Methods for increasing soybean yields

Abstract

To provide a method for increasing a soybean yield.SOLUTION: A method for increasing a soybean yield is a method for increasing the yield of soybean. The method includes applying ascorbic acid or its salt to a soybean leaf surface at a grain thickening stage.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for increasing soybean yield. [Background technology]

[0002] Various legumes are used as important crops around the world. Among them, soybeans, which have a high protein content per unit area, are extremely important to the world's food supply as a high-protein, high-calorie crop. Soybeans are edible as they are, but they are also processed into soybean oil and high-protein soybean meal by pressing. They are also used as a raw material for lecithin, a natural emulsifier.

[0003] Soybean oil is used as a raw material for cosmetics, soap, and other daily necessities, and is also used as biofuel. Soybean meal is also important as livestock feed. With the recent increase in animal protein consumption in developing and emerging countries and the growing food demand due to population growth, there is a growing need to increase the production of legumes, especially soybeans, for livestock feed.

[0004] Antioxidants containing ascorbic acid are often applied to plants to promote their growth. For example, Non-Patent Document 1 discloses that the number of leaves increased when olive trees were foliar-sprayed twice with ascorbic acid at concentrations of 500, 1,000, and 2,000 ppm. Non-Patent Document 2 also discloses that chickpea, a legume, can achieve a yield increase of up to 30% when chickpea trees are foliar-sprayed three times with ascorbic acid solutions at concentrations of 100, 200, and 300 ppm.

[0005] However, it has not been known that the timing of ascorbic acid application significantly affects grain yield. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0006] [Non-Patent Document 1] Mayi et al., (2014) Effect of Foliar Spray of Humic acid, Ascorbic acid, Cultivars and their Interactions on Growth of Olive (Olea European L.) Transplants cvs. Khithairy and Sorany. IOSR Journal of Agriculture and Veterinary Science, 7:18-30). [Non-patent document 2] Zarghamnejad et al.,(2014) Chickpea response to ascorbic acid foliar application at vegetable and reproductive stages. International Journal of Biosciences, 5:166-170. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The present invention relates to providing methods for increasing soybean yield. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present inventors have found that soybean yield is significantly increased when an ascorbic acid solution is applied once to the leaf surface of soybean plants during the seed filling stage, which corresponds to 60 to 90 days after sowing.

[0009] That is, the present invention relates to the following. A method for increasing the yield of soybeans, comprising applying ascorbic acid or a salt thereof to the leaf surface of soybeans during the seed filling stage. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, the yield of soybeans can be increased simply and safely. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] Average yield per soybean plant. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] In the method for increasing soybean yield of the present invention, ascorbic acid or a salt thereof is applied to the leaf surface of soybean plants during the seed filling stage.

[0013] In the present invention, "soybean" refers to soybean (scientific name: Glycine max), an annual plant of the legume family. There are a wide variety of soybean varieties, including Fukuyutaka, Enrei, Sato no Hohoemi, Yuagari Musume, Ryuho, and Suzuyutaka, but the present invention is not limited to these.

[0014] It has been reported that the soybean growth stages from budding to leaf fall can be divided into the following stages: VC: primary leaf emergence stage, R1-2: flowering stage, R3-4: pod setting stage, and R5-6: grain development stage (Fehr, WR, Caviness, CE, 1977. Stages of soybean development. Cooperative Extension Service, Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa). As shown in the Examples below, when ascorbic acid was applied to the leaves 57 days after sowing (corresponding to R4), 65 days after sowing (corresponding to R5), or 79 days after sowing (corresponding to R6), and the soybeans were harvested 140 days after sowing and their grain weight was measured, the yield increased significantly compared to when ascorbic acid was not applied. When ascorbic acid was applied 65 and 79 days after sowing, the yield increased 1.14 to 1.18 times compared to when ascorbic acid was applied 57 days after sowing, and the protein content in the soybean grains also increased. Therefore, it can be said that the application of ascorbic acid or its salts to the soybean foliage at the seed filling stage (R5-6) is useful for increasing soybean yield.

[0015] In the present invention, "increasing soybean yield" means increasing soybean growth (fresh weight, elongation, etc.) and increasing grain yield (grain weight, grain number), and includes increasing the protein content in the grains.

[0016] In the present invention, ascorbic acid may be any of D-, L-, and DL-isomers, but is preferably L-isomer (so-called L-ascorbic acid). Commercially available ascorbic acid of various grades can be used. Examples of salts of ascorbic acid include sodium salts, potassium salts, calcium salts, magnesium salts, barium salts, ammonium salts, and salts with nitrogen-containing organic bases such as pyridine, trimethylamine, triethylamine, tributylamine, and diethylamine.

