Cultivated soybean (Glycine max) is a fabaceous staple crop grown extensively for its forage and oil properties (Anderson et al., 2019).The soybean seed contains all essential amino acids required for human consumption, is enriched with macro-and micronutrients and provides an environmentally friendly protein source for both humans and monogastric livestock operations (Messina, 1999;Michelfelder, 2009). Furthermore, soybean oil contains high levels of unsaturated omega-3, omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids (Anderson et al., 2019). During the 2017/2018 market year, worldwide soybean production exceeded 346 million tonnes, reflecting a growth of 350% since 1987 (Soybean Meal Info Center, 2018). Over 90% of such production is attributed to five countries: the United States, Brazil, Argentina, China and India (Pagano & Miransari, 2016). In the United States, the soybean sector generates approximately $115 billion (>0.7% of the gross domestic product) and employs 350,000 individuals with a total wage impact exceeding $11.6 billion (United Soybean Board and National Oilseed Processors Association, 2020). For these reasons, local, national and international breeding efforts are placed on economic yield increase and on the enhancement of soybean agronomic characters. Soybean yield and quality are influenced considerably by interactions with microorganisms. Most notably, soybean engages in nitrogen fixation with bacteria within the genera Bradyrhizobium and Sinorhizobium. These mutualistic symbioses culminate in 50% of the