Development of soybean genotypes as a function of water availability and sowing seasons in Rio Verde, state of Goias

Abstract

Soybean crop yield is affected in the absence of favorable conditions for its complete development, and one of the most limiting factors is the water availability throughout the crop cycle. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the behavior of three soybean genotypes, in two sowing dates, during two harvests, in the city of Rio Verde, Stat of Goiás. Four experiments were carried out in a randomized block design, with four replicates in the 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 harvests. The variables analyzed in the experiment were plant height at maturity, days to maturity, and grain yield. The water balance in the soil considered the water storage of 46.8 mm. It was observed periods with greater water deficiency (53.5 mm) in the 2018/2019 harvest for all genotypes. In short, for genotypes with 100 to 110 days of the cycle, the sowing time that showed to be the most promising to obtain higher yields, was between October 20 and November 20, for genotypes with a cycle of 120 days. This range of adaptation becomes broader, mainly because these genotypes have a longer vegetative period, being, therefore, the period of least water requirement for the crop.