The essential role of zinc and sulphur in sustainable crop production

Aug 28, 2026 | 12:16 PM

Soybeans are a critical element of the global food supply.

It accounts for roughly two-thirds of plant-based protein meal output worldwide. Canada is a global leader in sustainable soybean production, with 70 per cent of its crop, one of the country’s top three by value, exported annually.

Brazilian scientist Gabriel Montanha said soy production has increased in recent decades to meet demand – but there hasn’t been a corresponding increase in soybean’s protein content.

“To ensure soy remains a sustainable crop, we need to increase the protein content of soy seeds,” Montanha said. “It’s critical we find ways want to generate more protein without increasing the amount of land we’re currently cultivating.”

Montanha and colleagues used the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask), and Brazil’s National Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS) to determine if the mineral content of soybean seeds could influence their nutritional content.

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Montanha said the researchers investigated the location of proteins and minerals inside four types of soybean seeds. They found that certain minerals appear to play a crucial role in protein formation.

“We could see that the genotypes that had higher protein content also had higher zinc and sulphur,” he said.

Montanha said the imaging they did at the CLS and LNLS was key to the research.

“The use of these different tools for structural and chemical imaging of biological materials really pushed us forward to understand the role of the nutrients in the plant’s physiology.”

The scientists are already working on fertilization techniques that could ensure soy seeds have access to sulphur and zinc at key points in their development to boost protein content.

The team’s findings are published in the journal ACS Agricultural Science & Technology and highlighted on the cover of the journal’s current issue.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

by Pattison Media

The essential role of zinc and sulphur in sustainable crop production

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