Productivity and quality indicators of soybean varieties in the conditions of the western forest-steppe of Ukraine

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of seed inoculation with the nitrogen-fixing preparation HiStick® Soy, the mycorrhiza-forming preparation Mycofriend®, and foliar application of the multicomponent fertilizer StimOrganic on the yield and quality parameters of the soybean varieties Tytan and Mozart under the agroclimatic conditions of the Western Forest-Steppe. Field, laboratory (for determining seed quality indicators), and statistical methods (for evaluating data reliability) were applied. Field experiments were conducted on grey forest surface-gleyed soils. Inoculation of soybean seeds with HiStick® Soy increased individual plant productivity: the average number of pods per plant increased by 2.1% in Tytan and 0.8% in Mozart; the number of seeds per plant increased by 2.2% and 0.58%, respectively; and the grain weight per plant increased by 3.4% and 3.1%. The highest yields were achieved when soybean seeds were treated with Mycofriend® and received foliar fertilization with StimOrganic in combination with HiStick® Soy inoculation - 3.29 t ha-1 for Tytan and 3.52 t ha-1 for Mozart. In these treatments, crude protein content in soybean seeds increased compared to the control by 1.1% in Tytan (up to 39.1%) and 1.8% in Mozart (up to 37.4%). These results can be applied in agricultural practice to enhance soybean productivity and produce high-quality grain.