The Department of Agronomy of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University (BSMRAU), Gazipur has developed a new high yielding soybean variety namely BU soybean-2, that yielded the highest in South Asia.
The Department has a collection of more than 200 soybean genotypes from Asian Vegetable Research and Develop Center (AVRDC), Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute and Noakhali soybean growing areas.
So far six PhD and 12 MS students conducted their research on different aspects of the problem of soybean cultivation in Bangladesh. In those comprehensive study, a genotype namely AGS 383 of AVRDC showed high drought, waterlogging and lodging (due to strong wind) resistance, side by side with high yield potential.
After several years study the genotype, AGS 383, has been released as BU soybean-2 by the Seed Wing of the Ministry of Agriculture for growing in different parts of the country.
The team leader of the soybean research group, Professor Dr. Abdul Karim informed that before applying for registration the variety was placed under participatory yield performance trials in Komolnagar and Subarnocharupazillas of Noakhali district, Gobindagonj of Gaibandha district, Bhuapurupazilla of Tangail district, side by side in the field of BSMRAU. The average yield was found 3.5 MT/hectare.
However, in Gobindagonj and Komolnagar the variety produced 4.7 and 4.4 MT respectively, which is the highest in South Asia and comparable with the best yielding variety in the world.
The average 1000-grain weight of BU soybean-2 is 220 g which is the heaviest among the existing varieties of the country. The N content in the seeds was found 8.9 % which is equivalent to 56% protein. The average crop growth duration is 100 days in winter, while that is 90 days in Kharif-2 cropping season.
Still soybean is mostly used as an ingredient of making animal and fish feed. However, with the development of consciousness of its high nutrition, now days soybean is using as an ingredient of different snacks, soy-meat ball and soymilk.
In many charlands, people used soybean in cooking hotchpotch or khichuri. In many places of the world soybean is called protein of the field or meat without bones, because it contains the highest amount of plant protein compared to pulses, oilseeds and cereal crops.
Nonetheless, it contains 18-20% oil, vitamins A, B, C and K, and appreciable amount of minerals. It has also significant amount of isoflavones that act as antioxidants to reduce the risk of cancer, hypertension, mental depression, Type 2 diabetes, slowing aging process, etc.
The vitamin K also protects bones from decaying. Therefore, soybean should be in our daily intake to reduce the malnutrition of the country.
BSMRAU also developed BU soybean-1 in 2014, which is a short stature and short duration variety. BU soybean-1 has been well accepted by the soybean growers. It is hoped that the high yielding new variety BU soybean-2 will also contribute remarkably in boosting up soybean cultivation in Bangladesh.
