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Be
Selective When Choosing Low-lin Soybean Varieties
Not every low-linolenic soybean is a good choice for
farmers to try growing, but others surely are, says Palle Pedersen, an
Iowa State University (ISU) soybean Extension agronomist. Yields from
low-linolenic specialty soybean varieties were very variable in Iowa
this year, he adds.
"In some places they proved very competitive with commodity soybeans and
in some places they didn't," says Pedersen. "Sometimes, the premium just
wasn't high enough to cover the lower yields received, while in other
cases it was more than adequate."
Farmers who want to grow low-lin soybeans should look at as much yield
data as possible on the available varieties before making a decision on
what to grow, he advises. "There should be plenty of data on low-lin
varieties in Iowa this year," says Pedersen. "Farmers just need to be
patient."
Some 2007 low-lin yield data is currently available in the
central-Indiana area, where most soybeans are already harvested, says
Mike Moore, a corn and soybean grower near Danville. Although weather
problems reduced yields somewhat, Moore says his Vistive low-linolenic
soybean yields were comparable to his regular Roundup-Ready varieties.
"My Vistive early group III variety averaged 54 bu./acre, my regular
Roundup-Ready early group III variety averaged 56 bu./acre and my
regular Roundup-Ready late group II variety averaged 48 bu./acre," says
Moore. "Our area has only medium-productive ground, so anytime we grow
50-55-bu. beans, we're pretty happy."
Moore says he's also pleased with the 60 cent/bu. premium he received
for growing a Vistive soybean variety, which was also Roundup Ready. "We
looked at the trial data before we planted, and this variety was one of
the better numbers out there," he says. "We'll look at the trial data
again before deciding on what number to plant next year, but we're
definitely going to put a third of our soybean acres into Vistive again
in 2008."
Differing farm-management practices are a likely reason for variable
yields on some low-lin soybean varieties, says Pedersen. "These
specialty soybeans may not work on every field," says Pedersen. "One of
the things I'd like to do in the future is develop management guidelines
for growing low-lin specialty soybeans, because management most likely
plays a big role in how well they perform."
For more information on Vistive soybeans, click here: www.vistive.com/. For more
information on other low-lin soybean varieties, click here: www.qualisoy.com/.
By John Pocock
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Asian Soybean Rust Now Reported In 15
States
Last month, Asian soybean rust (ASR) "picked up some
frequent-flier miles," including a first-time appearance in an Iowa farm
field, according to Iowa State University (ISU) plant pathologists Daren
Mueller and Christine Engelbrecht.
"In this past month, first rust infections have been reported in Kansas
(first time ever), Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois and South Carolina,"
they point out in the October issue of Integrated Crop Management
newsletter. "Rust also has spread in states that already had rust,
especially Arkansas, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida and Alabama. To date,
there have been 156 counties in 14 states that have reported soybean
rust, which are 73 counties more than in 2006."
This week, a Purdue scientist confirmed soybean rust on a leaf collected
in Owen County to make Indiana the 15th state to report ASR in 2007.
For more information about managing ASR in the Midwest, click here: www.planthealth.info/rust_basics.htm.
For more information about ASR in Iowa, click here: www.plantpath.iastate.edu/soybeanrust/identify.
Source: Iowa State University
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Fall Is
Ideal Time To Sample For Soybean Cyst
Soybean cyst nematodes (SCN) are present in more than
70% of Iowa farm fields, but fields often show no above-ground symptoms
and the cysts may go undetected, reports Greg Tylka, Iowa State
University (ISU) plant pathologist.
"Fall is an ideal time to sample fields for this pest," he writes in the
October issue of Integrated Crop Management newsletter. "For fall
sampling, it is most logical to sample corn fields in which soybeans
will be grown in 2008. But samples also can be collected from fields in
which soybeans were grown in 2007 if unusual plant growth was observed
during the season or if unexplained low yields were obtained. Also,
fields should be checked for SCN if sudden death syndrome (SDS) occurred
in the field in 2007, as SCN predisposes soybeans to developing SDS."
To read more about SCN management in Iowa, click here: www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/icm/2007/10-1/scn.html.
To read more about SCN management in other north central states, click
here: www.planthealth.info/scnguide/.
Source: Iowa State University
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U.S. Soybean
Exports Reach Record High
U.S. soybean farmers have had a record-setting year,
thanks in part to their investment in soybean checkoff international
marketing programs, according to the United Soybean Board (USB).
Marketing year 2006-2007 ended Aug. 31, 2007, with U.S. soybean exports
totaling 1.11 billion bushels. In addition to this year's
success, the 2008 marketing year is looking promising. The year is
starting with a record amount of export commitments -- 297 million
bushels of U.S. soybeans are committed to customers abroad.