[0017] In the present invention, ascorbic acid or a salt thereof may be in a liquid or solid form, as long as it can be applied to the leaf surface of soybean plants, or may be in the form of a composition containing ascorbic acid or a salt thereof. Here, the composition containing ascorbic acid or a salt thereof may contain, in addition to ascorbic acid or a salt thereof, any component, such as a solvent (for example, water, a buffer solution, a culture medium, a solution for hydroponics, etc.), a carrier (diatomaceous earth, vermiculite, perlite, peat moss, activated carbon, humus, talc, zeolite, clay, carbon black, pulp, straw, soybean meal, bentonite, kaolin, montmorillonite, alumina, etc.), a pH adjuster, a spreading agent for increasing the spreading power on plants, a fertilizer component for increasing fertilizer efficacy, an agricultural chemical component, a binder, or a bulking agent. Examples of suitable plant growth-promoting microorganisms include rhizobia and mycorrhizal fungi, essential plant nutrients, flavonoids, organic acids, amino acids, peptides, nucleosides, nucleotides, nucleic acid bases, sugars, monohydric alcohols, nonionic surfactants, food additives, microbial extracts, plant hormones, NOD factors, i.e., lipo-chitooligosaccharides, synthetic lipo-chitooligosaccharides, chitooligosaccharides, chitinous compounds, linoleic acid or its derivatives, linolenic acid or its derivatives, karrikins, acyl-homoserine lactone derivatives, betaine compounds, and phenolic compounds.

[0018] The composition may be an agricultural or horticultural material such as a fertilizer, water for watering, pesticide, or plant supplement (e.g., activator, nutrient, etc.), and may be prepared by adding ascorbic acid or a salt thereof to a typical agricultural or horticultural material.

[0019] When the ascorbic acid or a salt thereof is in the form of a liquid composition, it can be used as is or diluted appropriately with water, preferably ion-exchanged water, to prepare a spray solution for application to the foliage of soybeans, which can then be applied to the foliage. In this case, the concentration of ascorbic acid or a salt thereof in the spray solution is preferably 1 ppm by mass or more, more preferably 100 ppm by mass or more, more preferably 500 ppm by mass or more, and preferably 20,000 ppm by mass or less, more preferably 4,500 ppm by mass or less, more preferably 1,500 ppm by mass or less, and preferably 1 to 20,000 ppm by mass, more preferably 100 to 4,500 ppm by mass, more preferably 500 to 1,500 ppm by mass.

[0020] The application of ascorbic acid or a salt thereof to the foliage of soybeans may be carried out in any manner as long as ascorbic acid or a salt thereof is supplied to the foliage of the soybeans, but is preferably carried out by foliar spraying in such a manner that the ascorbic acid or a salt thereof comes into contact with the foliage of the soybeans. The spraying method is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include a spraying method, in which the spray solution is sprayed in the form of a mist by atomization. According to such a method, after the ascorbic acid or a salt thereof adheres to the soybeans, good spreading properties are exhibited on the plants. Specific examples of spraying methods include manual spraying using a sprayer, atomizer, or sprayer (e.g., a boom sprayer), and aerial spraying using an airplane, helicopter, drone, etc.

[0021] In the present invention, the application time of ascorbic acid or a salt thereof is the grain filling stage. Here, the "grain filling stage" refers to the stage in which the grains swell from when they are formed in the pod until they fill the cavity in the pod, and refers to R5 to R6 in the growth stages of the reproductive growth period of soybean by Fehr et al. (Fehr, WR, Caviness, CE, 1977. Stages of soybean development. Cooperative Extension Service, Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa). The application time of ascorbic acid or a salt thereof is preferably 60 days or later, more preferably 63 days or later, more preferably 65 days or later after sowing, and preferably before 90 days, more preferably before 80 days, more preferably before 79 days after sowing. Preferably, the application time is 60 to 90 days, more preferably 63 to 80 days, more preferably 65 to 79 days after sowing.

[0022] The amount of ascorbic acid or a salt thereof applied is, for example, preferably 1 mg or more, more preferably 5 mg or more, more preferably 10 mg or more, and preferably 150 mg or less, more preferably 100 mg or less, more preferably 50 mg or less, as ascorbic acid per soybean plant, and is also preferably 1 to 150 mg, more preferably 5 to 100 mg, more preferably 10 to 50 mg. The frequency of application of ascorbic acid or a salt thereof may be once or 1 to 3 times, but according to the method of the present invention, a sufficient effect is achieved with a single application.

