Search Results (594)

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) is a major oilseed crop rich in phytosterols and tocopherols, compounds associated with functional and nutritional properties of vegetable oils. This study aimed to apply, for the first time, Independent Component Analysis (ICA) to discriminate the composition of phytosterols (β-sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol) and tocopherols (α, β, γ, δ) in 20 soybean genotypes—14 non-transgenic and six transgenic—cultivated in two major producing regions of Paraná state, Brazil (Londrina and Ponta Grossa). Lipophilic compounds were extracted from soybean seeds, quantified via gas chromatography and HPLC, and statistically analyzed using ICA with the JADE algorithm. The extracted independent components successfully differentiated soybean varieties based on phytochemical profiles. Notably, transgenic cultivars from Ponta Grossa exhibited higher levels of total tocopherols, including α- and β-tocopherol, while conventional cultivars from both regions showed elevated phytosterol content, particularly campesterol and stigmasterol. ICA proved to be a powerful unsupervised method for visualizing patterns in complex compositional data. These findings highlight the significant influence of genotype and growing region on the nutraceutical potential of soybean, and support the use of multivariate analysis as a strategic tool for cultivar selection aimed at enhancing functional quality in food applications. Full article

Soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) cultivation is expanding in Central Europe due to the development of early-maturing cultivars and growing demand for plant-based protein produced without the use of genetically modified organisms. However, nitrogen (N) management remains a major challenge in temperate climates, where variable weather conditions can significantly affect nodulation and yield. This study evaluated the effects of three nitrogen fertilisation doses (0, 30, and 60 kg N·ha⁻¹), applied in the form of ammonium nitrate (34% N) and two commercial rhizobial inoculants—HiStick Soy (containing Bradyrhizobium japonicum strain 532C) and Nitragina (including a Polish strain of B. japonicum)—on nodulation, nitrogen uptake, and seed yield. A three-year field experiment (2017–2019) was conducted in southwestern Poland using a two-factor randomized complete block design. Nodulation varied significantly across years, with the highest values recorded under favourable early-season moisture and reduced during drought. In the first year, inoculation with HiStick Soy significantly increased nodule number and seed yield compared to Nitragina and the uninoculated control. Nitrogen fertilisation consistently improved seed yield, although it had no significant effect on nodulation. The highest nitrogen use efficiency was observed with moderate nitrogen input (30 kg N·ha⁻¹) combined with inoculation. These findings highlight the importance of integrating effective rhizobial inoculants with optimized nitrogen fertilisation to improve soybean productivity and nitrogen efficiency under variable temperate climate conditions. Full article

Crop residue management and soil tillage (CRM and ST) are key steps in agricultural production. The effects of different CRM and ST modes on the quality of seedbed, seeding, and harvest yield are not well determined. In this study, the system of maize (Zea mays L.)–soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr) rotation under ridge-tillage in the semi-arid regions of Northeast China was chosen as the study conditions. Four modes were investigated: deep tillage and seeding (DT and S), stubble field and no-tillage seeding (SF and NTS), three-axis rotary tillage and seeding (TART and S), and shallow rotary tillage and seeding (SRT and S). Results show that the DT and S mode produced the best quality of seedbed and seeding. Among the conservation tillage modes, the SRT and S mode produced the shortest average length of roots and straw, the best uniformity of their distribution in the seedbed, and the highest soybean yield. Both the SRT and S and SF and NTS modes yielded a higher net profit as their cost-effectiveness. When considering only the quality of seedbed and seeding under conservation tillage as a prerequisite, it can be concluded that the SRT and S mode is both advantageous and sustainable. Full article

The agronomic effectiveness of biofertilizers is influenced by strain origin, genetic identity, crop genotype, soil type, and environmental conditions. For best results, both the plant and rhizobia strain must be adapted to the common harsh soil conditions in the tropics. While plant varieties have changed over the years, complementary research on new strains effectiveness under varying soil fertility conditions has lagged in southern Africa. Seven field experiments were established in the main soybean-producing areas of Zimbabwe in the north, central, and north–east regions to evaluate agronomic benefits of new rhizobia strains against the current exotic commercial strain (MAR1491). One site was irrigated (site 3), and the other six sites were rainfed (sites 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7). While trends in inoculation response varied from site to site due to site conditions, inoculation with the strains NAZ15, NAZ25, and NAK128 consistently yielded high grain yields, which were similar to the current commercial strain MAR1491 and to application of mineral fertilizer (51.75 and 100 kg N ha⁻¹). Grain yield levels were generally below 2 t ha⁻¹ for sites 2, 3, and 5 and above 2 t ha⁻¹ for sites 1, 4, and 6, while for the irrigated site 3, they ranged upwards of 3 t ha⁻¹. When irrigated, all strains except NAK9 performed similarly in terms of grain yields and aboveground N uptake. Further testing on the inclusion of the indigenous strains NAZ15, NAZ25, and NAK128 in multi-strain commercial inoculant production targeting application in regions and soils where they excel beyond the current exotic strain MAR1491 is recommended. Full article