China retains its title from last year as the No. 1 importer of U.S.
soybeans, importing 420 million bushels during this past marketing year.
This is up from just over 356 million bushels in the 2005-2006 marketing
year. Mexico came in as the second-largest customer for U.S. soybean
farmers, importing 141 million bushels, followed by Japan, which
imported 116 million bushels.
One way the checkoff is working to position U.S. soybean quality is by
funding the annual crop-quality survey. The survey measures attributes
of the current U.S. soybean crop, including protein and oil content, in
soybeans throughout the country. This survey is widely used by
international buyers as a measuring stick when making purchases from
U.S. soybean farmers.
Another innovation aiding in the growth of U.S. soybean exports is
containerized shipping. Shipping soybeans in containers results in less
handling, preserving the quality of U.S. soybeans during transit.
Containerized shipping also allows overseas buyers to order customizable
amounts of soybeans instead of having to buy bulk shipments.
USB is made up of 64 farmer-directors who oversee the investments of the
soybean checkoff on behalf of all U.S. soybean farmers. Checkoff funds
are invested in the areas of animal utilization, human utilization,
industrial utilization, industry relations, market access and supply. As
stipulated in the Soybean Promotion, Research and Customer Information
Act, USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight
responsibilities for USB and the soybean checkoff.
For more information on USB, click here: www.unitedsoybean.org/.
Source: United Soybean Board
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Soybean And Wheat Futures Prices Soar To
Stimulate More Acres
Historically high futures prices are enticing crop
producers to plant more wheat and soybeans next season in order to boost
the current shortage of both commodities.
Matt Roberts, an Ohio State University (OSU) Extension agricultural
economist with the Department of Agricultural, Environmental and
Development Economics, says that the futures price of wheat is around
$6.75/bu., nearly $3 more than the historic average, while the soybean
futures price is over $9/bu.
"If we looked at the 1996-2006 crop years on average, we would expect
wheat futures prices to be around $3.50 or $3.75/bu.," says Roberts. "At
the same time, we have seen a price response in the soybean market to
stimulate more plantings. The market is auctioning off plantable acres
across the three commodities: corn, soybeans and wheat. Prices are
rising in each of those crops to try to bid acres into those crops, and
soybeans and wheat are where we are seeing the sharpest response."
The corn futures price is at $3.95, compared to $4.20 last year, and is
still running high due to continued demand in ethanol production. Corn
production in 2007 was the highest since 1933, and as a result,
producers planted 11 million fewer acres of soybeans, according to the
USDA. A smaller production coupled with increased usage has resulted in
an inventory shortage that the markets are trying to rectify, says
Roberts.
"This year we used 300 million more bushels of soybeans than we
produced, out of a total production of 3 billion bushels. That's not a
sustainable model," says Roberts. "Analysts are already worried about
availability for next year, so the soybean market is looking for acres."
According to the latest USDA crop production report, 2007 soybean
production is forecast at 2.6 billion bushels, down 19% from last year.
Yields are expected to average 41 bu./acre.
For more information on the USDA crop report, click here: usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/current/CropProd/CropProd-10-12-2007.txt.
Source: Ohio State University
Extension
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Cullers'
Soybean Record -- 155 bu./Acre
Kip Cullers has broken another yield record. This one
might last a little longer than the last mark he set -- and then it
might not.
Cullers, one of the top finishers in last year's National Corn Growers
Association Yield Contest, harvested 154.74 bu. of soybeans per acre
from a 40-acre field on his farm near Stark City, MO, Oct. 6.
The yield average, confirmed by the Missouri Soybean Association, is
15.35 bu./acre higher than the record 139.39 bu./acre Cullers harvested
from the same field in 2006. The previous high was believed to be 118
bu./acre, set in 1993.
To read this article in its entirety, click here: deltafarmpress.com/news/071016-cullers-record/.
By Forrest Laws
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Farmers Plan To Profit From Low-Linolenic
Beans In 2008
Visions of profits cross the minds of many soybean
farmers during the seed selection process.
When the food industry recognized the need to replace hydrogenated oils
with trans-fat-free cooking oils, soybean farmers and industry began
working together to ramp up supply to meet this new demand.
Low-linolenic soybeans -- entering their fourth year of
commercialization in the 2008 season -- have grown from 730,000 acres
planted in 2006 to 1.9 million acres in 2007, with an estimated 3-3.5
million acres projected for 2008.
"A lot of these varieties are already on par with commodity varieties
where agronomics and yield are concerned," says Don Latham, a Qualisoy
board member and seed dealer from Alexander, IA. "They offer the disease
resistance packages and other traits farmers want, and they bring even
more profit through premiums."
