Liu, Xiaobing1 and Stephen J. Herbert2

1 Heilongjiang Institute of Agricultural Modernization, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin 150040, PR China
2 Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA

This paper reviews aspects of research on continuous soybean for the last 15 years in northeast China. Growth and development including changes of root nodule number and LAI are described, and reduction in yield and seed quality are discussed. The effects on physiological and biochemical processes, soil rhizosphere microbes, and soil properties are reviewed; and roles of root diseases, insect pests, and root exudates or plant residuals are discussed. Farm practices for alleviating effects on yield reduction are provided, and a diagram of the interaction among factors involved in continuous soybean yield reduction is presented.

Field Crops Research 2002. 79(1):1-7