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Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University (BSMRAU) has developed a flood-tolerant, short-duration, and high-yielding soybean variety with the largest seeds in the country, named BU Soybean-5.
In coastal regions, sudden heavy rainfall often occurs due to cyclones at the onset of soybean maturity, leading to waterlogging that significantly damages the crops.
As a result, soybean farmers in these coastal regions have long demanded a short-duration, waterlogging-tolerant variety. With this goal in mind, BSMRAU has been conducting intensive research on this issue for many years.
Since 2006, the Agronomy Department of BSMRAU has been conducting extensive research on soybeans from various perspectives. To date, six PhD students and eighteen MS students have earned degrees, focusing on solving various problems in soybean production.
Professor Abdul Karim of the Agronomy Department at BSMRAU finally developed this soybean variety. This variety can be grown in a shorter time in areas affected by cyclones and floods. The variety can withstand waterlogging for up to 7 days.
Professor Abdul Karim said that approximately 200 germplasm were collected from the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Centre/World Vegetable Centre in Taiwan, the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, and the Noakhali and Lakshmipur areas of the country.
Research has shown that the germplasm collected from the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Centre is not only high-yielding but can also withstand waterlogging for up to seven days.
Professor Abdul Karim, the head of the variety development team, said that based on the results obtained at the university, the variety was tested at the farmer level in various upazilas of Noakhali and Lakshmipur districts during both the Rabi and Kharif seasons to verify its effectiveness.
This long-term research was financially supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the research wing of BSMRAU. An international development organisation named Solidaridad Network Asia and local officials from the Department of Agricultural Extension provided farmer-level research assistance.
Recently, the collected germplasm has been registered and approved by the Seed Division of the Ministry of Agriculture under the name BU Soybean-5, based on the opinions of the farmers and researchers involved.
The yield of this variety in various upazilas has been found to be 3.5 tonnes per hectare. Notably, while the lifespan of other varieties in the country ranges from 100 to 110 days, BU Soybean-5 matures in 75 to 85 days depending on the season, resulting, this variety to grow before the heavy rains occurs.
The weight of 1,000 seeds of BU Soybean-5 is 285 grams, which is higher than any other existing variety in Bangladesh. The variety contains 38 per cent protein and 20 per cent oil.
In Bangladesh, soybeans are still primarily used as feed for livestock and fish. However, its use in various snacks, soy meatballs, and soy milk has been gradually increasing.
In many countries around the world, soybeans are referred to as "meat without bones" because the protein content in soybeans (30-55 per cent) is much higher than in any other crop, such as pulses, oilseeds, or grains. Moreover, soybeans contain 18-20 per cent oil, vitamins A, B, C, and K, as well as a sufficient amount of minerals.
Soybeans are rich in isoflavones, which act as antioxidants, reducing the risk of cancer, lowering high blood pressure and LDL cholesterol, and serving as a preventive measure against various diseases such as heart disease, menopausal symptoms in women, depression, type-2 diabetes, and slowing down the aging process. The vitamin K present in soybeans is particularly beneficial for bone health.
Therefore, increasing the use of soybeans is essential for addressing the overall nutritional problems of the people in Bangladesh.
It is notable that in 2014, BSMRAU's Department of Agronomy developed a high-yielding, dwarf, and early-maturing variety named BU Soybean-1, followed by a high-yielding, drought-tolerant variety named BU Soybean-2 in 2020, and two salt-tolerant varieties named BU Soybean-3 and BU Soybean-4 in 2023. These varieties have been widely accepted by farmers.
In a consultation meeting with Solidaridad Network Asia and the Department of Agricultural Extension, it was revealed that soybean varieties developed by BSMRAU, suitable for adapting to adverse environmental conditions, are being cultivated on approximately 10,000 hectares of land.
Additionally, the larger seed size of these varieties compared to traditional varieties, along with their shorter lifespan and significant protein content, has created a high demand for them as feed for livestock and fish.
The new variety, BU Soybean-5, is expected to play a crucial role in increasing soybean production on waterlogged land caused by cyclones in coastal areas.
