high-oleic soybeans high-oleic soybeans

A grower’s guide
to a new crop:
high-oleic
soybeans
A Special Interest Publication By:
Transition.
Transformation.
Our Soybean
Industry’s
Future
Transition. It’s a thought on farmers’ minds throughout the country. It’s cer-
tainly on my mind as I think about the transition of my farm to my two sons. This
special interest publication by Successful Farming magazine is all about transition.
High-oleic soybeans will transition our U.S. soybean industry from a one-sizefits-all commodity, to a system that delivers solutions to our customers and
delivers long-term profitability to us, as farmers.
You’re receiving this special interest publication by Successful Farming magazine because you, personally, can play an integral role in the future of the
soybean industry.
Transformation. U.S. soybean farmers have the opportunity
to transform how our customers see us and transform our longterm demand. We can recapture lost customers, expand into new
markets and put U.S. soy ahead of the competition through
differentiated products.
I encourage you to reach out to your local seed rep or processor
and find out more information about high-oleic soybeans today. Also, spend some time on the soy-checkoff-funded website,
SoyInnovation.com.
May you have a safe harvest in 2014, and I hope you consider growing high-oleic soybeans in 2015.
Sincerely,
Jim Call
United Soybean Board Chairman
Madison, Minnesota
New Crop Raises
Soy Tide
FARMER LEADER SAYS HIGH-OLEIC VARIETIES WILL
BUILD DEMAND AND HELP ALL SOYBEAN FARMERS.
By Gene Johnston
Lewis Bainbridge has seen the painful
decline in demand for soybean oil up close.
The Ethan, South Dakota, farmer is one of
70 farmer members of the United Soybean
Board, the industry
“SOYBEAN OIL organization
that collects your
HAS BEEN
checkoff money. He
LOSING
chairs the Oil AcMARKET
tion Team for USB,
SHARE,
and rebuilding
customer preference
PRIMARILY
for soybean oil has
OVER TRANS
been front and
FATS AND
center.
THEIR ROLE
IN HEART
DISEASE”
The purpose of
the checkoff is to
expand markets for
– Lewis Bainbridge
soybeans, so declining oil demand is particularly perplexing.
“The big issue is trans fat and its role in
heart disease,” Bainbridge says. “It started
with the onset of mandatory labeling about
10 years ago.”
Oil from traditional soybeans, when it
is partially hydrogenated to give it more
stability, has trans fat. It’s considered less
healthful than competitors’ oils. “Well,
it’s time we bring back that lost market,”
Bainbridge declares.
He and other USB members are betting on
high-oleic soybeans as an answer. Due to
innovative plant breeders, the new varieties
eliminate the trans fat issue in the oil. The
stability of the oil in high-heat situations is
increased dramatically without the process
of hydrogenation. It lasts at least twice as
long as traditional soybean oil. That’s good
good for processors
So far, soybean processors have been very
receptive to the new crop. They see opportunities to market the enhanced oil to food
companies, industrial users, and consumers.
“We’re coordinating with processors and
end users as we roll out the program over
the next few years to grow 18 million acres
of high-oleic soybeans,” says Bainbridge.
“It takes a coordinated push-pull effort to
expand acreage and to build demand. We
must prove that we can deliver the crop.
for the food industry and also for industrial
uses such as synthetic motor oils. Also,
saturated fat is reduced by 25% to 50% in
the high-oleic soybean oil.
“I encourage you to grow these soybeans
when they become available in your area.
Your soybean buyers need to see your commitment,” he says.
“After many farmer-led discussions, we
concluded that it’s a no-brainer to invest
in increasing the acreage of high-oleic
soybeans,” Bainbridge says. Checkoff funds
have been committed to expand those acres
and to build markets for the enhanced oil.
good for consumers
The high-oleic soybeans are one of the first
genetically modified soybeans with true
consumer benefits, Bainbridge points out.
It may be a chance to win over consumers
who have been resistant to GMOs. “This
crop can benefit everyone due to its proven
health advantage. That’s a very positive
development,” he says.
Good for all farmers
For farmers who question if it is worth
it, Bainbridge points to an analysis from
QUALISOY, an industry organization that
develops soybean markets. It says when the
high-oleic program comes to fruition, it will
increase soybean income by $3.8 billion a
year for all soybean farmers compared with
current trends.
Bainbridge can’t yet grow the new soybeans
on his South Dakota farm, because the
varieties haven’t been adapted. Right now,
they’re grown on only about 170,000 acres
in the eastern Corn Belt.
It’s one of the biggest projects any farm
group has ever undertaken, he says. “We
have to grow the crop and build demand
for 9 billion pounds of a new, more stable
soybean oil that helps the food industry
make more healthful products. It will be
a total success when all soybean farmers
feel the benefits of a growing market,” he
concludes. •
“Farmers there are very happy with their
high-oleic yields,” he says. “They like the
extra dollars they get for growing them.
“I will grow them as soon as we have the
right varieties for my area and high-oleic
buyers are in place. The checkoff money we
are investing will accelerate expansion of
high-oleic acreage across a wide section of
the country,” he says.
The new soybeans are already helping to
rebuild demand for soybean oil, Bainbridge
believes. “High-oleic soybeans will raise the
tide for all of us,” he predicts.
Lewis Bainbridge
of Ethan, South Dakota
A New
Bean
THERE’S A NEW CROP SOON TO COME
ON YOUR RADAR CALLED HIGH-OLEIC
SOYBEANS. HERE’S WHY IT’S SPECIAL
AND HOW IT WILL MAKE YOU MONEY.
By Gene Johnston
It’s not often in a lifetime that you get a chance to try a brand-new crop.
