Journal of Taiwan Agricultural Research

Author:Chi-Ling Chen*, Yun-Ham Su, Chia-Jen Liu, and Yahn-Chir Lee

Abstract:

    To evaluate the potential of soybean as a crop for bio-fuel in Taiwan, field experiments were conducted in 2006 across the island, using an Australian variety ‘Leichardt’.  This study was one of the field experiments at Hemei Township, Changhua County.  Soybean was seeded by hand-spreading in the fall of 2006 and harvested in 2007.  Results showed that seeding of soybean by hand-spreading affected uniformity of seed germination and caused high variations in yield in this field.  Seed yield of soybean reached 770 kg ha^-1 under good pest management and disease control.  The study also showed that night illumination is an important factor affecting growth and yield of soybean.  Plants growing near the roadside (within 10–20 m) were exposed to the night light, resulting in prolonged vegetative growth and delayed blossom period for about 1 to 4 weeks.  Therefore, such plants suffered from poor pod filling due to low temperature stress at reproduction stage and delayed the harvest period for about 6 weeks.  Nevertheless, seed yield of soybean plants exposed to the night illumination reached 1000 kg ha^-1, which was slightly higher than soybean plants without exposuring to the night illumination.

Key words:Night illumination, Soybean, Glycine max, Growth, Yield

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