General information of Soybean:

Soybean is a subtropical plant, but it is cultivated from the tropics all the way to 52° north. It grows best on fertile, well-drained soils, but can tolerate a wide range of soil conditions. There is no known wild form of soybean.

• Due to its origin, soy requires subtropical conditions to survive. Soybean cannot withstand excessive heat or severe winters and prefers annual mean temperatures of 5.9 to 27°C. Soy can tolerate frost slightly better than maize, cowpeas, or field beans, but it is nonetheless sensitive to cold and cannot survive hard winter conditions.

• Soybeans are used in the five major markets currently dependent on petroleum products including: plastics, coatings, and ink, adhesives, lubricants, and solvents.

• Soybeans can produce at least twice as much protein per acre than any other major vegetable or grain crop, 5 to 10 times more protein per acre than land set aside for grazing animals to make milk, and up to 15 times more protein per acre than land set aside for meat production.

  Crop data:

  *Annual Harvested part :- Seeds *Sown :- February-August (Northern hemisphere). *Flowers:- 1-3 months after sowing *Harvested :- 3-5 months after sowing

  The crop is adapted to a wide range of climatic conditions. It is most susceptible to drought damage during flowering and grain filling. It is not generally irrigated.
      Availability of essential nutrients is influenced by soil pH through its effects on Al saturation percentage and on nutrient fixation and release mechanisms. Highest soybean yields are usually produced when soil pH is between 6.2 and 7.0. In this range, adequate Ca and Mg are normally available. Soybeans grown on naturally acid oxisols and ultisols will generally produce to their potential at soil pH between 5.5 and 6.5. However, liming of these soils should also reflect the importance of exchangeable aluminum. Soils with low exchangeable Al with no soil solution Al generally will not benefit from lime application. This usually occurs at a soil pH of 5.5 or greater.