Soybeans for the Tropics from AVRDC

Soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merrill, is a temperate crop. The demand for protein has increased worldwide in recent years. Since soybean is a high protein crop there is a growing interest in expanding the area and production of soybean. Until recently most of the soy-bean varietal development and crop im-provement work was concentrated in temperate countries. As a result the con-cepts of soybean development tend to be blased towards the problems of temper-ate countries, Recognizing the high protein content of soybean and its direct and indirect role in human nutrition. efforts were undertaken to increase its production in tropical countries. One ouch offort was to include soybean as one of the major crops for improvement in the tropics at the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Conter (AVRDC). Improved soybean cultivars and research developed in the temperate areas are recognized where these are relevant to the tropics But differences between temperate and tropical environ ments and cropping systems mean a different approach to developing soy beans for the tropics.