INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND
Soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill) is a versatile leguminous plant with exceptional nutritional health and benefits. The key benefits are related to their excellent protein content (contains all 8 essential amino acids), high levels of essential fatty acids, numerous vitamins and minerals, isoflavones, and fibre (Dwevedi and Kayastha, 2011). Soybean supplements nearly one-third of the world population with proteins and edible oil (Dogra1et al., 2014). According to Messina, (1995) soybean have considerable amounts of linolenic acid, omega-6 fatty acid and isoflavones (genistein and daidzein). The presence of isoflavones in soybean reduces the risk of developing cancer of breast, cervical, ovarian, lung and colon, protein helps in lowering cholesterol levels, thus helpful in reduction heart and blood pressure associated diseases (Dwevedi and Kayastha, 2011). Most of the soy products act as perfect replacements for meat and dairy products specifically required for vegetarians. For children, soybeans are effective in their growth and development. Besides its nutritional and health benefits, soybean helps in replenishing and maintaining soil fertility through its biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) and in rotation with exhaustive crops …show more content…
However, individual soybean cultivars often exhibit restricted adaptation to specific agro-climatic environments (Dlamini et. al, 2013). In this regard, the breeding unit of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has made remarkable improvement in the development of soybean genotypes with desirable agronomic traits within a range of maturity groups for cultivation in major agro-ecological zones in Africa. IITA has developed early, medium and late maturing soybean genotypes for cultivation in the moist savannah, Sudan savannah and mid-altitude agro ecological zones in Africa (Tefera,
1.1 BACKGROUND
Soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill) is a versatile leguminous plant with exceptional nutritional health and benefits. The key benefits are related to their excellent protein content (contains all 8 essential amino acids), high levels of essential fatty acids, numerous vitamins and minerals, isoflavones, and fibre (Dwevedi and Kayastha, 2011). Soybean supplements nearly one-third of the world population with proteins and edible oil (Dogra1et al., 2014). According to Messina, (1995) soybean have considerable amounts of linolenic acid, omega-6 fatty acid and isoflavones (genistein and daidzein). The presence of isoflavones in soybean reduces the risk of developing cancer of breast, cervical, ovarian, lung and colon, protein helps in lowering cholesterol levels, thus helpful in reduction heart and blood pressure associated diseases (Dwevedi and Kayastha, 2011). Most of the soy products act as perfect replacements for meat and dairy products specifically required for vegetarians. For children, soybeans are effective in their growth and development. Besides its nutritional and health benefits, soybean helps in replenishing and maintaining soil fertility through its biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) and in rotation with exhaustive crops …show more content…
However, individual soybean cultivars often exhibit restricted adaptation to specific agro-climatic environments (Dlamini et. al, 2013). In this regard, the breeding unit of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has made remarkable improvement in the development of soybean genotypes with desirable agronomic traits within a range of maturity groups for cultivation in major agro-ecological zones in Africa. IITA has developed early, medium and late maturing soybean genotypes for cultivation in the moist savannah, Sudan savannah and mid-altitude agro ecological zones in Africa (Tefera,