Effect of Commercial Starter Fertilizers and Plant Hormones on Soybean Growth and Meloidogyne Incognita Proliferation in the Greenhouse

Seven commercial starter fertilizer treatments and 7 plant hormone treatments were evaluated for effect on soybean growth parameters and southern root-knot nematode proliferation in 21 and 45 day greenhouse trials. Starter Fertilizers were applied in-furrow; hormones in the form of Ascend® were applied via in-furrow, foliar spray, and seed treatment. In 45 day trials plant height, shoot weight, root weight, eggs, and eggs/gram root were evaluated; 21 day trials the same plant parameters were measured with root architecture parameters of: total length, total surface area, and total projected area. Starter fertilizer 21 day trial results showed significant increase in shoot weight in treatments containing Neptune’s Harvest, however this was not consistent across all tests.45 Day trial results indicated 14% increase in shoot and root weights in Neptune’s Harvest and Pro-Germ treatments. However these results were inconsistent across tests and not statistically different. Root-knot eggs and eggs per gram root were significantly lower in the Neptune’s Harvest with Micro-500 treatment in one trial. 21 day Ascend® trials showed that the combination of all three application methods in one treatment significantly increased shoot weight across trials (41% and 48%). Plant growth parameters were generally greater in treatments with Ascend® than the control. However this was not consistent across trials. One 45 day trial was highly variable and showed no significant differences among treatments. Greenhouse trials of starter fertilizers and plant hormones showed significant increases among certain treatments but were inconsistent across trials. Additional greenhouse, microplot, and field trials may confirm efficacy of Neptune’s Harvest, Pro-Germ, and the combination treatment of Ascend®.