2 minute read
Specialty Soybeans
SOYBEANS SPECIALTY
CONSIDER ALL THE CHALLENGES
BY SCOTT NELSON
Significant opportunities exist for farmers to grow and market specialty soybeans. Food companies and grain marketers are always looking for farmers to grow identity-preserved soybeans including non-GMO, high protein, food-grade and organic.
By far, the biggest demand for premium soybeans is for non-gmo soybeans marketed to places like Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Europe and South Korea. Premiums range for production of specialty soybeans and in 2019 many farmers are receiving a $1.50 premium per bushel for their non-gmo production.
Consider the following topics when producing specialty soybeans.
Scott Nelson, ISA Director of Agronomy
Photo: Joseph L. Murphy/Iowa Soybean Association
Timing
One of the biggest pitfalls of raising premium soybeans is timing. Contractors usually announce their programs from early to late winter. This often occurs after farmers have already made seed and input purchases. If you think you might have interest in a premium soybean program, try to remain flexible in your crop input purchases until you can see what premium opportunities arise.
Controlling weeds
Some farmers object to raising non-GMO soybeans due to fear that they cannot control weeds without non-selective herbicides (Liberty, glyphosate, dicamba, 2,4-D) and herbicide resistant traits. This may be true for some fields, but keep in mind that most weed control programs involving herbicideresistant traits depend heavily upon conventional chemistry. For example, optimum weed control involving non-selective herbicides requires a pre-emergence herbicide application along with a postemergence residual herbicide to control late emerging weeds. Given the dependence on conventional herbicides using herbicide resistant traits, many farmers find they can economically control weeds without non-selective herbicides. This is especially the case for farmers that invest in cover crops as they provide some weed suppression and simplify the weed spectrum.
Herbicide programs
Carefully shop and plan conventional herbicide programs when growing non-GMO soybeans. Costs for a complete conventional program could be higher than when producing soybeans with herbicide-resistant traits. While the development of new herbicide modes of action and weed seed destroyers portend a bright future for non-GMO soybeans, it will require at least five years for these new technologies to be realized.
One benefit of growing specialty soybeans is that seed costs are often less compared to GMO varieties.
Photo: Joseph L. Murphy/Iowa Soybean Association
Limited varieties
Another challenge in raising specialty soybeans is a limited choice of varieties. Some seed companies offer high-yielding, nonGMO varieties while others do not. Research has indicated that some high-protein varieties of soybeans yield equivalent to conventional soybeans while there can be a yield penalty in other varieties. Farmers just beginning to grow specialty soybeans could limit the acres they contract until they become more comfortable with their variety choices. One benefit of growing specialty soybeans is that seed costs are often less compared to GMO-varieties.
Storage
When raising specialty soybeans, especially non-GMO, grain harvester, truck and storage bin clean out is especially important. Loads of nonGMO soybeans can be rejected if a presence of GMO-soybeans is detected and grain marketers have different levels of purity they will accept.
Transportation
Trucking specialty soybeans can be an additional cost in raising specialty soybeans. Carefully consider your time and trucking costs to the grain receiver to determine if a specialty contract is right for you.
