Effects of Integrated Soil Fertility Management on Soil Properties, Nodulation, Growth and Yield of Soybean in Acidic Soils
Description
The dataset used in this study was generated from field experiments conducted during the 2022 and 2023 cropping seasons at three locations in the Assosa area, northwestern Ethiopia. The study evaluated the effects of integrated soil fertility management practices on soybean growth, nodulation, soil properties, and yield under acidic soil conditions. Data were collected from a randomized complete block design with three replications and included treatment effects of lime, biochar, vermicompost, Rhizobium inoculation, and mineral fertilizers. Both pre-planting and post-harvest soil samples were analyzed for physical and chemical properties, while crop data included phenological traits, plant height, nodulation parameters, biomass, grain yield, and yield components. Economic variables such as input costs, grain price, and profitability indicators were also recorded for partial budget analysis. The dataset was organized and analyzed using Microsoft Excel and R software.
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The study data were gathered through a field experiment conducted in the Assosa area during the 2022 and 2023 cropping seasons on acidic soils. The experiment used a randomized complete block design with three replications and evaluated integrated soil fertility management treatments combining lime, biochar, vermicompost, Rhizobium inoculation, and mineral fertilizers. Soil samples were collected before planting and after harvest from the 0–20 cm layer for laboratory analysis, while undisturbed samples were taken with a core sampler to determine bulk density and porosity. Data collection methods Disturbed soil samples were air-dried, ground, and sieved before analysis of pH, organic matter, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, exchangeable bases, exchangeable acidity, exchangeable aluminum, and cation exchange capacity. Standard laboratory procedures were used, including the hydrometer method for texture, the core method for bulk density, pH measurement in a soil-water suspension, Walkley-Black for organic carbon, Kjeldahl for nitrogen, Bray II for available phosphorus, and ammonium acetate extraction for exchangeable cations. Biochar and vermicompost were separately prepared and characterized before application, and lime requirement was calculated from exchangeable acidity and bulk density for each site. Crop measurements Soybean seeds were inoculated with Bradyrhizobium japonicum before planting, and phosphorus fertilizer was applied uniformly. During crop growth, data were collected on emergence, flowering, maturity, plant height, nodulation, pod number, biomass, grain yield, hundred-seed weight, and harvest index. Grain yield was measured from the net plot area and converted to kg ha-1. Economic data, including input costs and grain prices, were also recorded for partial budget and marginal rate of return analysis. Software and workflow All data were entered and cleaned in Microsoft Excel and analyzed in R. A linear mixed-effects model was used to account for treatment, location, year, and replication effects, followed by ANOVA and Tukey mean separation. Multivariate analysis was also used to examine relationships between soil fertility variables and soybean performance.