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Soyabean
Botanical Name – Glycine max spp.
Family – Leguminosae 

Introduction

• Soybean called as golden beans is belongs to legume family.
• It is native of East Asia.
• It is a rich source of Protein also excellent source of fibre..
• Soybean is a high value crop with multiple food, feed and industrial uses. Edible oil,  soymilk and its products, bakery products, antibiotics and fresh green beans are some of  its major uses.
• Oil extracted from soybean contain small amount of saturated fat. In Punjab, it plays an important role in crop diversification
• Soybean has a potential to play an important role in crop diversification in  the state.

Climate

• Temperature – 18-38°C
• Rainfall – 18-38°C
• Sowing Temperature – 25-38°
• Harvesting Temperature -18-25°C

 
Soil

• It gives good result, when grown on well drained, fertile loamy soils.
• Soil pH of 6 to 7.5 is favourable for optimum yield of soybean.
• Water logged, saline/alkaline soils are not suitable for its cultivation.
• Low temperature affect crop severely.

Popular Varieties
states varietyAlankar, Ankur, Bragg, Lee, PK 262, PK 308, PK 327, PK 416, PK 472, PK 564, Pant Soybean 1024, Pant Soybean 1042, Pusa 16, Pusa 20, Pusa 22, Pusa 24, Pusa 37, Shilajeet, VL soya 2, VL soya 47, MAUS-158, NRC-77, MACS-1188, JS-20-29, JS-20-34, Dsb-21, NRC-86 (ahilya-6), KPS-344, Raj Soya-24 1.SL 958 (2014):

• It has shining, light yellow  coloured grains with black hilum.
• Its’ grains contain  41.7% protein and 20.2% oil.
• It is highly resistant  to yellow mosaic virus and soybean mosaic virus.
• It takes about 142 days to mature. Its’ average seed yield is about 7.3 quintals per acre.

2. SL 744 (2010):

• It has shining, light yellow coloured grains with grey hilum.
• Its’ grains  contain 42.3% protein and 21.0% oil.
• It is resistant to yellow mosaic virus and soybean  mosaic.
• It takes about 139 days to mature.
• Its’ average seed yield is about 7.3 quintals per  acre.

3.SL 525 (2003):

• It has uniformly bold, shining, cream coloured grains with light black (grey) hilum. Its’ grains contain 37.2% protein and 21.9% oil.
• It is resistant to yellow mosaic  virus and tolerates stem blight and root-knot nematode.
• It matures in about 144 days.
• Its’  average seed yield is about 6.1 quintals per acre.

Land Preparation

• Soybean can also be sown with zero till drill without any preparatory  tillage
• Give two ploughings to the field, followed by plankings to free it from clods and bring it into good tilth to ensure good germination. .
• Prepared field by giving two to three ploughings followed by planking.

Sowing
Time of sowingFirst fortnight of June is best time for sowing Soybean. SpacingWhile sowing use row to row spacing of 45 cm and plant to plant spacing of 4-7 cm. Sowing DepthSow seeds at depth of 2.5-5 cm. 

Raised Bed Sowing:

• Sowing of soybean in medium to heavy textured soils should be done on beds spaced 67.5 cm apart (37.5 bed top, 30 cm furrow) by using wheat bed  planter.
• Sow two rows per bed using same quantity of seed, fertilizer and following other  cultivation practices as in flat sown soybean.
• Irrigation should be applied in furrows by  taking care that beds are not inundated.
• This practice not only saves the crop from damage  by rains especially at emergence, but also saves about 20-30% irrigation water along with  increased yield over conventional flat sowing method.
• Ensure good moisture conditions  while sowing and in case it is not so, apply irrigation in furrows within 2-3 days after sowing  for optimum germination and emergence. 

