The method of historical and scientific analysis characterizes the scientific works of A. O. Babich, which concern the effective use of soybeans and soybean meal in animal feeding. The author found that feed rations for animals and poultry are composed taking into account the lowest cost of ingredients that meet the needs of animals in nutrients depending on their age and life cycle. For many animal species, soybean meal is able to compensate for the lack of proteins in the feed ration, contains a well-balanced mixture of amino acids in concentrated form, and is a completely affordable product at a competitive price. These factors make soybean meal the most appropriate protein ingredient for compound feeds in the diets of virtually all species of animals and poultry.

According to the scientist's deep conviction, in many countries with developed livestock farming, soybean meal is widely used as the main and often the only protein ingredient in animal feeding, because it most fully satisfies their need for protein and amino acids, is the most economical source of high-quality protein and energy, and has medicinal properties. It is also very important that soybean oil recoups almost all the costs of growing this crop, and soybean meal is the cheapest source of vegetable protein. This cannot be said about such leguminous crops as peas, lupins, fodder beans, vetch, chickpeas, etc., which are make a significant bet in some countries to solve the problem of feed protein.

According to A. O. Babich, along with the widespread use of soybean meal in feeding animals, birds, and fish, the use of full-fat soybeans has been increasing sharply in recent years. In industrialized countries with intensive livestock farming, soybeans, and primarily soybean meal, are used as an important and main component of compound feeds. The main motive for such a practice is, of course, economics.

Recently, there has been a combined use of soybeans, soybean meal, full-fat soybeans, and new products of its processing. This became possible due to two circumstances: first, modern science and agronomic practice have led to a significant expansion of the areas of soybean cultivation and production, and have fully mechanized the technology of growing, storing, and processing its grain. Soy have become a mass and relatively cheap commodity as a source of vegetable oil and vegetable food and feed protein; second, new means and technologies for processing soybeans have been created, and new knowledge has been obtained about their feed, nutritional, and healing properties. Due to this, soy and soy products are in great demand in global and domestic markets.

1. Babych, A., Omer, R., & Poberezhna, A. (2000). Soia i soievyi shrot v hodivli tvaryn, ptytsi i ryby [Soybean and soybean meal in feeding animals, poultry and fish]. Kyiv [In Ukrainian].
2. Babych,A. O. (1998). Soia dlia zdorov’ia i zhyttia na planeti Zemlia [Soy for health and life on planet Earth]. Kyiv [In Ukrainian].
3. Bilyavska,L. G., Bilyavsky, Y. V., Diyanova, A. O., & Garbuzov Y. E. (2021). Novi selektsiini formy soi dlia kormovyrobnytstva [New soybean breeding forms for feed production]. Visnyk Poltavskoi derzhavnoi ahrarnoi akademii – Bulletin of the Poltava State Agrarian Academy, no. 3 (102), pp. 58–65 [In Ukrainian].
4. Hnoievyi, V. I., Hnoievyi,I. V., Danilova, T. M. (2018). Kormovi kultury yak perspektyvni dzherela biolohichno aktyvnykh rechovyn u promyslovomu tvarynnytstvi [Fodder crops as promising sources of biologically active substances in industrial animal husbandry]. Veterynariia, tekhnolohii tvarynnytstva ta pryrodokorystuvannia – Veterinary medicine, technologies of animal husbandry and nature management, no. 2, рр. 139–143 [In Ukrainian].
5. Pidhaina, T. M. (2024). Znachennia soi dlia zdorovia i zhyttia liudyny u tvorchii spadshchyni akademika Anatoliia Oleksandrovycha Babycha [The importance of soy for human health and life in the creative heritage of academician Anatoliy Oleksandrovich Babich]. Istoriia nauky i biohrafistyka – History of science and biography, no. 3, pp. 160–188. URL: https://inb.dnsgb.com.ua/2024-3/09.pdf [InUkrainian].
6. Plavynska, S. V. (2011). Mikronizatsiia bobiv soi – perspektyvnyi metod otrymannia yakisnoho produktu dlia kormovyrobnytstva (kormopryhotuvannia) [Micronization of soybeans is a promising method of obtaining a high-quality product for fodder production (fodder preparation)]. Suchasne ptakhivnytstvo – Modern poultry farming, no. 11, pp. 26–28 [In Ukrainian].
7. Semenov, S. O. (2016). Perevahy vykorystannia ekstrudovanoi soi u tvarynnytstvi y ptakhivnytstvi [Advantages of using extruded soybeans in livestock and poultry farming]. Khranenye y pererabotka zerna – Storage and processing of grain, no. 11, pp. 65–67 [In Ukrainian].
8. (2014). Soievi boby ta produkty yikh pererobky u ratsioni VRKh [Soybeans and their processed products in cattle diets]. Moloko i ferma – Milk and farm, no. 2, pp. 110–115 [In Ukrainian].
9. Chikov, A. E., & Kononenko, S. N. (2014). Soya i produkty ee pererabotki v kormlenii zhivotnyh [Soy and its processed products in animal feed]. Efektyvni kormy ta hodivlia – Effective feed and feeding, no. 2, pp. 16–19 [In Ukrainian, In Russian].
10. Chikov, A. E., & Kononenko, S. N. (2014). Soya i produkty ee pererabotki v kormlenii zhivotnyh [Soy and its processed products in animal feed]. Efektyvni kormy ta hodivlia – Effective feed and feeding, no3, pp. 31–36 [In Ukrainian, In Russian].