Calibración agronómica de dosis de fertilización edáfica y foliar en el cultivo de soya (Glycine max L. Merril) bajo condiciones del norte del Valle del Cauca, Colombia

Sandra Milena Castaño; Manuel Francisco Polanco Puerta

doi:10.22490/26653176.11166

Vol. 9 No. 1 (2026)

Published 2026-11-13

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Agrícola

Agronomic calibration of soil and foliar fertilization rates for soybean (Glycine max L. Merril) under the conditions of northern Valle del Cauca, Colombia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.22490/26653176.11166

Sandra Milena Castaño Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia

Manuel Francisco Polanco Puerta Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia

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Abstract
References

Contextualization: Soybean (Glycine max L. Merril) is a strategic crop worldwide due to its contribution to food security, the animal feed industry, and crop rotation systems. In Colombia, soybean production has gained increasing importance in regions such as the northern Valle del Cauca, where fertilization management directly influences crop productivity. Adequate mineral nutrition is essential for optimizing yield and agronomic efficiency.

Research gap: Despite the importance of fertilization, there is limited experimental evidence on soybean response to different fertilizer rates and application methods under the specific edaphoclimatic conditions of northern Valle del Cauca. This lack of local information limits the development of evidence-based fertilization recommendations and technical decision-making.

Purpose: To calibrate soil and foliar fertilization rates by evaluating their effects on agronomic traits, yield components, grain productivity, and economic profitability of soybean (Glycine max L. Merril) grown under the soil conditions of northern Valle del Cauca, Colombia.

Methodology: The study was conducted using a randomized complete block design with six fertilization treatments and four replications. Treatments consisted of different combinations of soil fertilization with nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P₂O₅), potassium (K₂O), magnesium (Mg), and sulfur (S), as well as complementary foliar fertilization and an unfertilized control. Plant height, first pod insertion height, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per plant, seed index, grain yield, and benefit–cost ratio were evaluated. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA), and treatment means were compared using Tukey's test (α = 0.05).

Results and conclusions: The evaluation of fertilization strategies revealed significant differences in first pod insertion height, number of pods per plant, and number of seeds per plant, whereas grain yield did not differ significantly among treatments. Nevertheless, foliar fertilization, applied alone or in combination with soil fertilization, improved the main yield components and achieved the highest economic efficiency, indicating a superior agronomic response under the evaluated conditions. The findings demonstrate that the evaluation of fertilization strategies provides valuable information for optimizing soybean nutrient management in the soils of northern Valle del Cauca. Although no significant differences were observed in grain yield, improvements in yield components and the benefit–cost ratio highlight the potential of integrating soil and foliar fertilization to enhance nutrient use efficiency and support the development of region-specific fertilization recommendations.

keywords: Glycine max, soil fertilization, foliar fertilization, crop yield, plant nutrition, nutrient management, benefit–cost analysis, Valle del Cauca

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How to Cite

Castaño, S. M., & Polanco Puerta, M. F. (2026). Agronomic calibration of soil and foliar fertilization rates for soybean (Glycine max L. Merril) under the conditions of northern Valle del Cauca, Colombia. Agricolae & Habitat, 9(1), 32-45. https://doi.org/10.22490/26653176.11166

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