ABSTRACT Soybeans are significantly affected by iron deficiency, a prominent type of abiotic stress that results in considerable yield losses. Various sources of iron are utilized to mitigate the adverse consequences of iron (Fe) deficiency. The success of Fe can vary depending on the application method and the stage of treatment. The research purpose of this study was to focus on various application methods, including soil, seed, and foliar application (two trifoliate vegetative stage-V2, five trifoliate vegetative stage-V5, and V2 + V5 stages) with iron chelate Iron(III) ethylenediamine-N,N’-bis(2-hydroxyphenylacetic acid) (FeEDDHA) fertilizer in a Fe deficiency susceptible soybean cultivar (cultivar Nova). After conducting a thorough analysis, it was concluded that applying FeEDDHA fertilizer as a foliar spray during V2, V5, and V2 + V5 resulted in better outcomes than using the seed and soil application methods. In the study, it was observed that the foliar treatment at V5 stage yielded the highest values for Soil Plant Analysis Development (SPAD index) (41.6), plant height (33.4 cm), number of nodes per plant (9.62), number of pods per plant (20.35), number of seeds per plant (22.75), and seed yield per plant (7.02). However, the highest values for oil (22.83%) and protein contents (38%) were obtained through the foliar Fe fertilization at V2 + V5 stages. The primary contribution of this study will lead to gain insightful knowledge about different methods of applying Fe fertilizers on soybean.
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