It is recommended to harvest soybean when about 85% of the pods have turned brown for a non-shattering variety while it is 80% for shattering varieties. Actually, most of the varieties in Rwanda are not shattering as non-shattering is one of the criteria in variety selection. It is recommended to harvest on time in order to avoid losses. Harvesting can be done with a cutlass or sickles. Mature plants are cut plants at ground level and sun-dried or air-dried before threshing. Soybean harvesting by hand pulling is not recommended as it may remove the nutrient added to the soil by the crop.
Threshing is executed either manually or mechanically when soybean plants are dried. When soybean plants are dried, it is recommended to proceed to threshing as soon as possible. Manual threshing is the common method in the country. After threshing, the material is then winnowed to remove the seeds from the debris. However, mechanically threshing in large scale production may be more interesting as it is fast and cost effective.
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