Effect of varieties, row spacing and seeding rate on growth, productivity and economics of soybean in Indo-Gangetic plains of India

摘要

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) is a unique two-in-one crop, having both high quality protein (43%) and oil (20%) content. It has now been established as one of the most important oilseed crops in the world, accounting for more than 50% of oilseedsproduction and 30% of the total supply of all vegetable oils. The world soybean production reached an average annual production of 258.4 million tons (mt) in 2010 (FAO 2010). Soybean cultivation in India at present is restricted mostly to Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat. It is also grown on a small scale in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Delhi. During 2009-10, it was grown on an area of 9.79 million ha with production and productivity of 99.65 mt and 1,026 kg/ha, respectively in the country. Soybean has much greater scope as it has diverse uses including soya nuts, soya milk, cheese, etc. Due to consumers' preference, soybean demand is going to increase in coming years in India. India imports vegetable oil, so soybean production in the country will not only help in meeting vegetable oil requirements but also save foreign exchange (Pan 2008). To make any crop successful in any area, it must have good varieties and improved production technology for realizing good yields. Seed rate, row spacing and varieties/genotypes (De Bruin and Pedersen 2008) are known to influence the grain yield considerably. The potential of any variety can be exploited through studies on their agronomy. Yielding ability of different varieties may vary dueto their genetic make up. Soybean canopy development is a function of row spacing, seed rate and environmental conditions. The relative equidistant plant distribution leads to increased leaf area development and greater light interception early in the season. This increases crop growth rate, dry matter accumulation and seed yield (De Bruin and Pedersen 2008).