The Revolution of Soybean. Tropicalization Historical and Scientific Foundations and the Role of Soybean Farmers in Brazilian Agronomic Construction

The tropicalization of soybean (Glycine max) in Brazil represents one of the greatest achievements of modern agronomy, transforming a crop originally adapted to temperate climates into the backbone of Brazilian agribusiness. This article explores the historical and scientific foundations that enabled this revolution, highlighting the crucial role of institutional research, genetic improvement, innovations in soil management, and biological nitrogen fixation. It analyzes the trajectory of soybean from its origin in China and its arrival in Brazil, the initial limitations imposed by photoperiod and tropical climate, and the technological advances that enabled its expansion into the Cerrado and new agricultural frontiers such as Matopiba. Furthermore, the economic, social, and environmental impacts of this transformation are discussed, as well as future challenges related to sustainability, bioeconomy, and low-carbon agriculture. The tropicalization of soybean is presented as a paradigmatic example of the successful interaction between science, policy, and society in building cutting-edge tropical agriculture. Keywords: Soybean, Tropicalization, Agronomy, Brazil, Embrapa, Genetic Improvement, Biological Nitrogen Fixation, Cerrado, Sustainability, Bioeconomy.