Liming Effects on Yield and Yield Attributes of Nitrogen Fertilized and Bradyrhizobia Inoculated Soybean (Glycine max L.) Grown in Acidic soil at Jimma, South Western Ethiopia

Abstract

Soil acidity is one of the major soil chemical constraints which limit agricultural productivity in the mid and highlands of Ethiopia. The study was conducted to evaluate the influence of lime, bradyrhizobia and nitrogen fertilizer on yield and yield attributes of soybean in acid soil at melko south western Ethiopia during June to October of 2012. The crop was evaluated in terms of pod number, seed per pod, seed yield, hundred seed weight, straw yield and harvest index. The result revealed that pod number per plant, seed yield, seeds per pod and hundred seed weight were significantly (P < 0.05) increased when lime and bradyrhizobia were simultaneously used. However, straw yield and harvest index were not significantly (P > 0.05) improved by lime and bradyrhizobia. Except seeds number per pod and seed yield, the effect of nitrogen on yield attributes was not observed. It had neither interaction with lime and bradyrhizobia nor its effect on yield attribute was significant. Saving currency invested to buy chemical nitrogen fertilizer and maintaining soil healthy, simultaneous use of lime and bradyrhizobia give similar seed yield with the one recorded when nitrogen fertilizer is applied.

Keywords: Bradyrhizobia, Lime, Soybean, Yield, Yield attributes