• Soybean posses a very high nutritional value. It contains about 20 per cent oil and 40 per cent high quality protein.
• Soybean protein is rich in valuable amino acid lycine (5%) in which most of the cereals are deficient. In addition, it contains a good amount of minerals, salts and vitamins (thiamine and riboflavin).
•  A large number of Indian and western dishes such as bread, `chapati’, milk, sweets, pastries etc., can be prepared with soybean.
• Soybean oil is used for manufacturing vanaspati ghee and several other industrial products. Soybean is used for making high protein food for children. It is widely used in the industrial production of different antibiotics.
• Soybean builds up the soil fertility by fixing large amounts of atmospheric nitrogen through the root nodules, and also through leaf fall on the ground at maturity.
• Soybean being the richest, cheapest and easiest source of best quality proteins and fats and having a vast multiplicity of uses as food and industrial products is sometimes called a wonder crop.

• Soybean grows well in warm and moist climate. A temperature of 26.5 to 30°C appears to be the optimum for most of the varieties.
• Soil temperatures of 15.5°C or above favour rapid germination and vigorous seedling growth.
• The time of planting is a very important consideration in soybean. In northern India soybean can be planted from third week of June to first fortnight of July.
• Latest research results from the Department of Agricultural Research and Education, ICAR, Government of India, have shown that planting soybean in the last week of June results in maximum yield and after 7 July causes reduction in seed yield @ 40 kg/ha/day.

Well drained and fertile loam soils with a pH between 6.0 and 7.5 are most suitable for the cultivation of soybean. Sodic and saline soils inhibit germination of seed.
Water logging is injurious to the crop

• The preparation of the land for soybean requires a good seedbed with a reasonable fine texture and not too many clods.
• Land should be well leveled and be free from crop stubble. One deep ploughing with mould board plough followed by two harrowing or two ploughing with local plough are sufficient.
• There should be optimum moisture in the field at the time of sowing.

• The sowing should be done in lines 45 to 60 cm apart with the help of seed drill or behind the plough. Plant to plant distance should be 4-5 cm. The depth of sowing should not be more than 3-4 cm under optimum moisture conditions.
• If seed is placed deeper or there is crust formation just after sowing, the seed germination may be delayed and may result in a poor crop stand.
• Seed rate of soybean depends upon germination percentage, seed size and sowing time. If seed is of 80 per cent germination, 70-80 kg seed per hectare is required.