The current study aimed to determine the optimum agronomic conditions—specifically sowing date and seeding density—for soybean cultivation in a temperate climate. A field experiment was conducted to evaluate three sowing dates based on soil temperature (S1—9 °C, S2—12 °C, S3—15 °C) and three seeding densities (D1—50, D2—70, D3—90 seeds·m⁻²). A field experiment was conducted in the years 2017–2019 in eastern Poland (Central Europe). Yields were strongly influenced by weather conditions. In 2019, the average yield was 2.61 Mg·ha⁻¹, making it the most favorable year, whereas 2018 was the least favorable, with an average yield of 1.41 Mg·ha⁻¹. Seeding density also affected soybean yields—the highest yield was obtained at the medium density (D2—2.36 Mg∙ha⁻¹). On the other hand, the highest thousand seed weight (159.30 g·m⁻²) was achieved at the lowest density (D1). Plant height and pod length depended on the sowing date. The tallest plants (69.96 cm) and the longest pods (4.55 cm) were obtained with early sowing (S1). The number of seeds per pod ranged from 1.8 to 2.7, with the highest values recorded in 2017, mainly with early sowing (S1) and low density (D1). It is recommended that sowing strategies be flexibly adjusted to the meteorological conditions of a given season. The findings indicate that appropriate selection of sowing parameters can significantly enhance the efficiency and stability of soybean yields under the variable climatic conditions of Poland. Full article

Plant growth regulators (PGRs) enhance crop stress resistance but their roles in microbial-mediated phosphorus cycling within intercropping systems are unclear. Thus, We conducted a two-year field study using corn (Zea mays L. cv. Denghai 605) and soybean (Glycine max L. cv. Hedou 22) in fluvisols and luvisols soil according to World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) standard. Under a 4-row corn and 6-row soybean strip intercropping system, three treatments were applied: a water control (CK), and two plant growth regulators—T1 (EC: ethephon [300 mg/L] + cycocel [2 g/L]) and T2 (ED: ethephon [300 mg/L] + 2-Diethyl aminoethyl hexanoate [10 mg/L]). Foliar applications were administered at the V7 stage (seventh leaf) of intercropped corn plants to assess how foliar-applied PGRs (T1/T2) modulated the soil phosphorus availability, microbial communities, and functional genes in maize intercropping systems. PGRs increased the soil organic phosphorus and available phosphorus contents, and alkaline phosphatase activity, but not total phosphorus. PGRs declined the α-diversity in fluvisols soil but increased the α-diversity in luvisols soil. The major taxa changed from Actinobacteria (CK) to Proteobacteria (T1) and Saccharibacteria (T2) in fluvisols soil, and from Actinobacteria/Gemmatimonadetes (CK) to Saccharibacteria (T1) and Acidobacteria (T2) in luvisols soil. Functional gene dynamics indicated soil-specific regulation, where fluvisols soil harbored more phoD (organic phosphorus mineralization) and relA (polyphosphate degradation) genes, whereas phnP gene dominated in luvisols soil. T1 stimulated organic phosphorus mineralization and inorganic phosphorus solubilization in fluvisols soil, upregulating regulation genes, and T2 enhanced polyphosphate synthesis and transport gene expression in luvisols soil. Proteobacteria, Nitrospirae, and Chloroflexi were positively correlated with organic phosphorus mineralization and polyphosphate cycling genes, whereas Bacteroidetes and Verrucomicrobia correlated with available potassium (AP), total phosphorus (TP), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity. Thus, PGRs activated soil phosphorus by restructuring soil type-dependent microbial functional networks, connecting PGRs-induced shifts with microbial phosphorus cycling mechanisms. These findings facilitate the targeted use of PGRs to optimize microbial-driven phosphorus efficiency in strategies for sustainable phosphorus management in diverse agricultural soils. Full article

