Synergy of seed and soil treatments with microbead native N-Biofertilizers enhancing soil health and soybean performance in severely degraded soils

Soybean is a strategic soil-building crop that enhances soil health through biological nitrogen fixation and nutrient cycling. However, severely degraded soils (SDS), characterized by low organic matter, poor fertility, acidity, and limited microbial activity, constrain soybean productivity. This study evaluated the effects of seed and soil applications of Microbeads N-Biofertilizer on soil health and soybean performance in SDS. A factorial randomized complete block design comprising 12 treatment combinations and three replications was used across three levels of soil degradation. Treatments included control, seed treatment, soil application, and combined seed + soil application. Soil chemical and biological properties, plant growth, nodulation, nitrogen uptake, and yield components were assessed and analyzed using ANOVA with mean separation at the 5% significance level. Microbeads N-Biofertilizer significantly improved soil fertility, microbial activity, nodulation, and soybean productivity compared with the control. The combination of 50 g kg−1 seed treatment and 7 kg ha−1 soil application in soil containing 1.32% organic carbon produced the highest responses, increasing effective nodules, seed number, seed dry weight, and yield to 2.52 t ha−1, a 38.7% increase over the control. These findings demonstrate that Microbeads N-Biofertilizer can improve soil health, biological nitrogen fixation, and soybean productivity in severely degraded soils.