Zambia Agribusiness Society

1. Types of Soya Cultivars Available a. Determinate vs. Indeterminate Soya bean seed has two types of cultivars which is determinate and indeterminate. Determinate - Will grow vegetatively for about six weeks, then begin their reproductive stage which is flowering, pod development, seed development and maturity having put on 12 leaves no further new leaves are produced on the main stem. Therefore, in simple terms we can conclude to say determinate cultivar have a specific height they tend to reach and cannot grow further from there. Whereas indeterminate grow vegetatively for about six weeks, then begin their reproductive stage when the main stem is about 10 leaves, and continue to grow and produce another five to seven leaves. Therefore, in simple terms these types of cultivar do not have a specific height, they tend to grow taller depending on how you manage them. Indeterminate cultivars tend to grow taller than determinate cultivars. b. Maturity In soya beans we only

Soya beans is a crop that belongs to the same family as beans, groundnuts, sunflower, tomato, eggplants and many more. It is a crop native/indigenous to East Asia (China), which is one of the five oldest crops cultivated by the Chinese for food before 2500 BC. They are collectively called leguminous crops. Unlike maize, the bulk of soya beans consumed in Zambia are grown by the commercial farmers and some of the emergent farmers. Though, it is a crop that is not too difficult to grow, if one judiciously follows its requirements. It is not by design that small-holder farmers don't grow much of it, but for some reasons that have to do with the way it is marketed. Climatic and Soil Requirements It is a crop that can be grown in a wide range of soils, though it does very well in deep well drained sandy loam to clay loam. For economic yields, avoid growing it in sandy soils. However, the soils should also not have a pH less than 5.6. pH is a scale on which we measure soil conditi

Soybeans is one of the most important crops grown in Zambia with a huge demand both locally and internationally. The crop is grown by both small-scale and commercial farmers. Agro-ecological zone II is the main producing area of the crop. The crop has several uses including making of cooking oil, to making of stock feeds. 1. Adaptability: Soybeans is well adapted to a wide range of soil types though deep, well drained soils are ideal. Heavy clays, compacted soils and waterlogged areas must always be avoided as the crop will perform poorly in such soils. Soil pH range of 5.5 - 7 is ideal for good crop performance, but in instances of low pH (acidic soils like most parts of high rainfall areas of Zambia) application of lime is recommended. A soil test is necessary to determine the correct amounts of lime to apply. Majority parts of Zambia are good for soybean production though region II (Lusaka, Eastern, Central, Copperbelt, North Western provinces) is the most ideal. 2. Var