{
  "id": 3837213,
  "title": "Boosting soybean protein: Zinc and sulfur essential in sustainable crop production",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/boosting-soybean-protein-zinc-and-sulfur-essential-in-sustainable",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-27T23:00:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-08-boosting-soybean-protein-zinc-sulfur.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Soybean is a vital component of the global food supply, providing about two-thirds of the world's plant-based protein meal. Canada is a leader in sustainable soybean production, with 70% of its crop exported annually. Brazilian scientist Gabriel Montanha, conducting research at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in France, has discovered that zinc and sulfur are essential minerals for boosting soybean protein content. Currently, soybean production has surged to meet demand, but there hasn't been a corresponding increase in protein content. Montanha and his team, including collaborators from Brazil and Italy, used synchrotron imaging at the Canadian Light Source and Brazil's National Synchrotron Light Laboratory to examine the relationship between minerals and protein formation in soybean seeds. They found that soybean genotypes with higher protein content also had higher zinc and sulfur levels. This imaging technique, crucial for understanding the role of nutrients in plant physiology, revealed that targeted sulfur and zinc fertilization during seed development could potentially increase soybean protein content without expanding cultivated land. The findings were published in ACS Agricultural Science & Technology and highlighted on the journal's cover.",
  "summary": "Soybean is a critical element of the global food supply: Between its use for animal feed and human consumption, it accounts for roughly two-thirds of plant-based protein meal output worldwide. Canada is a global leader in sustainable soybean production, with 70% of its crop, one of the country's top three by value, exported annually.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}