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Soybean Research
Volume 23, Number 2
Volume 23, Number 2 (2025)
2025 · Published 17 September 2026 · 10 articles
In this issue
Review Articles
- 01
Nutrient Deficiency in Soybean: Causes, Symptoms and Management Strategies for Sustainable Productivity
Saloni Solanki, Sunita Kataria and Meeta Jain
Soybean (Glycine max L.) is a globally important legume crop valued for its high protein and oil content. As a nutrient-demanding plant, soybean requires a balanced supply of macro and micronutrients for optimum growth, nodulation and productivity. Nutrient deficiencies adversely affect key physiological and biochemical processes, including photosynthesis, nitrogen fixation, enzyme activities and metabolite synthesis, leading to significant yield reductions. Nitrogen and phosphorus deficiencies impair chlorophyll synthesis, energy metabolism and protein content, while potassium deficiency reduces stress tolerance and seed quality. Micronutrient deficiencies such as iron, zinc, manganese, boron and molybdenum alter chloroplast development, enzyme functions and reproductive success, resulting in poor nodulation, low seed set, and reduced oil and protein accumulation. Beyond individual impacts, combined deficiencies often exacerbate stress responses and further limit productivity. Recent advances highlight the role of innovative strategies such as nutrient priming, foliar supplementation, nano fertilizers and the use of nutrient-efficient soybean genotypes in overcoming these limitations. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the physiological, biochemical and agronomic effects of nutrient deficiencies in soybean, with emphasis on their impact on yield and seed quality and outlines potential management and research directions for sustainable production under nutrient-limited conditions.
- 02
Genome Editing and Precision Breeding Strategies for Sustainable Soybean Improvement
Viraj Gangadhar Kamble, Milind Ratnaparkhe, Giriraj Kumawat, V. Nataraj, Priyanka Sathe, G. K. Satpute, Vangala Rajesh, B. U. Dupare, Sanjay Gupta and Kunwar Harendra Singh
The drawbacks of input-heavy agricultural growth - such as stagnant yields, environmental degradation and climate vulnerability - have made it necessary to reorient global agricultural strategy toward productivity gains that are also environmentally sustainable. This shift, widely termed the Second Green Revolution, emphasizes sustainable intensification: higher and more stable yields with a smaller environmental footprint, more efficient resource use, and greater resilience to biotic and abiotic stress. Genome editing, particularly CRISPR-Cas-based precision breeding, is examined here as the primary technological driver of this transition in the Indian context, because it enables targeted, often transgene-free trait improvement under a comparatively streamlined regulatory pathway (SDN-1/SDN-2). The three-decade global experience with genetically modified (GM) crops is discussed only as comparative background - both as an evidence base on the agronomic, economic and environmental performance of transgenic technologies, and as a policy lesson on the regulatory and public-acceptance challenges that genome editing must navigate differently. This paper positions India's recent genome-editing milestones (genome-edited rice, the approval of DMH-11 mustard, and progress in soybean genome editing) alongside a critical, evidence-based comparison of conventional breeding, transgenic (GM) crops and genome editing, with soybean developed as the central case study given its strategic importance to India's edible-oil security. It argues that genome editing, integrated with sound agronomic practice and transparent, policy-aligned governance, offers a scientifically grounded and practically feasible route to sustainable agricultural transformation in India.
Research Papers
- 03
Interactive Effect of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria on Nodulation, Growth and Yield of Soybean Under Field Conditions
Mahaveer Sharma, Hemant Singh Maheshwari, Richa Agnihotri, Abhishek Bharti, Dipanti Chourasiya, Aketi Ramesh and K. Annapurna
Soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill), a major source of edible oil and protein, is a globally important legume; microbial inoculation offers a sustainable approach to enhance its productivity while reducing reliance on chemical fertilizers. A two-year field experiment was conducted during the kharif seasons for evaluation of the interactive effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) on nodulation, nutrient uptake, growth, and yield of soybean (cv. JS 95-60). The experiment was carried out in a randomized block design using a mixed AMF inoculum (Glomus intraradices, G. geosporum, and G. mosseae), two PGPR strains-Paenibacillus polymyxa (HKA-15, IARI) and Burkholderia arboris (NSRI) and their combinations. Nodulation, leghaemoglobin content, and mycorrhizal colonization were assessed at 50% flowering, while nutrient uptake and grain yield were recorded at harvest. Across both years, microbial inoculation significantly improved nodulation, mycorrhizal colonization, nitrogen uptake, and grain yield as compared to uninoculated control. Co-inoculation of AMF with P. polymyxa consistently recorded the highest nodule number, nodule biomass, leghaemoglobin content, and shoot nitrogen uptake, demonstrating a strong synergistic interaction. AMF alone recorded the highest root colonization and significantly increased grain nitrogen content and total nitrogen uptake during the first year. In the second year, AMF + P. polymyxa also achieved the highest phosphorus uptake and grain yield, while B. arboris alone improved grain nitrogen and phosphorus content. During the first year, although AMF + P. polymyxa exhibited increased nodulation and nutrient acquisition, grain yield was statistically non-significant with AMF + B. arboris. Numerically, AMF + B. arboris recorded the highest yield (1058.51 kg ha⁻¹; 54.06% above the control), followed by AMF + P. polymyxa (1004.42 kg ha⁻¹; 46.19% above the control). These findings demonstrated the compatibility between microbial partners and is more critical than inoculant diversity for maximizing soybean productivity and highlight the potential of AMF_PGPR co-inoculation as a sustainable biofertilizer strategy for enhancing nutrient use efficiency, yield, and soil health.