Soybeans are distributed throughout China, but their cultivation is mainly concentrated in eight provinces. The soybean production area in China is generally divided into three cultivation regions : Northern Spring Sowing Region, Huanghe and Huaihe Valley Summer Sowing Region, Southern Multiple Cropping Region. In 1981, the total area covered approximately 8 million hectares with a total yield of 9,245 million tons.
Soybean research has been carried out for over 30 years. The objective of research focusses on increasing yield and improving the quality of soybeans. In this report, the organization of soybean research at different levels, the situation of studies on breeding, genetics, germplasm conservation, physiology, ecology, regionalization of production, cultivation techniques for achieving high yields and control methods of soybean diseases, insects and weeds are described.