Compensatory yield responses drive high performance of soybeans treated with seed-applied Soyfx®: an on-farm experimental study

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Introduction Plant growth-promoting bacteria are a promising tool for enhancing crop productivity while reducing dependence on synthetic agricultural inputs. This study evaluated the effects of the microbial consortia bioproduct inoculant Agrovive Biologicals ® Soyfx ® , applied as either a seed treatment or foliar spray, on soybean plant density, pod development, seed production, seed mass, and the accuracy of automated seed counting. Methods The field experiment was conducted during the 2018 growing season under standard agronomic management. Three treatments were compared: untreated control, foliar application at the V2 growth stage (2.34 L ha -1 in 93.5 L ha -1 water), and seed treatment (1.30 mL kg -1 seed). Yield components were assessed through fixed-area sampling, pod classification, seed counting (manual and automated), and seed-size determination. Data were analyzed using appropriate statistical tests following assessment of normality. Results Seed treatment significantly reduced plant density from 32.6 to 23.2 plantsm -2 (−29%; p < 0.001) but increased average pod production per plant from 26.2 to 41.3 pods (+63%; p < 0.001) compared with the control. The number of seeds >6.35 mm increased from 986.4 to 1693.2 m -2 (+70%; p < 0.001), while 100-seed weight increased from 18 to 21.8 g (+21%; p < 0.001). As a result, seed treatment produced the highest yield (3.55 t ha -1 ), representing a 31% increase over the control (2.7 t ha -1 ; p < 0.022) and a 45% increase over the foliar treatment (2.45 t ha -1 ; p < 0.004). Despite a significantly lower plant density, total pod and seed production per unit area were maintained, indicating compensatory growth responses. Foliar application produced intermediate responses and did not differ significantly from the control. Pod-type analysis showed that seed treatment increased the frequency of three-spot pods of one-seed. Automated seed counts underestimated seed numbers relative to manual counts (p < 0.001). Discussion These results indicate that pre-sowing seed application of Agrovive Biologicals ® Soyfx ® improves soybean yield components and seed quality, providing an effective low-input alternative to foliar application.

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