[0023] In relation to the above-described embodiment, the present invention further discloses the following aspects. <1> A method for increasing the yield of soybeans, comprising applying ascorbic acid or a salt thereof to the leaf surface of soybeans during the seed filling stage. <2> It is applied preferably 60 days or later, more preferably 63 days or later, more preferably 65 days or later after sowing soybeans, and preferably before 90 days, more preferably before 80 days, more preferably before 79 days after sowing, or preferably 60 to 90 days, preferably 63 to 80 days, more preferably 65 to 79 days after sowing; <1> How to do it. <3> Apply once 60 to 90 days after soybean sowing. <1> How to do it. <4> Application to soybean foliage is by foliar spray; <1> ~ <3> Either way. <5> A spray liquid containing ascorbic acid of preferably 1 ppm by mass or more, more preferably 100 ppm by mass or more, more preferably 500 ppm by mass or more, and preferably 20,000 ppm by mass or less, more preferably 4,500 ppm by mass or less, more preferably 1,500 ppm by mass or less is sprayed on the leaves, or a spray liquid containing preferably 1 to 20,000 ppm by mass, more preferably 100 to 4,500 ppm by mass, more preferably 500 to 1,500 ppm by mass is sprayed on the leaves. <4> How to do it. <6> The amount of ascorbic acid applied per soybean plant is preferably 1 mg or more, more preferably 5 mg or more, more preferably 10 mg or more, and preferably 150 mg or less, more preferably 100 mg or less, more preferably 50 mg or less, or preferably 1 to 150 mg, more preferably 5 to 100 mg, more preferably 10 to 50 mg. <1> ~ <5> Either way. <7> The yield increase is an increase in grain weight and / or an increase in protein content in the grain. <1> ~ <6> Either way. [Example]

[0024] Example 1 (Effect of foliar application of ascorbic acid on soybean yield) Soybean cultivation was carried out in a field, and the soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) cultivar "Sato no Hohoemi" was used. Ascorbic acid, "Food Additive Grade Vitamin C (L-Ascorbic Acid) Fine Mesh Type SSS" manufactured by Fuso Chemical Co., Ltd. was used. Ascorbic acid treatment was carried out once on either the 57th day, 67th day, or 79th day after sowing. For the ascorbic acid irrigation treatment, 10 mg of "food additive grade vitamin C" per plant was dissolved in 100 mL of deionized water and irrigated onto the soil surface at the base of the soybean plant. For the ascorbic acid foliar spray treatment, 20 mL of a 500 ppm ascorbic acid solution (10 mg of added ascorbic acid) dissolved in deionized water per plant was sprayed using a sprayer so that it covered the entire soybean plant. The amount of ascorbic acid applied per soybean plant to the soil surface and to the foliar spray was the same. The soybeans were harvested 140 days after sowing, and the grain weight was measured to calculate the yield.

[0025] The results of measuring the average yield per plant are shown in Figure 1. A multiple test (Dunnett's test) showed that in the plots where ascorbic acid was applied foliarly 57, 67, and 79 days after sowing, significant increases in soybean yield were observed compared to the control, with risk levels of less than 5%, less than 1%, and less than 1% compared to the non-application plot, resulting in yield increases of approximately 22%, 40%, and 45%, respectively. On the other hand, no significant increases in soybean yield were observed when applied to the soil surface, regardless of the growth stage. From the above, it can be said that the preferred method of applying ascorbic acid is foliar spray, and the preferred application time is during the seed filling stage (R5 to R6) in the growth stage indication of the reproductive growth period of soybeans by Fehr et al.

[0026] Example 2 (Effect of foliar application of ascorbic acid on soybean protein yield) The protein content of soybeans harvested in Example 1 that had been treated with ascorbic acid on the 57th and 67th days after sowing was measured, and the results converted into protein yield are shown in Table 1. The protein content in the seeds of the ascorbic acid-treated plants tended to increase compared to the non-treated plants, and the protein yield was highest in the ascorbic acid foliar sprayed plants 67 days after sowing. The protein yield (g / plant) was calculated by the following formula: seed weight (g / plant) × {seed protein content (g / 100g) / 100}. Measurements were performed by the Japan Food Research Laboratories using the combustion method.

[0027] [Table 1]

Claims

1. A method for increasing the yield of soybeans, comprising applying ascorbic acid or a salt thereof to the foliage of soybeans once 60 to 90 days after sowing the soybeans.

2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein application to soybean foliage is a foliar spray.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the increase in yield is an increase in grain weight and / or an increase in protein content in the grain.

4. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein 1 to 150 mg of ascorbic acid is applied per soybean plant.

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