Growth and Yield of Three Soybean Cultivars by the Nutritional Effect of Zinc and Arginine

Abstract

To examine the impact of foliar feeding with zinc and arginine acid on some physiological and productive traits of soybean cultivars, an experiment was carried out in the fields of a crop in the Al-Khalidiya Island area of Al-Anbar Governorate, at 43° longitude and 33° latitude, in a sandy mixture soil. The experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design (R.C.B.D), a split-split plot, and three replicates, with zinc concentrations (50.0 and 100 mg ZnL−1) on the main plates, arginine concentrations (40.0 and 80 mg Arl−1) on the secondary plates, and the varieties (D, Shaima, and Lee) on the sub-secondary plates. Results from the experiment are summarized as follows: The highest mean for all traits studied was found with a Zinc concentration of 100 mg Zn l−1, which also outperformed a concentration of 50 mg Zn l−1 and the control treatment. Arginine 40 mg L−1 achieved the highest rate for leaf area and nitrogen percentage in leaves, while 80 mg L−1 gave the highest average for root length (28.77 cm), number of pods per plant, fertility rate per pod (95.39%) and plant seed yield (58.21 g plant−1). Leaf area and pod count were also best for the Shaima variety, whereas root length, pod fertility, and seed output were best for the Lee variety. The leaf nitrogen content of the different cultivars did not differ appreciably.