NL Journal of Agriculture and Biotechnology
(ISSN: 3048-9679)

---

POD-Sucking Insect Incidence in Soybean (Glycine max L.) Under Enhanced Efficiency Fertilization

Author(s) : Alhassan Moses, Benjamin K Badii, Mohammed A Alidu.
DOI : 10.71168/NAB.02.03.116

---

Abstract

Pod sucking insects have been a major constraint to sustainable production of soybean (Glycine max L.) in sub-Saharan Africa. The influence of fertilization on the incidence of these pests and their impact on yield of soybean is yet to be ascertained. Field studies were conducted at Nyankpala (on-station) and Nasia (on-farm) during the 2024 cropping season to evaluate the impact of enhanced efficiency fertilization on pod sucking insect infestations and agronomic performance of soybean. A single-factor experiment laid out in a randomized complete block design with seven fertilization regimes, each replicated three times, was used. Data were collected on the population densities and damage incidence of pod-sucking insects and their effect on grain yield of the soybean crop. The results showed that the primary pod-sucking insect species identified in the study fields were Riptortus dentipes, Nezara viridula and Mirperus jaculus. Soybean yield and pod-sucking bug abundance and pod damage were significantly affected by the fertilizer treatments. The fertilization regimes: NIT+CLB+YLI, YLI+CLB+NIT, 0FERT+CLB+CLB and YLII+CLB+0FERT, generally recorded higher populations of Riptortus dentipes, Nezara viridula and Mirperus jaculus, and lower pod damages compared to TSP+0FERT and the unfertilized plots. Also, these treatments recorded higher grain yields than the control treatments. The findings from this study revealed that the use of these fertilizer products can augment pest infestations and grain yield of soybean and significantly increase net economic returns in soybean. Hence, these fertilizer products should be considered for developing crop nutrition and protection strategies for maximum production of soybean in the savanna zone of Ghana. Keywords: Pod-sucking bugs, soybean, fertilization, grain yield.

This article licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License CC-BY 4.0., which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are properly credited.