Soybean meal (SBM) is extensively used as a predominant protein source in animal feed. However, raw soybean cannot be directly utilized in animal feed, due to the presence of the Kunitz trypsin inhibitor (KTi) and the Bowman–Birk protease inhibitor (BBi). These antinutritional factors inhibit the digestive enzymes in animals, trypsin and chymotrypsin, resulting in poor animal performance. To inactivate the activity of protease inhibitors, SBM is subjected to heat processing, a procedure that can negatively impact the soybean protein quality. Thus, it would be beneficial to develop soybean varieties with little or no trypsin inhibitors. In this study, we report on the creation of experimental soybean lines with significantly reduced levels of Bowman–Birk protease inhibitors. RNA interference (RNAi) technology was employed to generate several transgenic soybean lines. Some of these BBi knockdown soybean lines showed significantly lower amounts of both trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitor activities. Western blot analysis revealed the complete absence of BBi in selected RNAi-derived lines. RNA sequencing (RNAseq) analysis demonstrated a drastic reduction in the seed-specific expression of BBi genes in the transgenic soybean lines during seed development. Confocal fluorescence immunolabeling studies showed that the accumulation of BBi was drastically diminished in BBi knockdown lines compared to wild-type soybeans. The absence of BBi in the transgenic soybean did not alter the overall protein, oil, and sulfur amino acid content of the seeds compared to wild-type soybeans. The seed protein from the BBi knockdown lines were more rapidly hydrolyzed by trypsin and chymotrypsin compared to the wild type, indicating that the absence of BBi enhances protein digestibility. Our study suggests that these BBi knockdown lines could be a valuable resource in order for plant breeders to incorporate this trait into commercial soybean cultivars, potentially enabling the use of raw soybeans in animal feed. Full article

This study presents an intelligent method for evaluating the risk of Asian rust (Phakopsora pachyrhizi) based on its development stage in soybean crops (Glycine max (L.) Merrill). It has been designed using smart computer systems supported by image processing, environmental sensor data, and an embedded model for evaluating favorable conditions for disease progression within crop areas. The approach also includes the use of machine learning techniques and a Markov chain algorithm for data fusion, aimed at supporting decision-making in agricultural management. Rules derived from time-series data are employed to enable scenario prediction for risk evaluation related to disease development. Measured data are stored in a customized system designed to support virtual monitoring, facilitating the evaluation of disease severity stages by farmers and enabling timely management actions. Full article

Soybean (Glycine max) peptide lunasin exhibits significant cancer-preventive, antioxidant, and hypocholesterolemic effects. This study aimed to identify quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) associated with lunasin content and to annotate the candidate genes in the soybean genome. The mapping panel of 144 accessions was gathered from the USDA Soybean Germplasm Collection, encompassing diverse geographical origins and genetic backgrounds, and was genotyped using SoySNP50K iSelect Beadchips. The lunasin content in soybean seeds was measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method, with lipid-adjusted soybean flour prepared from seeds obtained from the Germplasm Resource Information Network (GRIN) of USDA-ARS in 2003 and from North Carolina in 2021, respectively. QTNs significantly related to lunasin content in soybean seeds were detected on 15 chromosomes, with LOD scores greater than 3.0, explaining various phenotypic variations identified using the R package mrMLM (v4.0). Significant QTNs on chromosomes 3, 13, 16, 18, and 20 were consistently identified across multiple models as being significantly associated with soybean lunasin content, based on assessment data from two years. Twenty-nine candidate genes were found, with 12 identified in seeds from 2003 and 17 from 2021. Our study is an important effort to understand the genetic basis and functional genes for lunasin production in soybean seeds. Full article

Herbicide phytotoxicity represented a critical constraint on crop safety in soybean–corn intercropping systems, where early detection of herbicide stress is essential for implementing timely mitigation strategies to preserve yield potential. Current methodologies lack rapid, non-invasive approaches for early-stage prediction of herbicide-induced stress. To develop and validate a spectral-feature-based prediction model for herbicide concentration classification, we conducted a controlled experiment exposing three-leaf-stage vegetable soybean (Glycine max L.) seedlings to aqueous solutions containing three concentrations of nicosulfuron herbicide (0.5, 1, and 2 mL/L) alongside a water control. Hyperspectral imaging of randomly selected seedling leaves was systematically performed at 1, 3, 5, and 7 days post-treatment. We developed predictive models for herbicide phytotoxicity through advanced machine learning and deep learning frameworks. Key findings revealed that the ResNet-18 deep learning model achieved exceptional classification performance when analyzing the 386–1004 nm spectral range at day 7 post-treatment: 100% accuracy in binary classification (herbicide-treated vs. water control), 93.02% accuracy in three-class differentiation (water control, low/high concentration), and 86.53% accuracy in four-class discrimination across specific concentration gradients (0, 0.5, 1, 2 mL/L). Spectral analysis identified significant reflectance alterations between 518 and 690 nm through normalized reflectance and first-derivative transformations. Subsequent model optimization using this diagnostic spectral subrange maintained 100% binary classification accuracy while achieving 94.12% and 82.11% accuracy for three- and four-class recognition tasks, respectively. This investigation demonstrated the synergistic potential of hyperspectral imaging and deep learning for early herbicide stress detection in vegetable soybeans. Our findings established a novel methodological framework for pre-symptomatic stress diagnostics while demonstrating the technical feasibility of employing targeted spectral regions (518–690 nm) in field-ready real-time crop surveillance systems. Furthermore, these innovations offer significant potential for advancing precision agriculture in intercropping systems, specifically through refined herbicide application protocols and yield preservation via early-stage phytotoxicity mitigation. Full article

