Biofortification of Soybean (<i>Glycine max</i> L.) through FeSO<sub>4</sub>·7H<sub>2</sub>O to Enhance Yield, Iron Nutrition and Economic Outcomes in Sandy Loam Soils of India

oleh: Salwinder Singh Dhaliwal, Vivek Sharma, Arvind Kumar Shukla, Janpriya Kaur, Vibha Verma, Manmeet Kaur, Prabhjot Singh, Lovedeep Kaur, Gayatri Verma, Jagdish Singh, Ahmed Gaber, Akbar Hossain

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2022-04-01

Deskripsi

The nutritional value of <i>Glycine max</i> L. (soybean) and its yield potential for improving sustainability of agricultural systems has resulted into its increased production. Soybean crop has potential to replace the rice crop in the rice-wheat cropping system. However, the crop has shown high sensitivity towards iron (Fe) deficiency, and thus recorded major yield and nutritional quality losses. Thus, a three-year field experiment was planned to compare the impact of the application rate (0.5% and 1.0%) and number of sprays of FeSO<sub>4</sub> on yield, Fe nutrition, and economic outcomes of soybeans. The Fe application posed a beneficial impact on the studied parameters due to an increase in enzymatic activity of Fe-containing enzymes. Among various treatments, maximum increase in grain and straw yield (3064 and 9341 kg ha<sup>−1</sup>, respectively) was obtained with 0.5% FeSO<sub>4</sub> application at 30, 60, and 90 DAS over the control (2397 and 6894 kg ha<sup>−1</sup>, respectively). Similar results were attained for grain Fe concentration (69.9 mg kg<sup>−1</sup>) and Fe uptake in grain and straw (214 and 9088 g ha<sup>−1</sup>, respectively). The results were statistically non-significant, with the treatment in which 0.5% FeSO<sub>4</sub> was applied at 30 and 60 DAS. The economic returns of soybean cultivation were also highest with 0.5% FeSO<sub>4</sub> application at 30, 60, and 90 DAS with highest benefit; the cost (3.02) followed by treatment in which 0.5% FeSO<sub>4</sub> was applied at 30 and 60 DAS. Thus, 0.5% FeSO<sub>4</sub> application at 30, 60, and 90 DAS can be recommended for soybeans grown on sandy loam soil followed by 0.5% FeSO<sub>4</sub> application at 30and 60 DAS to harness maximum yield, Fe concentration, and profitability.