Soybean (Glycine max) Gardening
Soybean (Glycine max) is a species of erect or climbing legume in the family Fabaceae, native to East Asia. It is also known as Soya, Soya bean, Soy, Soja, Soja bean, and Greater bean. Soy bean is the most highly proteinaceous vegetable known, and is used in a variety of foods (especially as a replacement for animal protein), and as a fodder. Soybeans are an important global crop, providing protein and oil. The world's largest soybean producers are the U.S., Brazil, Argentina, China and India, providing more than 90% of the global soy bean production.
Soybean plant is an erect bushy and hairy annual plant,20-200 cm tall, grow extensively for food, forage and soil improvement. It is cultivated especially for its nutritious oil-rich seeds. The stems, leaves and pods are covered with fine brown orgray hairs. The leaves are trifoliate with 3-4 leaflets per leaf, and fall before the seeds are mature. The leaflets are 6-15 cm long and 2-7 cm wide. The purple, pink or white inconspicuous and self-fertile flowers are borne in the axil of the leaf. The pod or fruit is hairy and grows in a cluster of 3-5, with each pod ranging from 3-8 cm long, and usually contains 2-4 seeds, 5-11 mm diameter.
Soybean comes in various shapes and sizes, in many hull or seed coat colors such as yellow, green, black, brown, blue, and mottled. Mature bean has hard and water resistant hull, to protect the cotyledon and hypocotyl from damage. Bean with cracked seed coat will not germinate. The scar or hilum, visible on the seed coat is black, brown, buff, yellow or gray in color. At one end of the hilum is a small opening or micropyle, which can allow the absorption of water for sprouting.
Soybean is an excellent source of high quality protein and dietary fiber, low in saturated fat and cholesterol free. It also contains 19% oil, and a significant amount of magnesium, zinc, iron, thiamine, riboflavin, and vitamin B6, and is a good source of lecithin and vitamin E. Soybean is considered a good food for vegetarians as it compensates for the proteins and nutrients that come with meat consumption. However, it is advisable to combine soybean with a wide variety of other nutrient rich foods, to ensure a balanced diet.
Soybean grows well in climates with hot summers, with optimum growing conditions in mean temperatures of between 20-30 degree Celcius. It can grow in a wide range of soils, and thrives in moist alluvial soils with good organic content. Soybean, like most legumes, fixes nitrogen in the soil. Soybeans can be grown organically, without the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.
Soybeans can be classified as vegetable (garden) and field (oil) types. Around 85% of the world's soybean crop is processed into vegetable oil and soybean meal. The vegetable types have a mild, nutty flavor, and are larger, easier to cook, higher in protein, and lower in oil than the field types.
A Japanese dish known as edamame is prepared by boiling immature soybeans whole in their green pods and served with salt. This soybean is simply known as edamame or green vegetable soybeans in English. Soybean is usually made into soy meal, soy sauce, soy flour, soy milk, tofu, tempeh, soy lecithin, textured vegetable protein, and soybean oil.
Soybean pods
Author: H. Zell (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
Soybean (Glycine max)
Author: Scott Bauer (public domain)
Soybean varieties
Author: Scott Bauer (public domain)
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