Globally, Brazil produces the most soybeans (40%) followed by the United States (28%) and Argentina (12%).1 Around 60% of the world’s population gets their protein supply from plant sources.2 And, soybeans have an incredibly high protein content. In fact, they are one of the most protein-dense legumes.3
In addition to eating soybeans directly, they can be found in hundreds of food products, including:
- Cooking oil
- Tofu
- Tempeh
- Soy milk and coffee creamer
- Soy sauce
- Margarine
- Mayonnaise
- Candy, chocolate, and ice cream
But, most of the soybeans grown globally are used to feed livestock such as cows and chickens.4 And, humans have also found technical uses for soybeans in:
- Biofuels
- Pharmaceuticals
- Anti-corrosion agents
- Electrical insulation
- Paints and inks
How extensive is U.S. soybean production?
In cash sales, soybeans are the second largest crop grown in the United States—mostly from Midwestern farms in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Indiana.5
Soybeans are native to Asia, so how did they end up as a staple of Midwestern agriculture? We have two early 20th century industrialists to thank: A.E. Staley and Henry Ford.
From Illinois, Staley started processing soybeans into oil and meal in the 1920s. In order to have a consistent supply of the crop, he created a traveling train exhibition that taught farmers about the benefits of soybean crop rotation.6
Auto pioneer Ford believed that soybeans were the bridge between agriculture and industry. Not only did he build a soybean laboratory to experiment with soy-based oils and plastics, but by the mid-1930s Ford Motor Company owned, managed, or purchased soybeans from more than 60,000 acres in the region.7
Today, soybeans are typically used in rotation with corn. This practice breaks up disease and insect cycles and increases yields. Because soybeans are a legume they usually don’t need additional nitrogen fertilization and their rotation can reduce nitrogen use for corn.8
What nutrients do soybeans need?
Whether for livestock feed or human consumption, bringing a healthy soybean crop to market is a farmer’s priority. One of the best ways to do this is to make sure the crop has the right essential nutrients for growth. And, boron is one of the micronutrients soy needs for:
- Root growth
- Root nodulation development for nitrogen fixation
- Branching and flowering
- Bloom retention
- Seed development and grain yield
- Increased number of pods
Field trials throughout North and South America have shown that boron fertilization can increase yield at many locations throughout the United States.
Learn more about our agricultural research in soybeans.
U.S. Borax products for soybean crops
We offer a range of flexible fertilization products to correct and prevent boron deficiencies in your field.
- Dry bulk blend fertilizer: Broadcast before planting with Granubor®
- Liquid suspension: Apply at broadcast before planting, band at planting, or sidedress with Fertibor® in suspensions
- Liquid fertilizer: Broadcast before planting, band at planting, sidedress, or fertigate with Solubor®.
Contact us if you need recommendations specific to your field and fertilization schedule.
Resources
References
1. Production - Soybeans. 2025. Foreign Agriculture Service. United States Department of Agriculture.
2. Smith K, Watson AV, et al. Mar 2, 2024. Meeting the global protein supply requirements of a growing and ageing population. European Journal of Nutrition. 63(5):1425–1433.
3. Barboza Martignone GM, Ghosh B, et al. Aug 15, 2024. The rise of soybean in international commodity markets: A quantile investigation. Heliyon. 10(15).
4. Soy. 2025. World Wildlife Fund.
5. Soybean Production by State. 2025. World Population Review.
6. Casey, A. Dec 22, 2017. How did the soybean become such a common crop in the U.S.? Investigate Midwest. Champaign, IL.
7. Henry Ford: Soybeans. 2013. The Henry Ford.
8. History of Soybean Management. 2024. Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.