•••• PROMOTIONAL ARTICLE
Soya Beans as an alternative crop
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JONATHAN TAYLOR
Glycine max , more commonly known as soybean or soya bean , is a legume species that is native to East Asia . It is known for its use in both human and animal food production . The crop is considered one of the five oldest cultivated crops and was utilised by the Chinese as a source of food even prior to 2500 BC . However , it was only discovered by the western world as a source of oil and protein in the 19th century . The first report of soya beans in South Africa is believed to be in the Cedara Memoirs of 1903 . Internationally it has caught a lot of attention for its high protein per hectare content as well as for the soil health benefits that it has . But what does this mean for you , the South African farmer ? Should it be a crop you are considering this coming season ?
Soya beans , like most legumes , are cultivated in areas that have an optimal summer temperature of between 20 - 30 ° C . They can grow in a wide range of soils but flourish in moist rich soils with good organic content . They can be grown in both temperate and tropical regions . 80 % of the world ' s soya bean production
THE BENEFITS OF PLANTING SOYA BEANS AS AN ALTERNATIVE CROP
AUG / SEP 2017 • SENWES Scenario
comes from the United States , Brazil and Argentina . South Africa , with its similar climatic conditions and latitude to both Brazil and Argentina , is a perfect growth haven for this highly sought-after crop . Some of the highest performing varieties locally have come out of Brazil such as Capstone Seeds ’ Glyphosate tolerant soya bean variety - Fundacep 65RR . Fundacep 65RR is a 5.9 maturity soya bean , which makes it widely adapted and suitable for most regions in South Africa .
With intensive maize farming done in South Africa , soya beans provide the perfect opportunity to make money while putting nitrogen back into the ground by using soya beans as a rotation crop . Not only do soya beans have a much lower cost per hectare when compared to maize , but they also perform nitrogen fixation by establishing a symbiotic relationship with the bacterium Bradyrhizobium japonicum . The bacteria fix nitrogen after becoming established inside the root nodules of the legumes . The nitrogen is taken from the earth ’ s atmosphere and converted into ammonia ( NH3 ) or other molecules that can then be accessed by plant organisms .
South Africa has recently made significant investments in the domestic soya bean crushing capacity . These investments have led to a crushing capacity of approximately 2,2 million tons and above . This investment was aimed at stimulating the domestic soya bean production and has worked . The soya bean production in South Africa reached 1 million tons in the 2015 / 2016 marketing season . There is still vast room for growth , however , as the total soya bean production is only a third of the country ’ s crushing capability . According to Grain SA , South Africa ’ s soya bean oilcake requirements for the 2015 / 2016 year were 1,5 million tons , 55 % of which had to be imported . The average price per ton of soya beans has risen from R4 500 to R5 000 over the last 5 years . With the varieties like Fundacep 65RR getting 2.5 – 3mt / ha in a good season .
Soya bean production definitely needs to be on the radar of every South African farmer this season .