What are the causes of empty pods in soybeans? Latest analysis
Soybean is a major food crop in our country, with a very large planting area. Soybean has very high nutritional value and is welcomed by many people. Although soybean cultivation technology is relatively simple and yields are fairly high, empty pods often appear during the growing process, seriously affecting yield. So what causes empty pods in soybeans? Below, the editor will give you a brief introduction. Let's take a look together!
1. Variety reasons
When planting soybeans, the choice of variety is very important. If the variety is chosen improperly, empty pods are very likely to appear. For example, some varieties with a high pod-setting rate and many seeds will have a relatively high empty-pod rate. Moreover, different varieties have different requirements for the growing environment and climate. Therefore, if a variety is not suited to the local environment, a large number of shriveled seeds are likely to appear. Especially for some relatively late-maturing varieties, if the temperature is low during seed filling, their filling speed will decrease, thereby causing empty pods.
2. Climate effects
The climate environment has a very large impact on soybean growth. During the growth period of soybeans, if they encounter drought or waterlogging, their empty-pod rate will increase. During the flowering and podding stage of soybeans, the impact caused by waterlogging is far greater than that of drought; it will not only cause empty pods, but also lead to lodging. In addition, at sowing time, if sowing is too late because of drought, the soybean growth period will be shortened, causing empty pods. If the temperature is too low in the later growth stage, it will affect soybean grain filling and likewise cause empty pods. High temperatures will cause soybeans to flower but not set seed.
3. Lack of nutrients in the later stage
After soybeans enter the flowering stage, their demand for nutrients increases greatly. They will consume a large amount of nutrients, so in the later growth stage of soybeans, we should pay attention to fertilization work and increase the amount of fertilizer applied. When many people interplant soybeans, if no base fertilizer is applied and no topdressing is done, nutritional deficiency is very likely during the full flowering stage of soybeans. Due to insufficient nutrients, the leaves will also show various adverse phenomena such as yellow leaves and short plants. This leads to late pods or weak, unfilled pods in the flower clusters at the same node, generally more common in varieties with poor soil fertility and large flower and pod numbers.
4. Imbalanced nutrient ratio
During growth, soybeans need many nutrient elements. Many people overlook the supplementation of some trace elements, such as boron and molybdenum. The deficiency of these two elements is also a main cause of empty pods in soybeans. Boron and molybdenum are also indispensable trace elements in soybean growth and are directly related to soybean pod setting. If the soil has little boron and molybdenum and topdressing work has not been done well, then the empty-pod rate of soybeans will certainly increase. Especially for soybeans in continuous cropping plots, the empty-pod rate will be higher year after year.
The above is a brief introduction to what causes empty pods in soybeans. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only, and I hope it can help everyone!