Bioinoculation methods compared to topdressing nitrogen fertilization in soybean

Inoculation with Bradyrhizobium is a viable biological tool for the agricultural production system. The objective of the work was to evaluate methods of inoculation of Bradyrhizobium and fertilization with N in cover. The treatments were carried out in a 2 x 3 factorial scheme, with or without application of N in cover and three inoculation methods. The N dose applied in cover was 60 kg ha(-1), at 30 days after sowing, using urea. The experimental design was in randomized blocks with four replications. The data were submitted to analysis of variance and the means compared by the Tukey test at 5%. It is concluded that nitrogen fertilizers are unnecessary. There was no difference in productivity, mass of a thousand grains, macro and micronutrient contents in leaves with N in the cover. Bradyrhizobium in the seeds and in the sowing furrow provided higher soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) productivity.