Soybeans as a food and energy source

Abstract

High protein content with lower carbohydrate content, highlights soy as a unique vegetable protein source and they are good milk substitutes. Soy contains isoflavones, which are polyphenols with estrogenic properties highly. Many studies show that individuals consuming foods high in vegetable proteins have lower risk of cardiovascular disease and other metabolic disorders. Soybean is also an important source of bioenergy. As a source of bioenergy, preference is given to harvest residues that contain more cellulose and oil, for example soybean straw. In order to obtain greater energy benefits from soybeans, breeding is aimed at the production of varieties with higher biomass and increased oil yield per hectare, as well as the creation of varieties that would be more suitable for industrial processing for the production of technical oils. In this study, productive parameters of soybeans were examined in 2021 and 2022 in Dolovo, Serbia, on chernozem type soil. The subject of research was the soybean genotype Favorit. Average soybean yields varied from 2.8 t ha-1 (2022), to 2.92 t ha-1 (2022). The total soybean biomass yield was 4.15 t ha-1, while the biogas yield was 372 m3 ha-1. The year 2021 was more favorable for soybean production, where higher grain yields, biomass and biogas yields were achieved.