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The soybean plant has had a long and lustrous history throughout the world. It has been used widely in Asia for centuries, and was first considered as a main crop in the United States during the Second World War. Due to the protein content, it was necessary to help replace proteins lost during the food rationing of the war. It was also discovered to have fabulous properties as a fertilizer. Since that time, the production of soybeans in the United States has become a major farming item, and the U.S. exports about one third of the entire world’s supply of soybeans. As the soybean plant has so many uses, from livestock food to fuel to oil to food for humans, it is important to provide the maximum quantity and quality wherever possible. Using seeds that can help resist bacteria, disease and insects has been a major breakthrough in farming. Genetically modified seeds have only come to prominence in the last twenty years or so, but have increased the yield and quality of the soybean crop a great deal. Over ninety percent of the soybeans grown in America are genetically modified seeds, as a result of farmers recognizing the benefits of herbicide and insect resistant varieties. Genetic modification of the soybean plant and seed is simply a more sophisticated method of selective breeding. Humans have been using this method for thousands of years in order to mix the best qualities of animals or flowers or crops. Thanks to innovations in the laboratories, these modifications no longer take hundreds of years to come about. Now farmers can use disease resistant seeds for each crop, or take advantage of the herbicide resistant strains that allow the farmer to spray his crops for weeds without hurting the soybean plants themselves. The improved yield helps many more than just the farmer. Improved yield of the soybean plant also means better livestock feed, which in turn means better meats, milks and other products that are used every day. The soy plan produces so many different products and has such a high protein content that it is absolutely necessary to many different industries. Therefore, it is important for farmers to have access to the best and most innovative seeds on the market in order to product the best crops. Farmers have to fight the weather, soil conditions, insects and weeds, and need every advantage they can get when it comes to producing fine crops.
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