As with most plants, soybeans are grown from seed. The soybean seeds are the mature soybeans from the previous crop. In North Carolina, soybeans are usually planted into moist ground in May and June.

Seed may be planted in cultivated or tilled land by a tractor and a planter which deposits the seed (soybeans) about 11⁄2 inches deep in trenched rows that are usually to 30 inches apart, depending on the practices of the farmer.

Or soybeans may be "drilled" into the ground in seven-inch rows by a special planter in a process called "no-till." In this case the land is not cultivated and the seeds are planted very soon after wheat or other crops that are harvested in the spring. This method saves time, conserves moisture and greatly decreases the possibility of erosion. (Erosion is when rain washes soil away.)

Notice that large tractors and large planters are used to plant many rows at the same time. This requires fewer people to do the job and lots more rows planted in much less time.

When the soybeans sprout and small plants begin to grow (about four to seven days after planting), there are many things a farmer must consider to protect his crop (which is also an investment). Bugs and worms really like small tender plants; so when the farmer notices that there is a heavy insect infestation (lots and lots of insects), he must decide if there is a major threat to his crop. If it is, he can spray the young soybeans with an insecticide to kill the harmful bugs or worms.

Another threat to the young crop comes from weeds that grow faster than soybean plants. They can crowd out the soybean plants and keep necessary sunlight from enabling the soybean plants to grow strong and healthy. Also, if allowed to grow, some weeds will produce seeds that will be harvested with the soybeans. The farmer will get less money when he sells his soybeans if there are lots of weed seeds in with the soybeans.

In July, August and September, the plants will bloom. The flowers are small and vary from a white to a beautiful violet or purple. From these blossoms, small pods of soybeans will grow.

If you are going through rural parts of our state, particularly in eastern North Carolina, you may see acres and acres of soybeans growing. From your vehicle, fields of peanuts or cotton may be mistaken for soybeans. You can usually tell the difference between soybeans and cotton by the large white, pink or red flowers that are visible on cotton plants. On the other hand, peanuts grow much closer to the ground.

 About 75% of soybeans are grown in the eastern part of North Caro- lina, from an imaginary line 50 miles west of I-95 and all the way to the coast.

In late September, the soybeans begin to mature. As the days get shorter and the temperatures get cooler, the leaves on soybean plants begin to turn yellow. By mid-October and November, the leaves will turn brown and fall off, exposing the matured pods of soybeans.

The soybeans are now ready to be harvested. Large combines with large headers are driven over the fields of ripe soybeans, separating the beans from their pods and stems into a holding tank in the back of the combine.

When the tank is full, the soybeans are power-driven from the holding tank into a grain truck or grain wagon.

Soybeans are either taken directly to a grain dealer in the grain trucks or they are taken to storage facilities and stored until the farmer decides to sell them.