Impact of land configuration methods on growth parameters of soybean in summer rice fallows

A field experiment was performed to examine the impact of land configuration methods on various growth attributes of soybeans in summer rice fallows at the Instructional Farm, Vellayani. The experiment was conducted from February to May 2023 in a split plot design with three main plot treatments, viz., broadbed and furrow (BBF) (l1), ridge and furrow (RAF) (l2), and flatbed method (l3), and six varieties, viz., JS 9305 (v1), KDS 726 (v2), JS 2069 (v3), AISB 50 (v4), JS 335 (v5), and Basara (v6) as subplot treatments, replicated four times. The growth attributes were significantly influenced by land configuration methods where BBF recorded taller plants (14.98, 29.31, 39.06, 45.83 cm), highest leaf count (2.57, 4.73, 9.30, 11.07), superior leaf area index (LAI) (0.502, 1.495, 2.077, 3.898), and higher nodule fresh weight (0.850 g). However, the variety JS 2069 recorded taller plants (15.55, 30.47, 40.38, 47.95, 52.66 cm), highest leaf count (0.78, 2.07, 4.03, 4.95, 6.22), higher number of branches per plant (and superior LAI (0.534, 1.810, 2.471, 4.284) at all growth stages. Among the varieties tested, AISB 50 produced a higher nodule count of 41.88 (on par with JS 2069) and the highest nodule fresh weight (0.863). The study identified the BBF method as the most effective land configuration method and JS 2069 as the most suitable variety for soybean cultivation in summer rice fallows of Kerala.