SOYBEAN

Soybean (Glycine max) is one of the most important protein and oil crops in the' world. It contains 40-42 % good quality protein and 18-22 % oil. In Indo-Pak sub-continent preliminary work on soybean was started during the thirties in pre-partition Punjab by initiating plantation in the rainfed areas and at Tandojam, Sindh in 1960. Some local black and chocolate coloured varieties of pulse now identified as soybean are being gown from time immemorial in the hills of Northern Pakistan, i.e. Hazara, Azad Kashmir, Swat, Dir and Kurram Agency. To improve the prevailing varieties and introducing new ones, some research work was started in 1965 in NWFP. A number of exotic types including Brag and Lee were found more promising. These varieties were approved for commercial cultivation in Pakistan in 1968-69.

Empirically, soybean remained popular in NWFP probably because it found its place in orchards and comparatively higher yield were obtained in mild climates of northern areas than relatively severe climates of Punjab and Sindh. It has been successfully tried as inter-crop with sugarcane in NWFP while its monoculture is also common under rainfed conditions. Commercial cultivation of soybean in Pakistan started in early 1970's. Since the establishment of Oilseed Coordinated Program at PARC in 1975, extensive variety evaluation work is in progress at all the four research institutes of the Quetta - Balochistan; Tandojam - Sindh; Faisalabad- Punjab; and Tarnab (Peshawar)- NWFP. The entries so far evaluated were received from International Soybean Programme (INTSOY), Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) and Asian Agricultural Research and Development Center (A VRDC).
 

Potential Areas for Soybean

Source: Oilseeds Development Strategy

Province wise area, production and yield of soybean

Source:  Agric. Statistics of Pakistan, 2008-09

Soybean Varieties Developed by Oilseeds Research Program, NARC

 Soybean Varieties Developed under NUYT System

PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY OF SOYBEAN

Soil:  Loamy soil with good drainage are more suitable

                                                            Saline and water-logged soils are not suitable

Seed bed preparation:                         2-3 ploughings with two planking.

Planting Time:                                                              Autumn crop                        Spring  crop

                                                    Punjab                    Mid-July to end July           Last week Jan.to1st week  Feb

                                                    Sind                        Mid-June to Mid-July         Mid-Jan to 1st week of Feb

                                                    NWFP                     May to June                     1st and 2nd week of March

Seed rate:                                    80-100 kg ha^-1

Method of Planting:                     Planting with seed drill.

                                                    Rows Spacing  (spring= 30 cm,  Autumn= 45 cm)

                                                    Plants Spacing  3-5  cm

 Fertilizer:                                    Nitrogen                                25 kg/ha at the time of planting.

                                                    Phosphorus                           60 kg/ha at the time of planting.

                                                    Potassium                             50 kg/ha at the time of planting.

Irrigations:                                   6 to 7 for spring and 3 to 4 for autumn depending upon the rains)

                                                    Important stages of irrigation            -  3 to 4 weeks after germination

                                                                                                         -  initiation of flowering

                                                                                                         -  pod formation stage                        

                                                                                                         -  development of seed                       

Weed control:                               Two weedings after irrigations

Harvesting and Threshing:            Harvest when 90-95% pods turn yellow

                                                     Dry for 5-6 days and then thresh

Storage:                                        Store at about 8 to 10 percent moisture and 15^oC temperature.

Crop rotations:                               Irrigated Areas:   Rice-Soybean-Rice                Cotton-Soybean-Cotton

                                                      Rainfed Areas:        Wheat -Soybean-Wheat 

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