Farmers must pay attention to soybean cultivation by considering its economic benefits and saving the huge amount that we spend on its import.
Soybean is a multipurpose crop that originated in China, and now it is the famous crop of Pakistan because of its many uses and positive effect on human health.
The other names of soybean are also indicative of its importance. The other names include “golden bean”, “queen of pulses ,” “wonder crop”, “farmer’s friend “agriculture Cinderella,” “meat of the field,” and “meat without bones”.
Being a Muslim country, we always prefer Halal things. Soybean is Halal. All purpose soy sauce or non naturally brewed soy sauce is made from water, salt hydrolyzed soy protein, corn syrup, and sodium benzoate.
A multipurpose crop, soybean is a species of legumes. So it plays an important role in keeping soil fertile, proves a low cost method of replacing nitrogen in soil, and promotes crop yield. It is one of the few known plants that contains all essential nutrients and amino acids like those in meat. Although it is mostly protein, it also contains a significant amount of carbohydrates and fats.
The protein content of soybeans is 36–56 percent of their dry weight. The amount of this protein is sufficient for repairing body cells, making new cells, catalyzing chemical reactions, and regulating gene expression. The fat content is approximately 18%.
It can be used as sustainable fuel and in frying, baking, and roasting. It can be used in place of olive oil, canola oil for cooking purposes.
Soybean contains molybdenum (used to process protein and DNA and support male fertility), vitamin K1 (role in blood clotting) , folate (particularly important in pregnancy), copper (which absorbs iron in the body and makes red blood cells), manganese (which helps the body form connective tissues), and phosphorus (a component of bone, teeth, DNA, and RNA).
Some people have allergies to it, so they must consider it and avoid its excessive use. The summary of positive effects on health can be as follows:
It can help with diabetes management due to its low carbohydrate content.
➢ Helps improve blood circulation
➢ Aid in healthy digestion
➢ Control weight
So, considering its nutritional value, it must be added to our diet. It can be added to our diet in the form of delicious dishes like soy curry, soy chunks, Ularthiyanthu, Thai soya in cabbage , soya pepper fry, soya fried rice, soya manchurian, soya shammi kabab, soya mince, soy milk, soy nuts, soy sprouts, soy sauce, tofu, misu, and tamari.
Soybean was introduced to Pakistan as an oil-seed crop in 1960, but cultivation remained limited until 1970. Soybean could not be established as a rewarding crop in Pakistan because our farmers did not know its benefits.
Farmers must pay attention to soybean cultivation by considering its economic benefits and saving the huge amount that we spend on its import.
The National Center of Excellence in Molecular Biology organised an awareness seminar on “GM Soybeans and the Potential of Soybean Cultivation in Pakistan ” on January 23, 2023. Such awareness seminars should be organised at the national level to motivate our farmers for its cultivation and educate people about its benefits.
This article is jointly authored by Zahra Noor , Dr. Farukh, Dr. Humera Razzaq and Sanae Mustafa.