Road Dust Fails to Impact Soybean Physiology and Production
2019
Gnoinsky, Amy | Hargiss, Christina L.M. | Prischmann‐Voldseth, Deirdre | DeSutter, Thomas
CORE IDEAS: Soybean leaf temperature, seed quality, and yield not impacted by road dust treatments.Chlorophyll content showed some difference in treatments, no decipherable trends.Periodic applications of road dust, even at high rates, showed little impact on soybeans. Road dust is a common by‐product of transportation and it is important to understand its impact on crop production. The objective of this study was to determine if dust applied to the foliage of soybean plants [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] impact its physiological characteristics (i.e., chlorophyll content and leaf temperature), yield, and seed quality (i.e., seed protein, oil composition, and amino acids). In 2015 and 2016 soybeans were planted using a randomized block design with eight replicates. Dust was applied weekly to soybean treatment areas at designated rates of 0, 15.8, 78.8, 158 g m⁻², in 2015, and 0, 15.8, 78.8, 158, 2 × 158, and 315 g m⁻² in 2016. The 2 × 158 g m⁻² treatment was 158 g m⁻² applied twice per week. Plant measurements included leaf temperature, chlorophyll content, yield, and seed quality. No significant differences for leaf temperature, yield, yield components, and seed composition were found in either year (P > 0.05). Therefore, results of the study indicated that weekly and bi‐weekly applications of dust, even at high rates, had little if any impact on soybean production and seed quality likely due to inert nature of the dust or soybean resilience to dust coverage.
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