Seed treatment, soil fertilization or nickel leaf spraying: consequences for biological nitrogen fixation and soybean growth

• Grant number: 21/11624-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2021
• End date: November 30, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Soil Science
• Principal Investigator: José Lavres Junior
• Grantee: Fernando Pimenta dos Reis Arruda
• Host Institution: Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Biological N2 fixation (BNF) is a plant-rhizobia symbiosis fundamental for sustainable agricultural in tropical soils, usually with low nitrogen (N) availability to plants. Leguminous plants, as soybean, are the most successful case of this symbiosis. Nowadays, one of the main challenges in soybean crop systems is to improve the efficiency of the BNF, by nutritional management for plants. In its turn, it has been observed that the availability of nickel (Ni) in some soils may be insufficient to meet plant requirements, whose N assimilation occurs via ureides. In this case, Ni fertilization emerging may play a key role, for this micronutrient is a structural component of urease and NiFe-hydrogenase enzymes that are directly involved in N metabolism in plants. However, research on Ni application methods, aiming to increase the efficiency of BNF are still incipient. The research project proposes, therefore, an exploratory study on the theme, applying modern analytical techniques in the evaluation of the BNF process. Under controlled condition, isolated and/or combined application of Ni via seed treatment, soil and leaf will be tested in soybean plants grown. Therefore, the infrastructure at 'Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture', 'São Paulo State University' will be employed. Furthermore, the project is aligned with the '2030 Agenda' of the 'United Nations' to promote the 'Sustainable Development Goals'