Iron requirement for soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] inoculated with selected exotic and native isolates of Bradyrhizobium sp. under irrigated conditions

A field and greenhouse experiments were conducted to determine the requirement of Fe nutrient supplied through foliar and soil application in soybean inoculated with different selected isolates of exotic and native Bradyrhizobium spp. in saline soils. Six soybean genotypes and three Bradyrhizobium spp. were used for the greenhouse experiments, whereas only two soybean genotypes, namely TGx-1336424 and GIZA, were selected for further study under field conditions. Two levels of FeSO₄ (0 and 4 mg Fe kg^?1 soil) directly supplied to the soil and three levels of Fe-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (0–2% of Fe) through foliar application were used for greenhouse and field experiments, respectively. The results of the greenhouse experiment indicated a non-significant effect of Fe application on nodulation and shoot biomass in soybean. Fe application did not improve the grain yield and total biomass yield in soybean inoculated with UK isolate and local isolate but showed remarkable improvement with TAL-379. High soil native N might be the cause for insignificant effect of Fe applied at 2% in highly effective inoculated plants. Therefore, it can be concluded that the symbiotic effectiveness of Bradyrhizobium sp. and the native soil N would affect the soybean Fe requirement supplied through foliar application.