Soybean

Where does Soybean grow?

Found in: Afghanistan, Africa, Angola, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Caribbean, Caucasus, Central Africa, Central America, Central Asia, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo DR, Cook Islands, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, East Africa, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Europe, Fiji, France, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, Himalayas, Hungary, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Manchuria, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, Nigeria, North Africa, North America, Northeastern India, Pacific, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Korea, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, SE Asia, Senegal, Serbia, Sikkim, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, South Sudan, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tasmania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Turkey, Uganda, Uruguay, United States, Venezuela, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies, West Timor, Yugoslavia, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Notes: There are 10 Glycine species.

Status: These beans can be found in small amounts in many places throughout the country of Papua New Guinea. Soybean is a major food plant in warm temperate and subtropical zones. Over 100 million tons are produced each year.

Growing Soybean

Cultivation: It is grown from seed. Seeds need to be inoculated with bacteria before planting. The correct one is Bradyrhizobium japonicum. Plants need to be about 20 cm apart.

Edible Uses: The young pods and ripe seeds are eaten. They are used for flour. The dried seeds are boiled or baked and used in soups, stews and casseroles. The seeds are used for oil. Toasted seeds are eaten like a snack. Strongly roasted seeds are used for coffee. Soy flour is used for noodles, pasta, confectionary and other foods. The beans are fermented and used in a range of foods. Sometimes the young leaves are eaten. The seeds are also used for sprouts and for making cooking oil and soya sauce etc. Because soybean contains a trypsin inhibitor they should be cooked and even the sprouts should be lightly cooked.

Production: Plants flower about 8 weeks after sowing and pods mature about 16 weeks after sowing. Often plants are pulled up and hung up before threshing out the seed.

Nutrition Info

Soybean Photos

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