Soybean Seed Nutrition as Affected by Cotton, Wheat, and Fallow Rotation

Abstract

Limited information is available on the effects of crop rotation on seed nutrition. Therefore, the objective of the current research was to determine whether crop rotations are beneficial to soybean seed nutrition for the first two complete rotation cycles in an experiment conducted from 2007 through 2012. The first complete rotation cycle (experiment one) was conducted in 2009, then repeated in 2010, and the second complete rotation cycle (experiment two) was conducted in 2011, and then repeated in 2012. The rotation sequences were: wheat-late cotton-fallow-soybean (WCFS), fallow-cotton-wheat-soybean (FCWS), and fallow-cotton-fallow-soybean (FCFS). The results showed that WCFS and FCFS resulted in higher seed oil, palmitic and stearic acids, glucose, sucrose, fructose, Fe, P, and B. No consistent effects on seed protein, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, raffinose, stachyose, and Mn contents were observed. These changes were accompanied by higher P, K, B, Fe in soil and N, K, and B in leaves, indicating that soil and leaf nutrients may result in continuous supply and mobility of nutrients from leaves to seed during seed fill. Our research demonstrated that crop rotation management can result in seed nutrient changes, affecting seed quality.