In recent years, global agriculture has encountered several challenges exacerbated by the effects of changes in climate, such as extreme water shortages for irrigation and heat waves. Water-deficit stress adversely affects the morpho-physiology of numerous crops, including soybean (Glycine max L.), which is considered as promising crop in Bangladesh. Seaweed extract (SWE) has the potential to improve crop yield and alleviate the adverse effects of water-deficit stress. Remote and proximal sensing are also extensively utilized in estimating morpho-physiological traits owing to their cost-efficiency and non-destructive characteristics. The study was carried out to evaluate soybean morpho-physiological traits under the application of water extracts of Gracilaria tenuistipitata var. liui (red seaweed) with two varying irrigation water conditions (100% of total crop water requirement (TCWR) and 70% of TCWR). Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that among the four treatments, the 70% irrigation + 5% (v/v) SWE and the 100% irrigation treatments overlapped, indicating that the application of SWE effectively mitigated water-deficit stress in soybeans. This result demonstrates that the foliar application of 5% SWE enabled soybeans to achieve morpho-physiological performance comparable to that of fully irrigated plants while reducing irrigation water use by 30%. Based on Pearson’s correlation matrix, a simple linear regression model was used to ascertain the relationship between unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-derived vegetation indices and the field-measured physiological characteristics of soybean. The Normalized Difference Red Edge (NDRE) strongly correlated with stomatal conductance (R² = 0.76), photosystem II efficiency (R² = 0.78), maximum fluorescence (R² = 0.64), and apparent transpiration rate (R² = 0.69). The Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI) had the highest correlation with leaf relative water content (R² = 0.87), the Blue Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (bNDVI) with steady-state fluorescence (R² = 0.56) and vapor pressure deficit (R² = 0.74), and the Green Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (gNDVI) with chlorophyll content (R² = 0.73). Our results demonstrate how UAV and physiological data can be integrated to improve precision soybean farming and support sustainable soybean production under water-deficit stress. Full article

Soybean (Glycine max L.) is grown worldwide to obtain edible oil, livestock feed, and biodiesel. However, drought and salt stress are becoming serious challenges to global soybean cultivation as they retard the growth of soybean plants and cause significant yield losses. Voltage-dependent anion-selective channel (VDAC) proteins are well-known for their role in drought and salt tolerance in crop plants. In this study, we identified 111 putative VDAC genes randomly distributed in genomes of 14 plant species, including cultivated soybean (Glycine max) and wild soybean (Glycine soja). The comparative phylogenetic studies classified these genes into six different clades and found the highest structural similarities among VDAC genes of G. max and G. soja. From the conserved domain database, porin-3 (PF01459) was found to be the conserved domain in all VDAC proteins. Furthermore, gene annotation studies revealed the role of GmaVDAC proteins in voltage-gated anion channel activity. These proteins were also found to interact with other proteins, especially mitochondrial receptors. A total of 103 miRNAs were predicted to target fifteen GmaVDAC genes. In G. max, these genes were found to be segmentally duplicated and randomly distributed on twelve chromosomes. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that the GmaVDAC18.2 gene showed overexpression in root nodules, whereas the GmaVDAC9.1, GmaVDAC18.1, and GmaVDAC18.2 genes showed overexpression under drought and salt stress conditions. Full article

