Many seeds are coated with inoculants, fungicides or pesticides for increased germination and survival when young.
You shouldn’t eat treated seed.
On soybeans, it could be any one of a half dozen things that the beans were treated for. One of the most common is root rot, aka “damping off” - often caused by Phytophthora or Pythium fungi.
I'm only concerned if they have proven harmful effects after an honest, objective assessment/study. I just never questioned certain agricultural practices before because I thought farming was boring when younger due to the monotony of the landscape in much of the area, have to look hard to find picturesque farms unlike in the past. Barbed wire isn't pretty, distant relative invented it, but it's cost effective and helped farmers and ranchers progress. I detassled corn as a teen. Hard, nasty work pulling a tassels covered w/aphids, spiders everywhere, lucky they didn't spook me too much, was a good experience for me; learned what it meant to be dog tired after a long day, often in the extreme summer heat, bending over for longer, extended periods is harder, and it lasted only 3 weeks. Like I had it bad. Not.
You shouldn’t eat treated seed.
No, you shouldn't eat ant hills thinking they are graham cracker crumbs either. I was older by the time of the nibbling incident, the coating was pink IIRC, and I knew it wasn't candy but beans. Also grabbed an electric fence wire, didn't know what they were before, got quite a shock.
On soybeans, it could be any one of a half dozen things that the beans were treated for
Thanks for the info on that, have had my own disasters with damping off, mostly by trying to start seeds inside, disastrous. Used Capstan, then found a better method, plus I've started winter and spring sowing in containers outside w/good results. Wish I'd asked more questions growing up.
I just like to know things I never wondered about before, everything my elders did was good and for a reason, like I knew why we tramped around fields taking soil samples. So much about ag I still don't know, and don't necessarily see everything as all good or all bad. I have become concerned about the possible harmful effects of pesticides on humans and the environment is all. We had an older couple locally years ago who were growing under lights in their basement, sure it wasn't pot, they sprayed in the enclosed area, didn't take precautions like recommended now when dealing with certain pesticides outdoors, and both died of aplastic anemia. Coincidence? Farm wife relative died of lung cancer, no one in that household ever smoked. Cause? No one knows.