Can biologicals fill the soybean nitrogen gap? The jury's still out

"More than 100 research studies show that soybeans typically suffer from a nitrogen gap when yields exceed 60 bu/ac. At that yield level, the combination of soil nitrogen and nodulation often doesn't provide what the plant requires to achieve higher yields. Could biologicals - including nitrogen-fixing endophytes and biostimulants - fill that "yield gap" and provide the nitrogen required at high yield levels? That's a question Syngenta Canada biological field specialist Greg Stewart has been working on for the past two years."

"At the Midwest Ag Conference in Kitchener, Ont., Stewart shared data on the impact of Envita, a nitrogen-fixing endophyte from Syngenta. He says the product holds promise in its ability to colonize soybean tissue and fix atmospheric nitrogen without disrupting soil sources or nodulation. After two years of testing, however, the product has not yet shown consistent nitrogen contribution or meaningful yield benefit in soybeans."

"While this first-generation endophyte has yet to pan out, Stewart remains optimistic. The results from biostimulant trials are more encouraging. In the initial year of testing, Stewart notes that the reproductive biostimulant YieldON "competed fairly well" from a return-on-investment standpoint, and across much of the data, "you saw a positive impact." Overall, 70 per cent of trials showed a positive response, with an average yield increase of 1.5 bu/ac."

More than 100 research studies show soybeans typically suffer a nitrogen gap when yields exceed 60 bu/ac, because soil nitrogen plus nodulation often cannot meet crop needs. Biologicals, including nitrogen-fixing endophytes and biostimulants, were tested to address this gap. Envita, a Syngenta nitrogen-fixing endophyte, can colonize soybean tissue and fix atmospheric nitrogen without disrupting soil sources or nodulation, but two years of testing have not demonstrated consistent nitrogen contribution or meaningful yield benefit. First-generation biostimulants yielded more favorable results: YieldON delivered positive responses in about 70% of trials, averaging a 1.5 bu/ac increase, suggesting application strategy refinement is needed.

Read at Realagriculture