Soybean is a wonderful gift of nature, often referred to as a miracle crop. It is also called the “golden bean” due to its low glycemic index, low saturated fat, cholesterol-free properties, and numerous nutritional benefits. This versatile and nutritious crop is gaining importance among the people of Bangladesh.
The scientific name for soybeans is Glycine max L, and it belongs to the Leguminosae family. As a legume, soybean plants can fix atmospheric nitrogen with the help of Rhizobium bacteria in their roots, which increases the key plant nutrient element, nitrogen, in the soil.
Uses and nutrition
Soybeans have unique nutritional properties similar to those of high-nutrient foods (cow's milk and meat, fish and poultry) and are able to meet the daily protein needs of humans. Around 85% of its protein consists of beta-conglycinin and glycinin. Choline, a chemical present in soybeans, increases brain power.
Soybean is good for diabetic patients as it is low in carbohydrates. It also contains almost all the amino acids required by the human body.
Protein is relatively higher in soybeans compared to all protein-rich foods, including fish, meat, and pulses. Calcium content is 2-7 times higher than all pulses. Every 100 grams of soybean contains 40 grams of protein, 20 grams of oil, 13 grams of carbohydrate, 4 grams of fibre, 5 grams of mineral salts, 250mg of calcium, 700mg of phosphorus, 7mg of iron and 1533mg of potassium.
Eating 50-60 grams of soybean meal daily meets the protein requirements of the human body. Soybeans are more beneficial for heart patients due to their unsaturated fatty acids.
Soybean is one of the most valuable crops for developed and developing countries, as it serves as a good source of low-cost protein and other nutrients for humans and poultry. On the other hand, it is rich in phosphorus and calcium. Its oil also contains vitamin A, lecithin, and valuable fatty acids.
Due to the lack of a huge amount of cultivable land and only 20-22% oil in soybeans, it is still not possible to extract oil from soybean seeds by conventional methods. Therefore, most of the soybeans produced in the country are mainly used for livestock and poultry feed, and all the soybean oils on the market are imported from abroad.
Most people think that only oil is made from soybeans, but in reality, soybeans have the same utility as any other grain. Apart from oil, 36 types of foods can be prepared from soybeans, including tofu, soybal, spiced soy nuts, soy peyaju, singara, soybean crisps, soy flour, soy baby food, soy dal, soy halwa, soy khichuri, soy patra, soy bharata, sweet pumpkin curry, potato curry, soy biscuits, soy milk, and soy curd. Nuggets or pills are made from soy flour, which is similar to meat in texture and nutrient content. The amount of nutrients found in meat is also available in soy pills, hence, it is also called vegetarian meat. It is quite a tasty dish, and soy nuggets are cooked like meat. Additionally, soybeans can be cooked in the same way as vegetables and curries.
The health benefits of soybeans include:
(i) Soybeans are low in fat and contain no cholesterol.
(ii) Soybeans are an excellent source of fiber.
(iii) They are considered a good source of vitamin B12.
(iv) Soybeans are a protein food containing essential amino acids for the human body.
(v) Consumption of soybeans reduces the risk of cancer and protects against heart disease and osteoporosis.
Importance
Because soybean plants add 75-120 pounds of nitrogen per hectare of soil from the air, they do not require urea fertilizer and require less urea in the next crop. Wheat yields 36% more if cultivated after soybeans.
Soybeans can be grown all year, including the Kharif and Rabi seasons. Because soybean farming requires less fertilizer, irrigation, pesticides, and management, the production cost is quite low.
The addition of organic matter to the soil caused by the shedding of soybean leaves during crop ripening boosts soil fertility. After the Aman paddy is harvested, soybeans can be grown for free. A variety of crops can be grown with soybeans as companion crops or intercrops.
Oil extraction
Soybean seeds contain 20-22% oil. Soybean oil cannot be extracted from local ghani or the country's existing expellers. It is possible to extract the oil from its seeds through sophisticated extraction equipment.
This machine is available in soybean-producing countries such as America, Japan, China, Brazil, India and Thailand. The machine requires a lot of soybean grains, and it has not been possible to start the extraction of soybean oil in the country as the amount of available grains is insufficient.
History of Soybean Crops
Soybeans were first cultivated in Southeast Asia about 500 years ago. The Chinese referred to it as "yellow gahna" and "great treasure" for its nutritional value.
After the Chinese-Japanese War over Korea in 1894- 95 and China's crushing defeat, the crop spread to Japan and other parts of Asia. According to Trading Economics, the United States, Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay are currently the major producers of soybeans. The largest exporting country is China. The European Union, Mexico and Japan are the main importers. Soybean accounts for 50% of global oilseed crops.
Soybean cultivation in Bangladesh started in 1942, although it was not popularized or researched until 1960-61. In 1961, the Pulses and Oilseeds Division of the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) selected two varieties of soybean (Policon and Barnali) for fallow land cultivation in the Kharif-II season.
However, later production of both cultivars was discontinued as they were susceptible to the yellow mosaic virus. In 1972-73 the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) resumed soybean cultivation in Bangladesh.
In 1982, only one hectare of land was experimentally cultivated in Ramgati upazila of Lakshipur district. Then, in 1992, two private development organizations called MCC and Dorp greatly encouraged farmers to cultivate soybeans.
Since then, soybean cultivation has gradually increased along with other crops. Currently, a total of 96,921 tonnes of soybeans are produced annually in Bangladesh from 62,870 hectares of arable land, 70% of which is produced in Lakshmipur district, although about 1.5 million tons of soybeans are required to meet the annual demand of the dairy and poultry sectors in the country.
Although it was neglected a few years ago, its popularity as a cash crop is gradually increasing, especially in Noakhali, Lakshmipur and Bhola districts in the southern part of the country. Studies have shown that soybeans can be grown in polder areas in the country's coastal regions and charlands with good yields.
Soybeans are very easy to grow. Loam, sandy loam, and clay loam are good soils for cultivation. Land has to be prepared by 4-5 ploughing, followed by laddering. In the Rabi season, the seeds are sown in December-January and the Kharif II season in July-August.
Research on soybeans
Soybean has great potential in Bangladesh but not much research has been done on it. Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute developed several high-yielding soybean varieties, like Sohag (PB-2) in 1990, Bangladesh soybean-4 (G-2) in 1994, BARI soybean-5 in 2006, BARI soybean-6 in 2009, and BARI soybean-7 in 2020. Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture has so far developed 7 varieties of soybean (BINAsoybean-1, BINA soybean-2, BINA soybean-3, BINS soybean-4, BINAsoybean-5, BINA soybean-6 and BINA soybean-7).
In 2007, the Agronomy Department of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University started research by collecting more than two hundred soybean genetic lines from Taiwan's Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center, Japan and South Korea and this department is doing research on soybeans in a different corner.
The Department has developed four high-yielding varieties, namely BU soybean-1, BU soybean-2, BU soybean-3 and BU soybean-4, of which BU soybean-1 can be harvested in just 65 to 70 days and BU soybean-3 is salt tolerant which is suitable for cultivation in coastal saline soils.
This Department is also working on the development of drought and waterlogging-tolerant soybean varieties. Out of the 28.60 lakh hectares of land in the coastal region of Bangladesh, about 10.56 lakh hectares are affected by salinity of varying degrees.
Cultivation of salt-tolerant soybeans in these saline soils and high-yielding soybeans in the charlands of Bangladesh will meet much of the country's demand for soybeans for poultry and fish feed. We can meet our nutritional needs by including soy foods in our daily diet.
