Why You Should Inoculate Your Soybean Seed
Should I inoculate my soybeans? This question, according to experts at Beck’s, seems to come back year after year. Why? Because the answer is a little more complicated than a simple “Yes” or “No.”
There are a few scenarios where the answer is an emphatic “YES!” So, let’s start there.
It’s recommended that you inoculate your soybean seed any time you have acres that haven’t been in soybean production for over three years. For example, if a farm has been planted as continuous corn for three years and you decide to rotate to soybeans, that crop may not be able to fix enough nitrogen to maximize your soybean yield in the first year.
This is because the nitrogen-fixing nodules that form on a soybean root are the result of a symbiotic relationship that forms between roots and the soybean nitrogen-fixing bacteria, Bradyrhizobium japonicum. The marvelous result of this symbiosis is that it fixes nitrogen that is available to your soybean crop. Specifically, the soybean plant provides carbohydrates the bacteria need, and, in return, the bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen into plant-available nitrogen.
The challenge is that populations of this bacteria can dwindle over time due to minimal soybean planting or any force that causes your soil to be inhospitable to bacteria such as:
- Flooding
- Drought
- Very low soil pH
- Soils with little organic matter or biological activity
- Soils with low water holding capacity
Read more at Beck’s.
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