It is well known that a key agronomic factor influencing the microenvironment of the field and the growth and development of crops is plant density. Zinc application is a crucial agronomic practice that is often overlooked by farmers who prioritize using single superphosphate. The objective of the study was to determine the effects of plant density and zinc added to phosphorus fertilizer sources on the growth performance of soybean under different environmental conditions. The field trial was conducted during the 2018/19 and 2019/20 planting seasons in two locations, namely Mafikeng and Taung. The experiment consisted of two plant densities, a lower plant density of 66 666 plants/ha and a higher plant density of 111 111 plants/ha. The five fertilizer treatments investigated were single super-phosphate, monoammonium phosphate, zinc added to single super-phosphate, zinc added to monoammonium phosphate, and control. The tallest plant height (44.97 cm) was recorded at Taung under higher plant density at 64 DAPS. The soybean fertilizer with SSP produced highest number of leaves (13.84) at Mafikeng. The application of MAP +Zn had highest chlorophyll contents, ranging from 11.16 to 16.34 at both locations. The phosphorus sources showed positive and significant relationship with root mass (R2 = 0.7032) at Taung. Hence, soybeans can be grown with an SSP phosphorus fertilizer source and cultivated at a plant density of 111,111 plants/ha.

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