Legume Genomics and Genetics 2026, Vol.17, No.1, 68-79 http://cropscipublisher.com/index.php/lgg 68 Feature Review Open Access Effects of Planting Density on Growth and Yield of Soybean in Field Production Wei Huang1,2 1 Changshan Qiaojia Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd., Changshan 324200, Zhejiang,China 2 Zhejiang Agronomist College, Hangzhou, 310021, Zhejiang, China Corresponding email: 373065006@qq.com Legume Genomics and Genetics, 2026 Vol.17, No.1 doi: 10.5376/lgg.2026.17.0005 Received: 18 Feb., 2026 Accepted: 20 Mar., 2026 Published: 31 Mar., 2026 Copyright © 2026 Huang, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Huang W., 2026, Effects of planting density on growth and yield of soybean in field production, Legume Genomics and Genetics, 17(1): 68-79 (doi: 10.5376/lgg.2026.17.0005) Abstract Planting density is a key agronomic factor influencing soybean growth and yield formation. This study investigated the effects of different planting densities on soybean growth traits, physiological characteristics, and yield components through field experiments. The results showed that increasing planting density significantly affected plant height, leaf area index, and dry matter accumulation. Moderate density improved canopy structure and enhanced light and resource use efficiency, thereby increasing population yield. However, excessive density intensified intraspecific competition, leading to reduced seed weight and individual plant productivity. An optimal planting density range was identified to balance individual growth and population yield. These findings provide a theoretical basis for optimizing soybean cultivation practices and improving yield under different production conditions. Keywords Soybean; Planting density; Growth traits; Yield components; Resource use efficiency 1 Introduction Soybean (Glycine max) is a globally important legume crop, valued for its high protein and oil content, playing a critical role in agricultural production and food security. With increasing demand for soybean products, optimizing cultivation practices to enhance yield has become a priority. Among these practices, planting density is a key agronomic factor influencing soybean growth, canopy structure, resource use efficiency, and ultimately seed yield. Recent trends emphasize dense planting as a strategy to maximize land productivity, especially in regions with limited arable land or short growing seasons. Dense planting can improve light interception and biomass accumulation but may also increase competition among plants for nutrients and water, necessitating careful management to balance growth and yield outcomes (Liao et al., 2022). Research on the effects of planting density on soybean growth and yield has advanced both domestically and internationally. Studies have demonstrated that increasing plant density generally enhances leaf area index (LAI), photosynthetic capacity, and dry matter accumulation, leading to higher seed yields up to an optimal threshold beyond which yield gains plateau or decline due to intra-specific competition. For example, field experiments in China’s Huang-Huai-Hai Plain identified optimal densities around 270 000 to 315 000 plants per hectare that maximize yield by balancing source-sink relationships and pod-setting characteristics (Yang et al., 2025). Similarly, investigations in Japan under early planting conditions showed that higher densities increased biomass and pod number per unit area, contributing to greater yields while highlighting genotype-specific responses (Matsuo et al., 2018). Other studies have explored the interaction of planting density with irrigation, nitrogen application, spatial distribution uniformity, and intercropping systems, revealing complex effects on physiological traits such as chlorophyll content, photosynthesis rate, lodging resistance, and carbohydrate allocation (Liao et al., 2022; Wang et al., 2023; Li et al., 2024). This study aims to clarify the effects of varying planting densities on soybean growth dynamics and yield performance under field production conditions. The research focuses on quantifying how different densities influence key physiological parameters including LAI, photosynthetic efficiency, biomass accumulation, pod formation, and seed yield components. Innovations include integrating assessments of plant spatial distribution
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