Phosphorus solubilizing diazotrophic bacteria: alternative to increase the availability of nutrients in soybean crops

The objective of the study is to evaluate the practicality of applying the inoculant Bacillus licheniformis, via seed treatment, on agronomic characteristics, productivity components, and grain productivity of soybean crops under field conditions. The experimental design used was randomized blocks with a four-by-eight factorial scheme (four environments and eight inoculant application treatments), with six replications. An analysis of variance was carried out, using the F test at 5% probability, then, mean grouping was performed using Scott-Knott, at 5% probability. In order to evaluate the stability of treatments within environments, the Additive main effect and Multiplicative interaction (AMMI) method was used. As a way of identifying the associations between the analyzed variables, the canonical correlation between the loads of the performance, morphological, and chemical. components was verified. The inoculation can reduce the dose of chemical phosphate fertilizer in soybean crops by up to 25%, without compromising crop development. Therefore, the results indicate that inoculation with B. licheniformis can be an efficient way to optimize the use of fertilizers in soybean cultivation, allowing for more profitable and sustainable agriculture.