Method of sowingSow seeds with help of seed drill.
Manures and Fertilizers

To get higher yield apply organic manures, bio-fertilizers along with chemical fertilizers  as under:

Organic Manures:

• Apply 4 tonnes of FYM per acre before sowing.
• Alternatively  green manure the field with sunhemp using 20 kg seed per acre during second fortnight  of April.
• Green manure crop should be buried when about 40-45 days old and allowed to  decompose for about 5-7 days before sowing of soybean.
• Practice green manuring and  apply full dose of nitrogen (13 kg N/acre) to get high yield of soybean in soybean-wheat  system.
• The practice of green manuring also improves the soil health.

Bio-fertilizers: Inoculate the seed with recommended bio-fertilizer before sowing.   

Chemical Fertilizer:

• Apply at sowing 12.5 kg of N (28 kg of Urea) and 32 kg  P2O5 (200 kg of single superphosphate).
• However, apply only 24 kg of P2O5 (150 kg of  single superphosphate) per acre to soybean when it follows wheat which had received  recommended dose of phosphorus. 
• In phosphorus and sulphur deficient soils, apply sulphated P fertilizer  (13:33:0:15:N:P2O5:K2O:S) if other phosphatic (DAP or single superphosphatic) and  gypsum fertilizers are not available.

Seed
Seed RateUse seed rate of 25-30 kg for sowing in one acre land. Seed TreatmentTo protect seeds from soil borne diseases, treat seeds with Thiram or Captan@3 gm per kg of seeds.
Weed Control

• To keep field weed free, two hoeing are required, give first hoeing 20 days after sowing and second hoeing 40 days after sowing.
• To control weed chemically, after sowing, within two days, take spray of Pendimethalin@800 ml/acre in 100-200 ltrs of water.

  
Diseases

Disease and their control:

1.Yellow mosaic virus: 

Symptoms-

• It is spread due to white fly. Irregular yellow, green patches are observed on leaves.
• Pods not developed on infected plants.

Management-

• Grow yellow mosaic virus resistant varieties.
• For white fly control, take spray of Thiamethoxam@40 gm, Triazophos@ 400 ml/acre.
• If necessary take second spray 10 days after first spray. 

2.Alternaria leaf spot: Alternaria tenuissima

3.Anthracnose/pod blight: Colletotrichum truncatum

4.Bacterial blight: Pseudomonas syringae pv. glycinea

5.Cercospora leaf blight, leaf spot and Purple seed stain: Cercospora kikuchii

6.Frog eye leaf spot: Cercospora sojina

7.Charcoal rot, ashy or stem blight or dry root rot: Macrophomina phaseolina

Irrigation Management

• Overall crop required three to four irrigation.
• Irrigation at time of pod filling stage is necessary.
• Water stress at this period will affect yield drastically.
• Apply irrigation depending upon rainfall conditions.
• No irrigation required in good rainfall conditions.

Nutritional Deficiency

1.Iron deficiency:

Symptoms-

Iron deficiency symptoms in soybean appear at first-to third-trifoliate  leaf stage showing distinctive yellow leaves with green veins.  

Management-

For obtaining higher yields and ameliorate iron deficiency, spray ferrous sulphate  (0.5%; 1 kg in 200 litres of water) at 30 days and mixed foliar application of ferrous sulphate  (0.5%) and urea (2%; 4 kg in 200 litres of water per acre) at 60 days after sowing. 

2.Nitrogen

Deficiency Symptoms :

• Growth will be stunted and leaves a very pale green.
• Nitrogen deficiency occurs because the soybean roots are not nodulated or nodules are not effective because of poor soil fertility or low levels of Mo.

Correction Measure :

• Foliar spray Urea 1% at fortnightly interval

3.Potassium

Deficiency Symptoms

• Deficiency in early growth stages shows up as irregular mottling around the edges of leaves.
• As deficiency becomes more severe, chlorosis progresses toward the center of the leaf.
• In early growth, necrosis may be on lower leaves but later in the season it may be on leaves in the upper parts of the plant.

Correction Measure

Foliar spray of KCl 1% at fortnightly interval

4.Sulphur

Deficiency Symptoms

• Deficient plants become chlorotic.
• New leaves are first affected, but gradually the entire plant becomes uniformly chlorotic.

