry mass (ms-c), number of pods (n-vag) and seeds per plant (n-sem), yield per plant (Rend) and thousand seed weight (PMS). All evaluations were carried out in the seed analysis laboratory of the Graduate Program in Seed Science and Technology, belonging to the Faculty of Agronomy Eliseu Maciel, at the Federal University of Pelotas. Under the conditions of this study, it was found that commercially stored seeds had a higher number of total active nodules, both primary and secondary. The same was observed for the variables dry mass of leaves, pods, stems, roots and thousand seed weight. The different ways of pre-planting seed storage directly influenced the quality and yield of the plants, as well as their structural and photosynthetic development.