Masters Theses

Date of Award

12-1963

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Agronomy

Major Professor

H.C. Smith

Committee Members

O.H. Long, C.R. Graves

Abstract

The soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merril. is a very ancient crop in the east Asian countries. In the United States large scale production of soybeans, chiefly as a forage crop, commenced in the beginning of the twentieth century. The acreage harvested for beans greatly increased from less than 6 million acres in 1941 to over 27 million acres in 1961 (1). Currently, soybeans rank fourth in value among the cash crops grown in the United States. The United States produces 57 per cent of the total world crop of soybeans (5). Soybeans are primarily produced for oil and protein for human foods and animal feeds (14). The development of improved varieties and the solution of several management problems through plant breeding and agronomic research have resulted in increased yields. Soybeans are now normally planted in rows, while they are also planted either broadcast or in drills, particularly on sloping land to reduce soil erosion. The Influence of spacing on yield seems to depend upon length of growing season, growth type of varieties in adapted areas, soil fertility, moisture status and date of planting. In the northern states soybeans in narrow rows of 18 to 28 inches generally produce the highest yields whereas in the southern states there has been little advantage of planting in rows closer than 36 to 42 inches (13). Studies also show that there are varietal differences in the response to row spacing. The yield of soybeans is determined by the size and number of seed per unit area. The latter is regulated by the number of fertile pods per plant, number of seeds per pod and the number of plants per unit area. The experiment reported herein was conducted to determine the influence of five different spacings between rows on the components of yield and other characteristics of three adapted varieties of soybeans.

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