Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]

The soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is the most important commercial species among the grain legume and oil seed crops (Table 1), and represent the most important plant source of vegetable oil and protein in the world. For example, 40% of the world's edible vegetable oil comes from soybeans (Sinclair 1982). Hymowitz et al. (1974) found soybean accessions to range from 24.3 to 53.80/0 in protein content with a mean of 40.7% and oil content ranging from 8.2 to 27% oil with a mean of 21.2% . The moisture content of these samples ranged from 5.3 to 7.0% with a mean of 6.2% . The quality of soybean protein is among the best of vegetable proteins with protein efficiency ratios approaching that of skim milk (Bressani 1975).