Impact of urea and Azospirillum brasilense on soybean nodulation and early growth
摘要
The effects of isolated and combined inoculation with Bradyrhizobium japonicum (SEMIA 3079 and 5080) and Azospirillum brasilense (Ab-V5), with and without nitrogen fertilization, on nodulation and early soybean growth were evaluated in a greenhouse under controlled temperature and irrigation conditions, using non-sterilized soil. The experimental design included five treatments: (1) urea (200 kg ha⁻¹); (2) B. japonicum; (3) A. brasilense; (4) co-inoculation (B. japonicum + A. brasilense); and (5) B. japonicum + 100 kg ha⁻¹ of urea. Evaluations were carried out 50 days after sowing and included plant height, shoot and root dry mass, number and fresh mass of nitrogen-fixing nodules, Falker chlorophyll index, and leghemoglobin content. Co-inoculation increased the number of nodules by 26.13% compared to B. japonicum alone (88 → 111 nodules), while A. brasilense alone also promoted nodulation (113.3 nodules), indicating synergy with native soil rhizobia. Higher leghemoglobin levels were observed in nodules under co-inoculation, suggesting enhanced symbiotic functionality, whereas urea application reduced this indicator. Nitrogen fertilization strongly suppressed symbiosis (–75.77% in nodule number and − 83.36% in nodule fresh mass; B. japonicum + N vs. B. japonicum), confirming the inhibitory effect of mineral nitrogen on biological nitrogen fixation (BNF). It is concluded that co-inoculation with B. japonicum (SEMIA 3079 and 5080) and A. brasilense (Ab-V5) enhances nodule functionality and BNF in non-sterile soil conditions, providing a biological basis for reducing reliance on mineral nitrogen in soybean production systems.