Another factor that appeals to growers is that low-linolenic soybeans
require only a "soft" identity preservation system, not the more
rigorous "hard" system. In other words, material cleaning and separation
guidelines are not as strict for low-linolenic soybeans as they are for
some other soybeans.
"Next year, the market area for low-linolenic soybeans is expanding,
which increases contracting opportunities for growers," Latham says.
"Your local seed dealer is usually your best source for discussing the
opportunities in your area."
Before discussing the profit opportunities with seed dealers, farmers
are going to the Internet to try out the Low-Linolenic Locator tool at
www.qualisoy.com/farmers/index.html.
This easy-to-use application lets users view a map of their area to see
the location of elevators and processors who handle low-linolenic
soybeans, and view the approximate growing area around these locations.
The Low-Linolenic Locator can give farmers some idea of where these
enhanced-quality soybeans are grown, but seed dealers will know the most
up-to-date details of what seed is available and what premiums are
offered.
"Premiums are expected to remain the same or higher next year," Latham
says. "The performance is comparable to other soybeans, and your seed
dealer can help you determine which varieties grow best in your area."
Low-linolenic varieties include:
- Visitive from Monsanto
- Pioneer low linolenic soybeans
- Asoyia low-linolenic soybeans
A diverse 22-member Qualisoy board of directors sets research
priorities, evaluates existing and emerging technologies, and helps
identify future soybean trait enhancements that would benefit the food
and feed industries. For additional information on low-linolenic product
availability, Qualisoy's activities and its board of directors, visit www.qualisoy.com/.
Source: Qualisoy
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Weather Reins In Aphid Populations This
Season
Despite entomologists' predictions for high soybean
aphid populations this season, the pest posed little to no problems for
most Ohio producers.
With the exception of fields in northeast Ohio, which reached threshold
levels, aphid populations were low to nonexistent, said Ron Hammond, an
Ohio State University (OSU) Extension entomologist.
"We did not see aphid populations reach threshold levels (250
insects/plant) across much of Ohio," says Hammond, with the Ohio
Agricultural Research and Development Center. "At most, aphids were
averaging 20-30/plant across any given soybean field."
Since 2001, Hammond and his colleagues across the Midwest have been
following the soybean aphid and its impact on the soybean crop. The
sapsucker can damage soybean fields and limit yield potential if left
untreated to multiply in high numbers.
Entomologists suspect that cold weather earlier this spring helped to
quell rising aphid populations. "We started off this past spring with a
lot of eggs and aphids being found on buckthorn, the insect's
overwintering host. This suggested that we would see large aphid numbers
this summer," says Hammond. "But then we got that cold spell in April.
Our hypothesis is either the cold weather killed off the aphids
directly, or there was a lot of burning back of the foliage, reducing
the food supply, and the aphids died out that way. Whatever may have
happened, populations in Ohio never developed like we had anticipated."
One exception was the area along Lake Erie in northeast Ohio,
where aphids were being found in the thousands by August. "If those
fields weren't being treated, then the insect was definitely reducing
yields," says Hammond. Yield losses can be as high as 25% in untreated
fields.
Hammond speculates that a weather system that impacted the region along
Lake Erie in late July might have carried winged aphids from the
Canadian provinces of eastern Ontario and Quebec -- regions where up to
90% of soybean fields had been treated due to high aphid numbers.
"It's a situation that has taught us to take a closer look at weather
patterns and how they affect the migration of insects from one state to
the other, and the movement of insects within a state or within a
region," said Hammond. "This is something we'll be following more
closely next year."
So what is in store for soybean growers next season regarding the
soybean aphid? While Hammond is not making any immediate predictions,
currently the situation looks promising. "We've been sampling buckthorn
throughout several locations in Ohio and, as of right now, we are not
seeing a lot of aphids. This suggests that aphid populations may be low
next year," said Hammond. "Even though we didn't have high aphid
numbers, it still seems to have acted like a high year where we are not
seeing a lot of overwintering aphids yet. However, we will need to
continue sampling buckthorn through October and November in Ohio and
surrounding states before making any predictions."
Entomologists speculate that aphid populations run on a high-low cycle
-- high one year and low the next. For further updates on the soybean
aphid, refer to the Ohio State University Agronomic Crops Team Web site
at agcrops.osu.edu.
Source: Ohio State University
Extension
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Dunkin'
Donuts Now Offers Zero Trans Fat Menu
Dunkin' Donuts recently announced that all its menu
offerings nationwide will be zero grams trans fat this week. This
includes the brand's signature doughnuts. Doughnuts with zero grams
trans fat are currently being served in Philadelphia and New York City.
In addition, Baskin-Robbins' offerings, including its ice cream
inclusions and ribbons,will be zero grams trans fat by Jan. 1,
2008.
