Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
CULTIVATION HISTORY
Peas, along with lentils, were staple foods of the first tillers of the soil in cent-
ral Europe, the pair being the only legumes grown in Europe during the Neolithic period. Together
with emmer, einkorn, and, depending on the region, barley or millet, peas formed the basis of
European plant-sourced food. The various pea forms have been developed over thousands of years in
different areas. Snap peas and peas with tender shoots were bred in Asia, where varieties with edible
leaves and tendrils have been grown for a long time. Snap peas have only been popular in Europe
since the 19th century and especially since the introduction of the sugar snap pea in 1906.
SOYBEAN, SOYA BEAN
Glycine max
Soybeans (UK: soya bean) are day-length sensitive, with varieties suited to areas with long or short
day lengths. The soybean is the most cultivated oil and protein plant in the world. Its seeds contain
13-25% oil and 30-50% protein, a combination that lends itself to the soybean's seemingly limitless
uses: miso, tempeh, soy milk, tofu, sauces, and sprouts. Soy can even be found indirectly in meat as it
has become one of the most important components of livestock feed in confined hog, chicken, and
beef cattle operations. The largest producers of soy as a cash crop are the USA, Brazil, China, and Ar-
gentina, countries in which the most genetically engineered varieties are grown. In east Asia and in the
USA, unripe soybeans are also prepared as a vegetable, much like peas and beans. Ripe soybean seeds
are toxic when raw and must be soaked and cooked for a long time. Soy oil is a cooking oil that is
mainly extracted from yellow-seeded varieties; darker-seeded varieties are typically higher in protein.
Soybeans
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
• 10 healthy plants
POLLINATION NOTES
The soybean predominantly self-pollinates. The stigma is capable of receiving
pollen 24 hours before the flower opens, so fertilization often happens in the unopened flower bud.
Cross-pollination through insects occurs at a rate of about 0.5%. Soybean flowers are small and not
particularly interesting to insects. Flowers are found in pairs or larger clusters in the leaf axils and
open early in the morning. In cool conditions, the flowers of some varieties develop no petals and the
flower buds never open. Flowers in a cluster will blossom over six to eight days, while all clusters on a
given plant will blossom over the course of two to six weeks.
