Biological Systems: Theory and Innovation

Efficacy of the combined application of biological products in soybean cultivation under laboratory and field conditions

Yuliia Kolomyets, Nataliia Serhiychuk, Tetiana Rozhkova
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Abstract

The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of biological products through the soybean response across sowing, growth, phytosanitary, symbiotic, and productivity parameters under laboratory and field conditions. The study employed spectrophotometry, the Kjeldahl method, Soxhlet extraction, and analysis of variance. Under laboratory conditions, the combined seed treatment with Phytovit and Avercom yielded the highest germination energy of 88.7%, exceeding the control by 10.1 percentage points. Laboratory germination under this treatment was 94.3%, which was 7.9 percentage points higher than the control, whilst seedling infection by microflora decreased to 4.2%, representing a reduction of 7.6 percentage points. Under field conditions, the application of biological products had a positive effect on seedling emergence, plant stand density, development of the leaf apparatus, and root system. Under the combined application of the products, field germination was 87.1%, and the number of nodules at the V5 stage reached 20.6 per plant. The phytosanitary condition of the crop also shifted towards a reduction in disease incidence and pest damage: the incidence of root rot decreased to 6.3%, and the biological efficacy of protection was 59.6%. At the flowering stage, the combined treatment promoted the formation of a more developed assimilatory and symbiotic apparatus in the plants. The leaf area index reached 4.0 m²/m², the number of active nodules was 25.9 per plant, and their mass was 0.58 g per plant, reflecting more active functioning of the leaf apparatus and root system during the transition of plants to reproductive development. The preservation of the leaf apparatus and nodule formation were accompanied by subsequent seed filling and accumulation of productive mass. Seed yield under the combined application of Phytovit and Avercom was 3.01 t/ha, the increase over the control was 24.4%, protein content was 39.1%, and oil content was 21.0%. The practical value of the study lies in the possibility of using its findings by agronomists, farmers, seed enterprises, and researchers to substantiate biological treatment of soybean, taking into account germination, phytosanitary condition, nodulation, yield, and seed quality

Keywords

phytosanitary condition; plant stand density; root system; number of nodules; reproductive organs

Suggested citation
Kolomyets, Yu., Serhiychuk, N., & Rozhkova, T. (2026). Efficacy of the combined application of biological products in soybean cultivation under laboratory and field conditions. Biological Systems: Theory and Innovation, 17(2), 106-124. https://doi.org/10.31548/biologiya/2.2026.106
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