The Dunkin' Brands Research & Development team has reformulated more
than 50 menu items without sacrificing the quality, flavor and taste
customers have come to expect. In 2003, the Research & Development team
acted independently to remove artificial trans fat from all muffins and
bagels. Since then, the team has tested more than 28 alternative oils
and proprietary blends and conducted 80 independent tests to find a
suitable alternative.
To learn more about Dunkin' Donuts nutrition, click here: www.dunkindonuts.com/aboutus/nutrition/.
Source: Dunkin' Donuts
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Vistive to Offer Expanded Varieties in
2008
As food-company and processor demand for better oils
for healthier foods continues to grow, next season Monsanto will offer
soybean farmers an expanded portfolio of high-performing Vistive
low-linolenic soybeans, which can reduce or eliminate trans fats in
processed soybean oil.
Introduced on just 100,000 acres in 2005, Vistive low-lin beans were
planted on approximately 1.5 million acres in 2007. More than 100 food
companies, including KFC and Kellogg's, are now using Vistive low-lin
oil in their products. In addition, numerous cities, counties and states
have either enacted or are considering bans on trans fats in school
cafeterias and restaurants.
"Vistive low-linolenic soybeans provide growers with a premium
market opportunity along with strong agronomic performance in the
field," says Joe Bothe, soybean quality traits manager for Monsanto.
"They also help strengthen the competitive position of the U.S. soybean
industry by promoting the use of soybeans as the source for
trans-fat-free oils over alternative sources."
Bothe said Vistive will be offered in 31 different seed brands for 2008,
three more than in 2007, enabling growers to choose from a broad
selection of even better-performing products -- 179 different Vistive
products in all. In addition, Vistive will have greater geographic
penetration and therefore be available to more farmers around the 20
processor locations that crush the soybeans and market Vistive oil to
food companies.
Vistive low-linolenic soybeans typically contain less than 3% linolenic
acid as an oil component compared with 8% for conventional soybeans.
This low-linolenic alternative enables food processors to use Vistive
oil to reduce or eliminate the need for hydrogenation, which creates
trans fats in processed soybean oil.
"Food oils represent a high-value product, so low-linolenic soybeans
fall right in line with the American Soybean Association (ASA) mission
to bring additional value to the industry and profits to soybean
growers," says John Hoffman, ASA president. "As food manufacturers move
away from using partially hydrogenated soybean oil, the American Soybean
Association is firmly committed to value-added low-linolenic soybean
varieties."
Vistive soybeans were grown this season throughout Iowa and in parts of
Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Michigan, Ohio,
Missouri, Kentucky, Delaware and Maryland. Participating processors for
2008 will include Cargill, AGP, Bunge, CHS, Inc., Mercer Landmark,
Owensboro Grain Co., Perdue Incorporated and Zeeland Farms.
For 2008, Vistive growers can earn buyers' call premiums starting at 60
cents/bu.
For additional information, growers can visit www.vistive.com.
Source: Monsanto
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Even State Fairs Detest Trans
Fats
Is there anyone who doesn't like going to their state
fair?
I enjoy every part of it from the pig poop on my shoes to the mustard
stains on my shirt. But for the first time this year at the Minnesota
State Fair I saw a change in how food vendors were hawking their fried
cuisines on a stick. They were actually posting signs that read "no
trans fats" to advertise their deep fried cheese curds and corn dogs.
More than 30 concessionaires displayed those signs.
So when you're deep frying a Snickers bar and jamming it onto a stick,
does it really matter what kind of oil you're using? Apparently, it
does.
In fact, this year the Indiana State Fair required all vendors to use
trans-fat-free cooking oil. And as you recall, New York City banned the
use of trans fats last December, followed by Philadelphia in February.
Kentucky Fried Chicken and McDonald's have also phased out the fat.
To read this article in its entirety, click here: cornandsoybeandigest.com/soybeans/news/state-fairs-detest-trans-fats/.
By Greg Lamp
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Soy Reduces
Diarrhea
The soy isoflavone genistin may reduce a baby's
susceptibility to rotavirus infections by up to 74%, according to a
University of Illinois study published in September's Journal of
Nutrition. Rotavirus is the primary cause of infant diarrhea. In
developing countries, rotavirus causes approximately 611,000 deaths
annually.
Source: University of Illinois
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Switching
Acres To Soybeans: A Note From The Soybean E-Digest
Editor
Are you switching a significant number of acres away
from corn and into soybean in '08? If so please let me know who you are,
where you farm and your main reason(s) for wanting to switch.
If you have any other ideas on what you'd like to see covered in a
future issue of the Soybean E-Digest, or if you have concerns or
questions about this issue, please write me (John Pocock) at: jpocock@csdigest.com.
Thanks for your readership.
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