Critical micronutrient tissue test levels, and filling the N-gap in Ontario soybean

Lead Applicant: Hugh Earl

Research Priority: Sustainable Production Systems

Program Type: Tier 1

Funding Cycle: 2024/2025

Research Centre: Ontario Crops Research Centre – Elora

Research Summary: "Available diagnostic tools for micronutrient deficiencies in soybean are currently inadequate. Using a newly developed method involving soilless culture systems in the field, we will:

1. Establish critical leaf tissue-test levels (for sufficiency, and in the case of boron, toxicity) for boron (B), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn) in soybean.
2. Provide a uniform set of high-resolution images (suitable for digital image analysis) for leaf deficiencies of the above four micronutrients, as well as molybdenum (Mo), copper (Cu) and cobalt (Co). 
3. Evaluate the ability of a foliar-applied biological (Envita™, Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus Gd) to compensate for reduced atmospheric nitrogen fixation in soybean under drought stress. This last objective will also be addressed in traditional small-plot field trials."