Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom logo AgMag logo

Agriculture Helping you every day

The Soybean Plant

The soybean plant is a legume plant. In legumes and a few other plants, bacteria lives in small growths on the roots called nodules. Inside the nodules, the bacteria changes the nitrogen from the air into something the plant can use to grow. The changed nitrogen is then absorbed by the plant. This is important both in growing healthy soybeans and in helping the soil stay healthy.

Soybeans grow in pods, similar to how peas grow. There are 2-4 pea-sized soybeans in each pod.

During the summer, the soybean plant flowers and produces around 30-40 pods. These pods can range in color from light yellow to shades of gray, brown, or black. A fully grown soybean plant can be two feet tall.