Skip to main content
Log in

Inoculation of soybean (Glycine max. (L.) Merr.) with genistein-preincubated Bradyrhizobium japonicum or genistein directly applied into soil increases soybean protein and dry matter yield under short season conditions

  • Published:
Plant and Soil Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In short-season soybean production areas, low soil temperature is the major factor limiting plant growth and yield. The decreases in soybean yield at low temperatures are mainly due to nitrogen limitation. Genistein, the most effective plant-to-bacterium signal in the soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) nitrogen fixation symbiosis, was used to pretreat Bradyrhizobium japonicum. We have previously reported that this increased soybean nodulation and nitrogen fixation in growth chamber studies. Two field experiments were conducted on two adjacent sites in 1994 to determine whether the incubation of B. japonicum with genistein, prior to application as an inoculant, or genistein, without B. japonicum, applied onto seeds in the furrow at the time of planting, increased soybean grain yield and protein yield in short season areas. The results of these experiments indicated that genistein-preincubated bradyrhizobia increased the grain yield and protein yield of AC Bravor, the later maturing of the two cultivars tested. Genistein without B. japonicum, applied onto seeds in the furrow at the time of planting also increased both grain and protein yield by stimulation of native soil B. japonicum. Interactions existed between genistein application and soybean cultivars, and indicated that the cultivar with the greatest yield potential responded more to genistein addition.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

DAP:

days after planting

RZT:

root zone temperature

References

  • Bhuvaneswari T V, Goodman R N and Bauer W D 1980 Early events in the infection of soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) by Rhizobium japonicum. I. Location of infectible root cells. Plant Physiol. 66, 1027–1031.

    Google Scholar 

  • Elias K S and Safir G R 1987 Hyphal elongation of Glomus fasciculatus in response to root exudates. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 53, 1928–1933.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fehr W R, Caviness C E, Burmoo D T and Pennington J S 1971 Stages of development descriptions for soybeans, Glycine max (L.) Merrill. Crop Sci. 11, 929–930.

    Google Scholar 

  • Halverson L J and Stacey G 1984 Host recognition in the Rhizobium-soybean symbiosis: detection of a protein factor in soybean root exudate which is involved in the nodulation process. Plant Physiol 74, 84–89.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hardy R W, Holstein W F, Jackson E K and Burns R C 1968 The acetylene-ethylene assay for N2 fixation: laboratory and field evaluation. Plant Physiol. 43, 1185–1207.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hume D J and Shelp B J 1990 Superior performance of the hup-Bradyrhizobium japonicum strain 532C in Ontario soybean field trials. Can. J. Plant Sci. 70, 661–666.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacobs M and Rubery P H 1988 Naturally occurring auxin transport regulators. Science 241, 346–349.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones F R and Tisdale W B 1921 Effect of soil temperature upon the development of nodules on the roots of certain legumes. J. Agric. Res. 22, 17–37.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kosslak R M, Bookland R, Barkei J, Paaren H and Appelbaum E R 1987 Induction of Bradyrhizobium japonicum common nod genes by isoflavones isolated from Glycine max. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 84, 7428–7432.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lane G A, Sutherland O R W and Skipp R A 1987 Isoflavonoids as insect feeding deterrents and antifungal components from root of Lupinus angustifolius. J. Chem. Ecol. 13, 771–783.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lynch D H and Smith D L 1993a Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) nodulation and N2 fixation as affected by period of exposure to a low root zone temperature. Physiol. Plant. 88, 212–220.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lynch D H and Smith D L 1993b Early seedling and seasonal N2-fixing symbiotic activity of two soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) cultivars inoculated with Bradyrhizobium strains of diverse origin. Plant and Soil 157, 289–303.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lynch D H and Smith D L 1994 The effects of low root zone temperature stress on two soybean (Glycine max) genotypes when combined with Bradyrhizobium strains of varying geographic origin. Physiol. Plant. 90, 105–113.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peters N K and Verma D P S 1990 Phenolic compounds as regulators of gene expression in plant-microbe interactions. Mol. Plant-Microbe Interac. 3, 4–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roughley R J and Date R A 1986 The effect of strain of Rhizobium and of temperature on nodulation and early growth of Trifolium semipilosum. Exp. Agric. 22, 123–131.

    Google Scholar 

  • SAS Institute Inc 1988 SAS User's Guide. Statistical Analysis Institute Inc., Cary, North Carolina. 1686 p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith D L and Hume D J 1987 Comparison of assay methods for N2 fixation utilizing white bean and soybean. Can. J. Plant Sci. 67, 11–19.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sprent J I 1979 The Biology of Nitrogen Fixation Organisms. McGraw-Hill Book Company Ltd., New York, NY, USA. 196p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steel R G D and Torrie J H 1980 Principles and Procedures of Statistics: a Biometric Approach. McGraw-Hill, New York, NY, USA. 633 p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Summerfield R J and Wien H C 1982 Effects of photoperiod and air temperature on growth and yield of economic legumes. In Advances in Legume Science. Eds. R J Summerfield and A H Bunting. pp 17–36. Royal Botanic Gardens, Surrey, UK.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomas R J and Sprent J I 1984 The effects of temperature on vegetative and early reproduction growth of a cold-tolerant and a cold-sensitive line of Phaseolus vulgaris L. 1. Nodulation, growth and partitioning of dry matter, carbon and nitrogen. Ann. Bot. 53, 579–588.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vincent J M 1970 A Manual for the Practical Study of Root Nodule Bacteria. Blackwell Scientific Publication, Oxford, UK. 164 p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang F and Smith D L 1994 Effects of low root zone temperature on the early stages of symbiosis establishment between soybean (Glycine max. (L) Merr.) and Bradyrhizobium japonicum. J. Exp. Bot. 279, 1467–1473.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang F and Smith D L 1995 Preincubation of Bradyrhizobium japonicum with genistein accelerates nodule development of soybean (Glycine max. (L.) Merr.) at suboptimal root zone temperatures. Plant Physiol. 108, 961–968.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Zhang, F., Smith, D.L. Inoculation of soybean (Glycine max. (L.) Merr.) with genistein-preincubated Bradyrhizobium japonicum or genistein directly applied into soil increases soybean protein and dry matter yield under short season conditions. Plant Soil 179, 233–241 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00009333

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00009333

Key words

Navigation