Effect of water stress on soybean production

Abstract

Soybean is main source of vegetable protein and oil in the world. Soybean used for livestock feed, human food and industrial processing. Soybean is main raw material for the preparation of a protein feed for all types and categories domestic animals. In the world the largest part of soybean produced, about 70% is used to feed livestock. In Serbia the area under soybeans and grain yield varies from 144386 ha to 170255 ha and 1.73 t ha-1 and 3.18 t ha-1 , respectively. Grain yield depends on the amount of rainfall from late June to early September when the highest needs for water (since beginning of flowering until the end of grain filling). Soybean is most sensitive to drought stress during the pod formation and grain filling stages.