Optimal Fertilization Level for Yield, Biological and Quality Traits of Soybean under Drip Irrigation System in the Arid Region of Northwest China

Abstract

Soybean is one of the most important oilseed crops worldwide. Fertilization severely restricts the yield potential of soybean in the arid regions of Northwest China. A two-year field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of fertilization on soybean yield in arid areas under a drip irrigation system. The treatment consisted of 14 fertilizer combinations comprising of four rates each of nitrogen (N) (0, 225, 450, and 675 kg ha−1), phosphorus (P) (0, 135, 270, and 405 kg ha−1), and potassium (K) (0, 75, 150, and 225 kg ha−1). The results revealed that grain yield was more sensitive to N fertilizer than to P and K fertilizers. The P and K fertilizers influenced harvest index and biomass, respectively. The optimized combination of fertilizers for high yield, as well as biological and quality traits was obtained by quadratic polynomial regression analysis. The theoretical grain yields based on the performed statistical calculations and plant biomass were greater than 7.21 tons ha−1 and 16.38 tons ha−1 with 300,000 plants ha−1 and were obtained under a fertilization combination of 411.62–418.39 kg ha−1 N, 153.97−251.03 kg ha−1 P2O5, and 117.77−144.73 kg ha−1 K2O. Thus, our findings will serve as a guideline for an effective fertilizer application in order to achieve a balance between grain yield and plant biomass as well as to contribute to the promotion of large-scale cultivation of soybean under drip irrigation.