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Thirteen early‐maturing and promiscuously nodulating soybean [Glycine max(L.) Merr.] varieties that belonged to maturity group I developed at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) from 1980 to 1996 were evaluated at two locations in the Guinea savanna of Nigeria in 2001 and 2002 to determine genetic gain in grain yield and associated agronomic traits. The varieties were grown in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Data on grain yield and seven other traits were recorded. The study showed that grain yield potential of the soybean varieties increased from 1117 to 1710 kg ha−1during two decades of breeding in IITA. The average rate of increase per year per release period (1980–1996) was 24.2 kg ha−1, which is 2.2%. Fodder yield also showed an annual increase of 22.81 kg ha−1yr−1Recent varieties had better lodging resistance scores of 1.25 to 1.37 in a 1 to 5 scoring scale (1 being resistant and 5 susceptible), shattering resistance scores of 1.6 to 2.7, and improved natural nodulation scores of 3.1 to 3.9. Old varieties had 50% or more pod shattering while the corresponding figure for new varieties was around 25%. Old varieties produced few and small nodules, while new varieties had many big nodules although size and number of nodules alone may not necessarily indicate nodule efficiency in N2fixation. Grain yield showed a positive and highly significant (P≤ 0.01) correlation coefficient (r= 0.75) with fodder yield, implying that high biomass could serve as an indicator of good yielding ability.

Abstract:  Soybean cultivars capable of nodulating with indigenous Bradyrhizobium spp. have been developed by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and national programs in Africa in order to avoid artificial inoculation by resource-poor farmers in Africa. The current selection procedure for enhanced N2 fixation is based on an assessment of nodule formation which does not directly quantify the proportions of crop N derived from the atmosphere. We have monitored N accumulation patterns and N2 fixation in nine promiscuous soybean cultivars with different maturity periods, using the 15N dilution technique. Nodule development generally peaked at the early podfill stage for all cultivars except Tgx 1519-1D and Tgx 1447-2D in which it continued to increase. The proportion of crop N derived from fixation (%NDFA) ranged between 51% and 67%, 77% and 84%, and 66% and 73% at full bloom, early podfill, and physiological maturity stages, respectively. Total N accumulation increased in all soybean genotypes with increasing plant age. Significant correlations (P<0.001) were established between nodule weight and %NDFA, even though this did not explain the relationship between nodule development and N2 fixation in cultivars such as Tgx 1519-1D. Promiscuous soybean cultivars retained between 10% and 19% of total N accumulated at the final harvest, in belowground biomass. Our results indicated that these soybean cultivars can derive substantial proportions of plant N from N2 fixation in soils where compatible indigenous bradyrhizobia populations are adequate and effective. Also, we have substantiated the claims that qualitative nodulation parameters currently used to select varieties with a high N2 fixation capacity need to be validated with other measurements of N2 fixation.