Correction Measure

Foliar spraying of Calsium Sulphate 0.5-1.0 % can control the deficiency.

5.Boron

Deficiency Symptoms

• Leaf turns yellow colour.
• Leaf tip and borders dried.
• Paled leaves turns dried and fell down.
• Pods are less in number and maturity delays.

Correction Measure

• Spraying of foliar application of Borax @ 3 g/Litre twice at 10 days interval.
• Application of Borax @ 5g/ha

6.Manganese

Deficiency Symptoms

• Leaves become chlorotic in interveinal areas while the veins remain green. 
• Whole leaves, veins excepted, become pale green and pale yellow.
• Brown spots and necrotic areas develop on lower leaves as the deficiency becomes more severe.
• Deficiency occurs on the new leaves, however, when later growth is normal the chlorotic leaves are no longer at top of the plant.

Correction Measure

Foliar spray of MnSO4 @ 0.5% at fortnightly intervals or soil application of MnSO4 @ 20 to 25 kg/ha

7.Zinc

Deficiency Symptoms

• Zinc deficiency of soybeans is not common.
• The leaves become chlorotic, then rusty brown in color.
• The veins remain green.
• The chlorosis is uniform over the leaf and not concentrated initially on the edges as occurs with deficiencies such as K.

Correction Measure

Foliar spray of ZnSO4 1% at fortnightly intervals or soil application of ZnSO4 20 to 25 kg/ha

Crop Protection

Pest and their control:

1.White Fly: 

• For white fly control, take spray of Thiamethoxam@40 gm or Triazophos@300 ml/acre.
• If necessary take second spray 10 days after first spray.

2.Tobacco caterpillar: 

• If infestation is observed, take spray of Acephate 57 SP @800 gm/acre or Chlorpyriphos 20 EC @ 1.5 ltr/acre.
• If necessary take second spray 10 days after first spray.

3.Hairy Caterpillar:

Management-

• To control hairy caterpillar pick caterpillar manually and destroyed by crushing or putting in kerosene water when infestation is low.
• In case of high infestation, take spray of Quinalphos@300 ml or Dichlorvos@200 ml/acre.

4.Blister beetle:

Symptoms-

• They cause damage at flowering stage.
• They feed on flowers, buds thus prevent grain formation.
• Management-
• If infestation is observed, take spray of Indoxacarb 14.5SC@200 ml or Acephate 75SC@800 gm/acre.
• Carry out spraying in evening hours and if necessary take second spray 10 days after first spray.     

Management

• Deep summer ploughing
• Install pheromone traps @ distance of 50 m @ 5 traps/ha for insect pest.
• Erect bird perches @ 50/ha..
• Setting of light traps (1 light trap/5 acre) to kill moth population
• Dusting with Chlorpyriphos 1.5 % DP or fenvalerate 0.4% or quinolphos 1.5% @ 25 to 30 kg/ha

Management

• Dusting  of cowdung ash and spraying of  clay suspension  asphyxiants (low incidence of sucking insects)  
• Spray 0.05 % quinalphos 25 EC, oxydemeton methyl 25 EC, or dimethoate 30 EC @ 2ml /lit at the crop age of 35-40 days and repeat after 15 days if needed

Management

• Deep summer ploughing
• Planting time on the onset of monsoon
• Optimum seed rate (70-100 kg/ha) should be used
• Apply phorate 10 G @ 10 kg/ha or carbofuran 3 G @ 30 kg/ha at the time of sowing.
• One or two sprays of 0.03% dimethoate 30 EC or 0.05% quinalphos 25 EC or 0.05% methyl demeton 25 EC or 0.04% can check further damage.  

Harvesting

• Pods become dry and leaves changes their color to yellow and fall of, it is sign of crop is ready for harvesting.
• Harvest the crop with sickle or by hand. After harvesting, carry out threshing operation.

Post Harvesting
After drying, carry out proper cleaning of seeds. Remove small size seeds, damaged seeds and crop stalks.