The green-leaved direction in soybean production in conditions of moisture supply in the Central Non-Chernozem region

A comparative assessment of crop yield, protein content, feed value, and above-ground biomass (fresh and dry) of northern ecotype soybeans cultivars is given under the soil-moist conditions in the Central Black Earth Region. It was found out that, the yield of soybean seeds of the northern ecotype Mageva, Svetnaya and Okskaya cultivars in dark-gray forest soils of the Central Black Earth Region averaged 2.05 t/ha, the feed units per hundredweight of the yield after harvest, 2.75 t/ha, the protein content of seeds – 39.00%, protein yield per hectare – 0.79 t, the ratio of essential amino acids of protein seed yield – 59.43 %, the amount of essential amino acids per hectare – 0.47 t, critical amino acid value of total amount (lysine, methionine, tryptophan) – 12.37 % , the amount of critical amino acids – 0.099 t/ha. The fresh above-ground biomass yield during the soybean full grain formation stage (R6) was 19.0 t/ha, the dry above-ground biomass yield was 5.63 t/ha (2.75 times higher than its value in the seed yield); the amount of fodder units of dry above-ground biomass yield was 2.92 t/ha (about 1.06 times higher than feed units in the seed yield); protein content in dry above-ground biomass – 16.5 % (2.36 times lower than its’ value in seeds), protein yield per hectare – 0.93 t (1.21 times more than protein seed yield); the content of essential amino acids in protein, contained in dry above-ground biomass did not exceed 49.10 %, it was 1.20 times lower than its value in seeds, as a result, the amount of essential amino acids reached 0.45 t/ha, that was close to that of the seeds yield; the content of critical amino acids in the protein did not exceed 10.26% (1.21 times less than its value in seed protein). In other words, its value reached (0.096 kg/ha), that was close to that of the seeds yield. According to the experiment, the following mean values per unit mass, were obtained by comparing 1 ton of seeds with 1 ton of dry above-ground biomass: the protein value was higher 2.36 times, the value of essential amino acids – 2.85 times higher, the value of critical amino acids – 2.88 times higher in seeds than in dry above-ground biomass. In all the years of research, dry above-ground biomass had advantages in terms of yield, in the amount of feed units from 1 ha, in terms of protein yield. In terms of the amount of essential amino acids the difference turned out to be insignificant, that is, under the moisture conditions of the Central Non-Black Earth Region, the dry above-ground biomass of the northern ecotype soybean cultivars can be used as fodder just like seeds.