Effect of pre-sowing treatment of soybean seeds with inoculant and microelements for yield and quality in the conditions of south-east of Kazakhstan

Abstract

Soybean is a high-protein and at the same time an oilseed crop. Its cultivation brings profit from the sale of seeds and enriches the soil through the activity of nitrogen-fixing plants. The effectiveness of pre-sowing treatment of soybean seeds with a nitrogen-fixing preparation (HiStick© inoculant) in combination with molybdenum and cobalt salts was evaluated at field level from 2019 to 2021 in the conditions of south-east Kazakhstan. The profitability of the crop could be increased by the use of pre-sowing treatment with these micronutrients which are involved in the processes of photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation. The most indicative characteristics for assessing the impact of pre-sowing seed treatment are the accumulation of protein and oil per hectare, since grain yield increased with pre-sowing treatment without changing quality characteristics (expressed as concentrations). Our research showed an increase in protein yield per hectare with pre-sowing treatment. When seeds of the early ripening Ivushka variety were treated with molybdenum and cobalt without HiStick©, protein yield per hectare increased by 8%. When using the HiStick© preparation together with microelements, the protein yield increased by 4.8%, 8.7% and 12.8% for Zhansaya, Lastochka (late-maturing) and Birlik CV varieties respectively. The increase in oil yield after pre-sowing seed treatment for the early-ripening Ivushka variety was 8.8% (complete treatment) and 6.8% for the late-ripening Lastochka variety (with micronutrients only). Therefore the increase of grain protein and oil yields improves the profitability of this crop for a range of soybean varieties.