Soil Fertility and Yield of Soybeans

Soybean is an important crop in the world due to its supply of proteins and oil. In spite of its importance as a source of protein and oil, its production is way below potential. Declining soil fertility and high fertilizer costs are major limitations to crop production in developing countries due to reduction in farm sizes caused by increased human population. Reduced dependence on inorganic fertilizer nitrogen and adopting farming practices that favour more economically viable and environmentally prudent nitrogen fixation will benefit both agriculture and the environment. Biological materials may offer a solution in alleviating soil fertility problems and hence increase in crop production. Farm derived sources such as crop residue, compost, manure and household waste can be used by farmers in the management of soil fertility. Animal manure and compost are beneficial in soils because they can increase the water holding capacity and cation exchange capacity. This book assesses the effect of soil amendment with manure (poultry and farmyard) on the plant growth, nodulation and yield respectively as compared with inorganic fertilizer.