Farmers either grow for food production, or they grow the seeds that are used for planting – these are called seed companies. Seed companies produce and sell seeds for flowers, fruits and vegetables to commercial growers and amateur gardeners. The production of seed is a process that uses growing facilities and growing locations worldwide. Most seed companies or resellers that sell to retail will have a catalog, of seeds to be sown the following season.
GMO Seeds
Genetically modified seeds is still a hot topic in the agricultural sector, with soybeans being a particularly large part of that conversation seeing that it makes up a significant portion of food production in South Africa. As people seek to know more about where their food comes from, what it contains, and how it was farmed, it is essential to understand what it means for a seed to be genetically modified.
Soybean Farming
Soybean farming refers to the process of planting and growing soybeans with the purpose of feeding livestock, selling yields as food supply or selling seeds for farming. Soybean is a species of legume and unlike many other plant-based proteins, soybeans are a complete protein and are considered a key part of vegetarian and vegan diets. Food is considered a complete protein when it contains all nine essential amino acids that our bodies cannot produce. Other examples of complete proteins include fish, poultry, eggs, beef, pork and dairy.
Soybean Cultivars
Soybeans are grown worldwide, which means that soybean cultivars are area-specific with regard to climate change. Therefore, soybean cultivars best adapted to cool, moderate, or warm production areas provide the best yield and quality.
- Y651 IPRO – ideal for medium and high yield potential fields, showing great adaptability to different conditions.
- Y540 – has an extremely high yield potential as well as high yield adaptability. This cultivar is best for early to intermediate plantings.
- Y627 – an intermediate to late grower with high adaptability and lots of branches. This cultivar will flower in 62 days and reach maturity in 180 days.
- Y605 – an all-rounder, suitable for early, mid and late plantings. This cultivar has a high-yielding variety that is adaptable to many locations around South Africa’s soya bean production areas.
- Y657 – best suited for early and late plantings, with high adaptability. A late grower with lots of branches.
Want to try one of our soya bean cultivars in your next harvest?
Our soya bean seeds can be purchased in bulk at any of our agents. For more information on any of our soya bean cultivars, please contact our South African SHS branch at 081 490 9825 for more information.
