Soya

Ukraine agricultural legislation prohibits the use of genetically modified seed and therefore all soybean grown by Landkom is not genetically modified.

Soybeans contain approximately 40% protein and 20% oil on a dry matter basis. Although the oil is used primarily in edible products such as margarine and cooking oil, it is used industrially in such products as high-grade paints and pharmaceuticals. The soybean oil meal that remains after the oil is extracted is almost all used as a high protein livestock feed but the meal can be further refined to give various protein extracts for direct human consumption.

Soybeans can be produced on a broad range of well-drained soil types. Medium-textured (loam) soils are ideal for soybean production. Heavy clay soils can lead to difficulties in planting and emergence but once emerged, soybeans are well adapted. Sandy or gravelly soils, which tend to be droughty during the growing season are least suited to soybean production. 

Beans within a pod will not start growing until the pod has reached its full length. The seed filling period is very critical in determining final yield. Drought during this period could affect seed maturity, seed size, number of seeds per pod and number of pods.

In the autumn, as the plant matures, the leaves die from the bottom of the plant up. With this decline in photosynthesis and the reduction in nitrogen fixation, the seed continues to grow by moving nutrients from other plant parts. Seeds reach their maximum dry weight and are mature when their moisture content is 42% to 45%. After maturity a desiccant is applied to the crop to facilitate harvesting.

Soybeans should not be grown in the same field for more than 2 years in a row because of potential disease problems. In particular, root rots such as Phytophthora and Rhizoctonia tend to increase in severity in a soybean monoculture. Soybeans should not follow edible beans, oil seed rape or sunflowers in the rotation, as certain diseases such as white mould can are common to all of them. Wheat, other spring grains and maize are the preferred crops for rotation with soybeans.