ABSTRACT Water stress is intrinsically related to soil water availability which is determinant in gas exchanges, as well as soil compaction in soybean growth and development. This study aimed to evaluate the leaf gas exchange, water stress index, and dry mass accumulation of soybean cultivated in different daily irrigation depths and bulk density. The treatments were distributed in pots subdivided in a 4×4 factorial scheme: four levels of bulk density of the soil (1.0, 1.15, 1.30 and 1.45 g cm-3) and four daily irrigation depths (4.0, 5.0, 6.0- and 7.0-mm day-1), with three replications. Physiological and morphological variables were analyzed. There were low transpiration rates due to water deficit in the 4 mm daily irrigation depth that resulted in stomatal closure and impaired the performance of the photosynthetic process in soybean. The increase in soil density provided gains in shoot and dry root mass in the layer above the compacted one. Low availability of water in the soil reduces the photosynthesis and growth of soybean plants. Increase in bulk density of the soil promotes greater root development, with the layer above the compacted being the one that concentrates most of the roots.

RESUMO A baixa disponibilidade de água no solo pode alterar atributos morfológicos e processos fisiológicos em soja, limitando o seu desenvolvimento, principalmente em semeaduras tardias. Avaliaram-se trocas gasosas foliares e acúmulo de fitomassa seca em cultivares de soja sob condições de baixa disponibilidade hídrica, em semeadura tardia. Um Latossolo Vermelho de textura muito argilosa foi usado. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado, em esquema fatorial 5 × 3, com quatro repetições. Os tratamentos foram cinco tensões de água (10 kPa, 15 kPa, 25 kPa, 40 kPa e 60 kPa) combinadas com três cultivares de soja (BRS Favorita, BRSMG 820 e BRSMG 850). As variáveis respostas foram mensuradas aos 55 dias após a emergência. Os valores de condutância estomática, transpiração, taxa de fotossíntese, concentração intercelular de CO2 e eficiência de carboxilação instantânea foram reduzidos significativamente (p < 0,05) com o aumento da tensão de água no solo. As trocas gasosas nas plantas de soja também foram reduzidas com o aumento da tensão da água no solo, e as mais críticas foram observadas a partir de 25 kPa. BRSMG 850 apresentou o melhor desempenho para produção de matéria seca de raízes nesta tensão de água no solo.

ABSTRACT A low availability of water in the soil may alter morphological traits and physiological processes in soybean, limiting its development, mainly at late sowings. This study aimed to evaluate the leaf gas exchanges and dry matter accumulation in soybean cultivars under low water availability at late sowing. An Oxisol with a very clayey texture was employed. A completely randomized design, in a 5 × 3 factorial scheme, with four replications, was used. The treatments were five water tensions (10 kPa, 15 kPa, 25 kPa, 40 kPa and 60 kPa) combined with three soybean cultivars (BRS Favorita, BRSMG 820 and BRSMG 850). The response variables were measured at 55 days after the emergence. The values for stomatal conductance, transpiration, photosynthesis rate, intercellular CO2 concentration and instantaneous carboxylation efficiency were significantly reduced (p < 0.05) with the increase of the water tension in the soil. The gas exchanges in the soybean plants were also reduced with the increase of the water tension in the soil, being the most critical ones observed from 25 kPa. BRSMG 850 showed the best performance for production of root dry matter in this water tension in the soil.

Resumo Estudos recentes têm abordado o uso da prática da elevada densidade de semeadura na cultura da soja. Entretanto, os resultados práticos dessa técnica são divergentes. Assim, pesquisas nesse campo são importantes para elucidar os efeitos diretos dessa prática de manejo, como, por exemplo, a interferência no uso da radiação fotossinteticamente ativa (RFA). Portanto, objetivou-se com este estudo avaliar a dinâmica da RFA em diferentes densidades de cultivo na cultura da soja. Para tanto, conduziu-se um experimento a campo com delineamento em blocos casualizados com os tratamentos distribuídos em arranjo fatorial 3 × 5: três cultivares de soja RR® (P98Y12, TMG 132 e M-Soy 9056) e cinco densidades de semeadura (20, 30, 40, 50 e 60 plantas∙m–2) com quatro repetições. Foram avaliados massa seca da parte aérea, radiação fotossinteticamente ativa no dossel inferior (RFA-I) e superior (RFA-S), intercepção da RFA, taxa de crescimento da cultura (TCC), taxa de crescimento relativo (TCR), taxa de assimilação líquida (TAL), eficiência de uso da radiação (EUR), coeficiente de extinção luminosa (k), índice de colheita de grãos (ICG), peso de 1.000 grãos e produtividade. Independentemente do cultivar, as densidades de 20 e 30 plantas∙m–2 proporcionaram os maiores valores de TAL, TCR, k, ICG e produtividade. Apenas o uso dos parâmetros EUR, TCC e RFA interceptada não fornece informações sólidas para predizer a eficiência do cultivo adensado na cultura da soja. As densidades de cultivo tradicionalmente utilizadas se sobrepõem às demais quanto à qualidade da RFA no dossel e produtividade da soja.

Abstract Recent studies have addressed the use of the high sowing density of soybean. However, the field results of this practice are still unclear. Thus, research on this area is important in order to explain the direct effects of this management practice, for example, interference in the use of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the dynamics of PAR in different seeding densities in soybean. A field experiment was conducted in randomized blocks with treatments distributed in a 3 × 5 factorial arrangement: three varieties of RR® soybeans (P98Y12, TMG 132 and M-Soy 9056) and five seeding densities (20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 plants∙m–2) with four replications. The dry matter, photosynthetically active radiation in the lower canopy (PAR-L) and in the higher one (PAR-H), interception of PAR, crop growth rate (CGR), relative growth rate (RGR), net assimilation rate (NAR), radiation use efficiency (RUE), light extinction coefficient (k), grain harvest index (GHI), 1,000 grains weight and productivity were evaluated. Regardless of the variety, the densities of 20 and 30 plants∙m–2 provided the highest values of NAR, RGR, k, GHI and productivity. The use of RUE, CGR and intercepted PAR does not provide accurate information to predict the efficiency of soybean density cultivation. Cultivation densities traditionally used overlap the others regarding the quality of PAR in the canopy and soybean productivity.