Soya bean trials in Canterbury

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Abstract
A re-examination has been made over an eight-year period of the growing of soya beans in arable-farming districts, using varieties from North America known to have promise for use in temperate latitudes. Some high yields (50 bushels per acre) have been obtained, but the average field yield over all seasons would hardly reach 25 bushels per acre. Inoculation with Rhizobium japonicum did not produce nodulation benefits in field work, but in green-house studies inoculation-nodulation responses were recorded but not of any great degree. Evidence is presented on strain differences in the effeotiveness of cultures of the nitrogenfixing bacteria and of the relationship of numbers of bacteria in the inocula, to nodulation. Within the limited number and range of varieties studied there were no differences in variety response to the strains of R. japonicum used. Some aspects of plant nutrition and fertiliser treatment were studied, and it is clear that this feature requires much fuller investigation. It is believed that the growing of this potentially valuable crop should be further investigated, especially in areas combining both higher temperatures and rainfall in the summer than is the case in Canterbury where yields have been unpromising under prevailing dry summer cond~ tions. On current values only a very considerable increase in yield would make this crop profitable, although some commercial interests anxious to have an abundant supply of soya beans still have confidence in prospects and are prepared to support further agronomic investigations.

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