Desempenho de cultivares de soja em diferentes densidades de plantas

Abstract

Soybean (Glycine max L.) has great economic importance in the Brazilian agricultural scenario, and the choice of cultivar along with the adjustment of plant population density are fundamental factors for maximizing productivity and the efficiency of the production system. In this context, the present study aimed to evaluate the agronomic performance and health status of different soybean cultivars subjected to distinct plant population densities in the southwestern region of Paraná, Brazil. The experiment was conducted in the municipality of Dois Vizinhos – PR, during the 2025/2026 growing season, using a randomized block design in a 4 × 3 factorial scheme, with four soybean cultivars (BMX Zeus IPRO®, STINE 53KA33®, STINE 60KA32®, and Nidera 5624®) and three plant populations (12, 14, and 16 plants per linear meter), with three replications. Variables evaluated included insertion height of the first and last pod, number of productive nodes, number of pods per plant, number of grains per pod, number of grains per plant, thousand-grain weight, and yield. Data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA), and means were compared using the Scott-Knott test at a 5% probability level. The results demonstrated that plant population densities significantly influenced the number of pods per plant, number of grains per pod, number of grains per plant, and crop yield. The Zeus cultivar stood out for presenting the highest yield, reaching 5,744.4 kg ha⁻¹ at the population of 16 plants m⁻¹, with this result being supported by the thousand-grain weight. The cultivar STINE 60KA32 showed better performance at the intermediate population of 14 plants per linear meter, while Nidera 5624 demonstrated greater stability among the evaluated populations. The ideal plant density varies according to the cultivar used, requiring specific adjustment for each genetic material in order to maximize productivity.