Soybean (Glycine max L.) is vulnerable to environmental stresses, such as heavy rainfall and high winds, which promote lodging and reduce plant performance during the monsoon season. To mitigate these issues, we evaluated the effects of plant topping, a practice involving the removal of apical buds, on plant architecture, physiological traits, and grain yield in four soybean cultivars over two growing seasons (2021–2022). Plant topping was performed at the V6-7 stage by cutting 30–35 cm above the ground. Plant topping reduced plant height by up to 23.5% and decreased leaf area index (by 8.0–16.4%), potentially improving light penetration into the lower canopy. Although chlorophyll concentration declined temporarily (297.8 vs. 272.8 mg m⁻² for non-topping vs. topping, respectively), NDVI remained stable, indicating delayed senescence. Chlorophyll fluorescence parameters revealed cultivar-specific stress responses, particularly in Taegwang, which showed elevated ABS/RC, TR₀/RC, and DI₀/CS values under plant topping. Grain yield was generally unaffected, except in Jinpung, which increased by 34% under plant topping in 2021 (2701 kg ha⁻¹ vs. 3621 kg ha⁻¹ for non-topping vs. topping). In conclusion, plant topping may help improve canopy structure and light distribution without compromising yield, potentially reducing lodging risk and offering a cultivar-specific management strategy. Full article

The planting area of the maize–soybean strip intercropping system has been increasing annually in the Hexi Corridor oasis irrigation area of China. However, long-term irrational water resource utilization and the excessive mono-application of fertilizers have led to significantly low water and nitrogen use efficiency in this cropping system. To explore the sustainable production model of high yield and high water–nitrogen productivity in maize–soybean strip intercropping, we established three irrigation levels (low: 60%, medium: 80%, and sufficient: 100% of reference crop evapotranspiration) and three nitrogen application levels (low: maize 230 kg ha⁻¹, soybean 29 kg ha⁻¹; medium: maize 340 kg ha⁻¹, soybean 57 kg ha⁻¹; and high: maize 450 kg ha⁻¹, soybean 85 kg ha⁻¹) for maize and soybean, respectively. Three irrigation levels without nitrogen application served as controls. The effects of different water–nitrogen combinations on multiple indicators of the maize–soybean strip intercropping system, including yield, water–nitrogen productivity, and quality, were analyzed. The results showed that the irrigation amount and nitrogen application rate significantly affected the kernel quality of maize. Specifically, the medium nitrogen and sufficient water (N2W3) combination achieved optimal performance in crude fat, starch, and bulk density. However, excessive irrigation and nitrogen application led to a reduction in the content of lysine and crude protein in maize, as well as crude fat and crude starch in soybean. Appropriate irrigation and nitrogen application significantly increased the yield in the maize–soybean strip intercropping system, in which the N2W3 treatment had the highest yield, with maize and soybean yields reaching 14007.02 and 2025.39 kg ha⁻¹, respectively, which increased by 2.52% to 138.85% and 5.37% to 191.44% compared with the other treatments. Taking into account the growing environment of the oasis agricultural area in the Hexi Corridor and the effects of different water and nitrogen supplies on the yield, water–nitrogen productivity, and kernel quality of maize and soybeans in the strip intercropping system, the highest target yield can be achieved when the irrigation quotas for maize and soybeans are set at 100% ET0 (reference crop evapotranspiration), with nitrogen application rates of 354.78~422.51 kg ha⁻¹ and 60.27~71.81 kg ha⁻¹, respectively. This provides guidance for enhancing yield and quality in maize–soybean strip intercropping in the oasis agricultural area of the Hexi Corridor, achieving the dual objectives of high yield and superior quality. Full article

Black soybean is known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that help prevent several degenerative diseases, but in the Western diet, it is poorly used, despite the interest in foods rich in bioactive compounds. This study aimed to formulate a black soybean yogurt (BSY) fermented by a probiotic culture of L. acidophilus and evaluate the nutritional and bioactive profiles, the total antioxidant capacity, and complementary parameters during fermentation and storage for one month. We also evaluated the potential for acceptance by Rio de Janeiro consumers (n = 103). The final BSY water content was 92.8%. The dry matter contained 50.2% protein, 20.1% lipid, 5.9% ashes, 23.8% carbohydrates, and other constituents, including 1% sucrose, 5.9% α-galactosides, 26.9 mg/100 g anthocyanins (mainly cyanidin-3-glucoside), 140.5mg/100 g isoflavones (mainly genistin and daidzin). Titratable acidity was 0.44% and pH 4.5. In the sensory test, 12% sucrose and fruit extracts (strawberry, prune, and grape) were added individually to the product to evaluate the acceptability. The sweetened strawberry extract offered the highest acceptability, with a 7.6 score in a nine-point hedonic scale, against a 5.6 of the sweetened control with no fruit extract. Furthermore, all products scored well in the clusters with assessors who consumed soy products often and daily (total n = 26), with the strawberry-flavored one scoring, on average, 8 or 9. One month storage at 8 ± 2 °C caused a 22% decrease in the anthocyanins content and no significant change in isoflavones, titratable acidity, and pH. Fermentation and the addition of a sweetened fruit extract proved to be promising tools to increase the consumption of black soy milk in the West. Full article