PRODUCTIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF SOYBEAN VARIETIES INFLUENCED BY PHOSPHORUS AVAILABILITY

Abstract

Soybeans are of vital importance to the Paraguayan economy, constituting one of its fundamental pillars, from production to marketing and export. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of applying different levels of phosphorus to two soybean varieties. The experiment was carried out in the town of San Felipe, 25 kilometers from the city of Horqueta, Paraguay, from December 2022 to March 2023. A randomized complete block design with a 4 x 2 factorial arrangement was used, with factor A representing different phosphorus levels (control: 0, 40, 80, and 120 kg ha?¹) and factor B representing soybean varieties (Parso XIX and Parso XXIV). Plant height, number of pods per plant, number of grains per plant, thousand-grain weight, and soybean yield were evaluated. The data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Fisher's test, and means were compared using Tukey's test at a 5% probability level. Under the conditions of this experiment, it was concluded that for the variable plant height, the phosphorus levels used had no statistically significant effect, nor were there any differences between varieties. For the variables number of pods per plant, number of grains per plant, and yield, Factor A only showed an effect within variety Parso XXIV, with the optimal dose being 120 kg ha^-1. When comparing varieties under Factor B, Parso XXIV was statistically superior.