INVESTING CHECKOFF DOLLARS
VIDEO SERIES HIGHLIGHTS CONSEQUENCES OF FOREIGN MATERIAL IN SOYBEANS
N
orthern Soy Marketing (NSM), the tri-state partnership between the North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota soybean councils, has invested in an educational video series on the potential consequences of delivery of soybeans with high levels of foreign material (FM) to local elevators, as well as larger downstream effects on soybean exports to China. Seth Naeve, Debalin Sarangi, and David Nicolai from the University of Minnesota Extension developed the videos for NSM. Beginning in 2018, Chinese officials began rejecting shipments of soybeans from the U.S. that contain more than 1% FM and contain weed seed listed on their prohibited species list. During trade disputes between China and the U.S., the few shipments of soybeans from the U.S. to China were not overly scrutinized. As soybean exports to China increase, however, China will return to its No. 1 position in soybean trade with the U.S., and increased volume likely will lead to increased inspections.
Overview
FM, including weed seed, corn, and wheat, found in shipments could cause significant hardship for exporters. In order to reduce their risk, it is expected that exporters will push these narrow restrictions onto their suppliers moving forward. Local elevators are likely to impose stringent dockages on incoming loads. Utilizing a systems approach to enable farmers to minimize FM and weed seed in their soybeans provides multiple avenues for returns to farmers. Primarily, reduced FM and weed seed in grain will ensure competitiveness in the global market, supporting pricing. Also, managing herbicide-resistant weeds in-season through harvest enables farmers to reduce weed seed entering the weed-seed bank. This is the first and most critical piece of managing these difficult and costly weeds.
Pre-plant decisions
NSM’s videos provide an overview of this important issue as well as basic information for farmers to manage herbicide-resistant weeds and to keep weed seeds out of their soybeans.
Scan this QR code to view the videos or visit soyquality.com/farmer-resources
Summer Issue 2021
SDSL
Postemergence weed control
35
