Environmental Impact of Soybean Composition

Indian researchers reported a study involving seven Indian soybean varieties and four growing locations to study the influence of growing environment on the biochemical and physical characteristics of soybean seed. Genotypic, location and the genotype by location interactions were found to be significant (P<0.001) for protein, oil, and unsaturated fatty acids (oleic, linoleic and linolenic). Phytic acid and heat-stable antinutritional factors in soybean seed were found significantly (P<0.01) influenced by location and the interaction between variety and location. The researchers reported that latitude had a positive correlation (P<0.05) with oil and a negative correlation (P<0.001) with protein. They further showed that the average daily mean temperature during soybean seed development showed a positive correlation (P<0.05) with protein and a negative correlation (P<0.05) with oil and linolenic acid levels in the seed. Seed size was positively correlated with phytic and oleic acids and negatively correlated with linolenic acid. These results are extremely interesting in the production of value-added soybean cultivars and suggest that the production of location-specific cultivars may be needed to assure the characteristics desired.

Kumar, V. and co-workers. 2006. Influence of growing environmental on the biochemical composition and physical characteristics of soybean seed. J. Food Composition and Analysis 19(2-3): 188-195.