SOYBEAN RESEARCH

calculated by multiplying grain/straw
yield (kg/ha) with nutrient concentration
for the particular treatment, while, total
N uptake (kg/ha) by the crop was
calculated by sum of nutrient uptake in
grain and straw.
The nitrogen use efficiencies were
calculated in terms of fertilizer N use
efficiency (Yield in treatment – yield in
control/kg N applied), recovery
efficiency (N uptake in treatment - N
uptake in control/kg N applied) and
partial factor productivity (yield/kg N
applied) using standard formulae. The
sustainable yield index was calculated as
mean yield – standard deviation/
maximum yield.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Land configuration system
The planting of soybean on BBF
system improved the soybean yield
attributing traits, namely branches per
plant, pods per plant and seed index
significantly over the flat bed planted
soybean (Table 1). Planting of soybean on
BBF enhanced the seed and straw yield
by 5.49 and 7.79 per cent, respectively
and also showed higher value of
sustainable yield index as compared to
flat bed planting. Harvest index remained
unaffected due to land configuration
treatments. The planting of soybean on
BBF showed their superiority with
reference to the total nitrogen uptake,
agronomic efficiency, partial factor
productivity and recovery efficiency over
flat bed planting (Table 2). A similar
trend was also observed in economical
parameters. The higher soybean yield
and nitrogen use efficiencies associated
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with broad bed planting might be due to
the in-situ moisture conservation, better
acquisition of nutrient including
nitrogen, creation of better soil physicochemical
environment in root zone
(Ramesh et al., 2006) in addition to
drainage of excess water during the crop
life. The furrow helps in conserving the
moisture under scanty rainfall period and
also helps in draining out the excess
water during heavy rainfall period
indicating that under both the conditions
they regulate the hydrological event
properly which provides congenial
environment for soybean growth and
ultimately leading to higher yield. The
BBF and the nitrogen and phosphorus
fertilization package increased grain yield
by 90 per cent, grain nitrogen and
phosphorus uptakes by 183 and 252 per
cent, and stover nitrogen and phosphorus
uptakes by 152 and 121 per cent. Similar
findings were reported by Mandal et al.
(2013) and Fahong et al (2004).
Soybean varieties
Among the two varieties
evaluated, late maturing JS 97-52 showed
its superiority over early maturing JS 95-
60 with respect to almost all the
parameters except for seed index and
harvest index (Table 1). Variety JS 97-52
produced higher seed and straw yield
by27.46 and 55.82 per cent, respectively
over JS 95-60 and also showed higher
values of nitrogen uptake, nitrogen use
efficiencies and economical parameters
(Table 2). The existing differences
between the two varieties in yielding
ability, nitrogen uptake and nitrogen use
efficiencies might be due to differences in
their genetic makeup and maturity