Soybeans- Its History!!Soybeans are the most economically important bean in the world. It is native to
eastern Asia. Soybeans were grown as long as 2800 B.C. in China, where they were
considered one of five sacred grains. By the 17th century, soybeans were being planted in
Europe. The United States is the world leader in soybean production, growing about 2
billion bushels annually - more than 50 percent of the world crop. Other major
soybean-producing nations are Brazil, Argentina and China.
The Many Varieties of
Soybeans
Of the more than 150 varieties of
soybeans grown in the United States, the yellow soybean is the dominant class used
in commercial markets. Other minor classes include: green, brown and black.
The Soybean Plant --
Stages of Life
Planting: In the main
production areas, soybeans are planted once corn planting is done, usually in May. Growing:
The seed germinates and the plant emerges in about two weeks. The rate of growth of the
soybean plant depends on the amount of sunlight per day and temperatures. The soybean is a
legume. And like other beans, the plant is capable of extracting nitrogen from the air to
assist in its own growth. Its deep root system makes soybeans resistant to drought.
Eventually, the plant reaches three to five feet in height. Each plant produces 60 to 80
pods, each of which usually contains two to four soybeans. Harvesting: By late
August or early September, the lush green color of the soybean plant turns yellow, the
soybeans begin to dry and the leaves begin to drop away from the pods. When the leaves
have fallen and the moisture of the soybeans has dried to less than 15 percent, grain
combines harvest the crop.
Soybeans
-- Its Products
Soybeans are a versatile crop
with many uses. But before they can be used in food, feed or industrial products,
soybeans must be processed. More than 95 percent of the soybeans processed by
solvent-extraction plants. When arriving at the processing plant, the soybeans are checked
for quality. The soybeans then are processed to extract the oil and meal.
From 100 pounds of soybeans, the soybean-crushing process produces 18 pounds of soybean
oil and 80 pounds of soybean meal. There are several steps in the soybean-crushing
process: Dehulling: First, the soybeans are cracked and the hull is removed. Soaking:
The soybeans then are flaked in special machines and moved to towers or tanks where they
are soaked in a chemical solution. This solvent removes about 99 percent of the pure,
crude soybean oil from the flake. Refining: The crude soybean oil may be
refined further depending on how it is to be used. In the refining process, crude oil can
be degummed, bleached, deodorized or hydrogenated with hydrogen gas. In
"degumming," the fatty acid content of the oil is neutralized with a caustic
acid to produce some products (like soap). The oil also may be "bleached" by
treating it with an absorbent clay material before it is "deodorized" through a
vacuum steam-distillation process. Toasting and Grinding: After the oil is removed,
the soybean flake then is cleaned, toasted and ground to improve its nutritional value.
This produces the soybean meal, which consists of 48 percent protein.
Soybeans --
Their Many Uses
Soybeans are found in hundreds of
human foods, animal feeds and industrial products.
Soybean Oil: About 97 percent of soybean oil is used
in a wide range of products for human use, such as: |cooking oils| salad dressings|
sandwich spreads | margarine |salad oils|
coffee creamer| mayonnaise | shortenings|
chocolate coatings | a flour ingredient medicines .
Soybean oil also is used in such industrial products
as: | printing inks | cosmetics|
linoleum | vinyl plastics | paints|
caulking| compounds| pesticides|
epoxy| glue | protective|
coatings| yeast |soaps, shampoos and detergents|
rubber .
Soybean Meal: About 98 percent of soybean
meal is used as a feed ingredient in mixed rations for poultry, hogs, and beef
and dairy cattle. The remainder is used for human food or industrial products.
High-protein (48 percent) soybean meal is used as a starter ration and high-performance
feed. A lower-protein soybean meal (44 percent) also may be produced by adding the
high-fiber hulls for use in bulky feeds, or as a carrier for molasses and other
ingredients.
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