Impact of foliar fertilization on growth, yield, nutrient dynamics and seed quality of soybean

The study hypothesized that foliar fertilization reduced nutrient depletion from leaves during seed development stage and thereby enhancing soybean yield and seed quality. To evaluating this, the experiment included seventeen treatments combination of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulphur and boron (NPKSB) aiming to determine the optimum foliar fertilizer concentration for improving growth, nutrient composition, yield and seed quality of soybean. The experiment was set in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications and nutrient was sprayed during the seed filling period of soybean. Results of the experiment indicated that soybean plants treated with 240-200-400-350-200 mg L-1 of NPKSB in water exhibited higher growth values including roots weight (0.669 g), leaf weight (3.319 g), stem weight (4.661 g), pod weight (4.647 g) and whole plant weight (13.32 g). Additionally, this treatment produced the highest seed yield of2684 kg ha-1. Foliar fertilization at this concentration also improved the nutrient composition of the seed and enhanced seed quality, as evidenced by higher protein content (42.05%), seed viability (97.98%) and vigour. However, excessive concentration of foliar fertilizer may lead to leaf burn and negatively impact the yield and seed quality of soybean.