Review on Forage Soybean Utilization and Status in Ethiopia

Soybean is a vital crop that is known to support the livelihoods of millions of people in West and Central Africa. Soybean is one of the forage legumes it can be planted for high-protein feed, such as grazing, haying, or ensiling. It grazed or harvested from the flowering stage to near maturity for use as high-quality hay. Soybean has great future potential as a high protein and nutritious forage. This review is focusing on the forage production and adoption in Ethiopia. This work includes a critical review of several published journals, publications, and studies related to animal feeding. The development of Ethiopia's livestock sub-sector is hampered by several restrictions, one of which being a lack of feed and poor feeding practices. In Ethiopia, feed scarcity, particularly during the dry season, is the most significant barrier to optimal output. The introduction of legume forages in farming systems could be one solution to tackle these constraints. Soybean is a forage legume and a candidate fodder that can aid in nutrient reduction in agricultural leftovers and natural pastures. A soybean plant has a nutritional value comparable to early-bloom alfalfa, which is high in protein and easily digestible by lactating dairy cows. Animal evaluation feed trial should be implemented to know the effect of the feeding value of forage soybean [<i>Glycine max</i> (L) <i>Merrill</i>].