ABSTRACT
The soybean. Glycine max (L.) Merrill, was first introduced into Nigeria in 1910 (3). Apart from Benue State where it is grown on a commercial scale, limited quantities are produced in Southern Zaria, Kwara and Niger States (6) (Fig. 1). About 170,000 ha of land are planted to soybeans with an annual production of about 70,000 metric tons. Cultivation is usually in mixtures with sorghum, millet and citrus. The popular variety grown is known as the Malayan, which is a tall vigorous indeterminate type. In the traditional management of soybeans, no crop protection measures are usually applied and the average yield was reported to be about 300 kg/ha (1). However, a more recent survey indicates that yields of about 1,000 kg/ha are obtainable probably due to the adoption of better technology.
