Soybean

Glycine max (L.) Merr.

Order - Fabales

Family - Fabaceae

Names:

Glycine

Max

Soybean

Other Names:

Summary:

An annual, summer growing leguminous crop grown for protein and oil rich grain.

Description:

Cotyledons:

Two.

Leaves:

Stipules -

Petiole -

Blade -

Stems:

Flower head:

Flowers:

Ovary -

Sepals -

Petals -

Stamens -

Anthers -

Fruit:

Seeds:

Roots:

Have nitrogen fixing nodules.

Key Characters:

Biology:

Life cycle:

Annual herb. Seed is sown in November to January and the crop harvested in April to May.

Physiology:

Fixes nitrogen but usually requires inoculation before sowing as the Soybean Rhizobium is not a natural inhabitant of Australian soils and is from a different group to other legumes.

Sensitive to moisture stress especially during flowering and pod development.

Seed contains 19-23% oil and 40-45% protein.

Australian cultivars flower more rapidly in short day conditions

Reproduction:

By seed.

Flowering times:

Seed Biology and Germination:

Will germinate from up to 80 mm deep but grows more strongly when planted shallower.

Vegetative Propagules:

Hybrids:

Many commercial cultivars exist.

Allelopathy:

Population Dynamics and Dispersal:

Spread mainly by intentional planting.

Origin and History:

Derived from Asian species.

Distribution:

NSW, NT, QLD, SA, VIC, WA.

Habitats:

Climate:

Sub tropical.

In Australia it is mainly grown in the subtropics between 26-330S as an irrigated and dry land crop.

Soil:

Grows in most soil types. Prefers pH of 6-6.5 and soils with good moisture storage characters.

Plant Associations:

Significance:

Beneficial:

High protein grain.

Food. Fodder. Oils used for margarine and edible, salad and cooking oils.

Meal of seed after oil extraction has 50% protein and used for pig and poultry feed.

Honey plant.

Detrimental:

Toxicity:

Not recorded as toxic.

Symptoms:

Treatment:

Legislation:

None.

Management and Control:

Initial growth is slow and it is a weak competitor with weeds.

Thresholds:

Eradication strategies:

Herbicide resistance:

Biological Control:

Susceptible to Phytophthora stem rot.

Insect pests include sucking bugs, caterpillars and stem borers.

Related plants:

Silky Glycine (Glycine canescens)

Twining Glycine (Glycine clandestina)

Clover Glycine (Glycine latrobeana)

Wild Soybean (Glycine soja)

Glycine Pea (Glycine tabacina)

Woolly Glycine (Glycine tomentella)

Glycine falcata

Plants of similar appearance:

References:

Lazarides, M. and Hince, B. (1993). CSIRO handbook of economic plants of Australia. (CSIRO, Melbourne). #591.1.

Reid, R.L. (1990) The Manual of Australian Agriculture. (Butterworths, Sydney). P106-108.

Acknowledgments:

Collated by HerbiGuide. Phone 08 98444064 or www.herbiguide.com.au for more information.