Here’s that chance – sort of. High-oleic soybeans are still soybeans, but
they are different enough from traditional soybeans that you’ll handle
them like a separate crop. Over the next few years, you may be encouraged by your seed dealer to grow them as a special, contracted crop.
While they look like regular soybeans, they produce a soy oil with three
times more oleic acid. That makes it more functional for both food and
industrial lubricant uses.
You’ll plant the high-oleic soybeans separately from your traditional
soybeans and harvest them separately. They’ll be stored on your farm or
in commercial storage where the identity is preserved. You’ll no more
mix them with traditional soybeans than with corn. For your trouble,
you’ll get a modest premium when you sell.
Working independently, crop scientists at DuPont Pioneer and
Monsanto used gene modifications to add two special qualities to the
oil that is extracted from high-oleic soybeans:
Stability– longer life in high-heat situations.
Healthfulness– less saturated fat and no trans fats.
The United Soybean Board (USB), which collects 0.5% of the value
of every bushel you sell for market development, is giving the new
soybeans a push. Its farmer-leaders feel so strongly about the need
for the enhanced oil profile that they are making a major investment
of your checkoff money to help expand varieties and maturities of
high-oleic soybean seed. Those leaders have set a goal to grow 18
million acres of high oleics – 25% of all soybean acres – by 2023,
starting from just 170,000 acres now.
This high-oleic soybean primer will help you discover more about
this new crop and determine if you will join the bandwagon.
Source: Mark Winkle, USB director of U.S. domestic programs
Why?
Traditional soybeans have about 15% saturated
fat and 25% oleic acid. High-oleic beans have
7% to 11% saturated fat and 72% to 75% oleic
acid. The reduced saturated fat is healthier, and
the higher oleic acid adds the stability factor.
Traditional soybean oil has to be
hydrogenated to extend shelf life or cooking
life, and that chemical process adds arteryclogging trans fats. High-oleic soybean oil
doesn’t have to be hydrogenated, so it has no
trans fats. It also lasts longer in frying situations and has a longer shelf life in baked foods.
HIGH-OLEIC SOYBEAN
OIL DOESN’T HAVE TO
BE HYDROGENATED,
SO IT HAS ZERO TRANS
FAT, LASTS LONGER
IN FRYING SITUATIONS,
AND HAS A LONGER SHELF
LIFE IN BAKED FOODS.
The USB and the seed suppliers will continually engage the marketplace to drive adoption
of the technology with processors.
Yields?
How?
Who?
Monsanto and DuPont Pioneer developed
independent high-oleic soybean varieties.
Monsanto calls its version Vistive Gold;
DuPont Pioneer’s version is called Plenish.
Both are higher in oleic acid, produce more
stable oil, have zero trans fat, and are lower in
saturated fat.
Where?
Currently, the beans are mostly grown in the
eastern Corn Belt. Both DuPont Pioneer and
Monsanto have a history of success with special crops there. That geography will expand
starting next year. The two companies are
using a checkoff investment to expand the variety and maturity-range choices. Right now,
most high-oleic varieties are in the mid-group
3s maturity (southern Corn Belt). That will
expand to mid-2s to low-4s maturity zones
next year and beyond after that. A few western Corn Belt growers will produce high-oleic
soybeans in 2015, and a bigger expansion will
come in 2016 and beyond.
You’ll get seed through normal dealer routes
from Monsanto and DuPont Pioneer. Their
high-oleic varieties will typically be in the elite
traited-seed category. You’ll manage them like
any soybean in the growing season, from pest
control to tillage and planting practices. At
planting or before, your seed dealer will help
you find a processor who will contract to buy
the high-oleic soybeans from you. The contract
will stipulate delivery and pricing options. At
harvest, you will segregate them to preserve
identity and clean equipment to avoid contamination from your traditional soybeans.
How much?
Farmers now are generally getting 40¢ to 80¢
per bushel premium for growing high-oleic
soybeans. That pays for the extra stewardship and management that is invested. It
may stipulate will-call delivery (they tell
you when they want your beans, and you
store until then). Usually, it’s in the winter or
spring after harvest.
Who buys?
For the next few years, the high-oleic soybeans will be used domestically because of the
demand and the amount that can be grown.
Export markets will like the high-oleic beans
for all of the same reasons as domestic users.
Plant breeders have incorporated the higholeic trait into their elite genetics. Farmers
who have grown them confirm that these
soybeans yield as well as traditional soybeans.
There’s no impact on the soybean meal from
high-oleic soybeans. The protein content and
the amino acid profile are the same as traditional soybeans.
Uses?
If the U.S. grows 18 million acres of high-oleic
soybeans in 2023, that will yield about 9
billion pounds of high-oleic oil. It’s estimated
that 6 billion pounds of it will be used in
the food sector; 1.1 billion pounds will go
to industrial uses such as biolubricants. The
remainder will be exported. In food, one major
area is frying oil. Traditional oil for this purpose may last eight to nine hours before being
changed. The stability of high-oleic soybean
oil makes it last two to three times longer, a
major advantage. In industrial uses such as
motor oil, the high-oleic oil adds stability and
longer life, just like in a cooking fryer.
Downsides?
Right now, the downside is regulatory,
particularly in foreign markets. Since high-oleic
soybeans are genetically modified, they have
to be approved for each market. They are approved for U.S. use, but acceptance is pending
in Europe and China. That could come next
year, but, of course, there are no guarantees.
For a few years, the domestic market will
dominate, anyway. •
Plenish ^ high oleic soybeans supply you with high yields and big returns.
®
The genetics and defensive traits of Plenish® high oleic soybeans offer yields comparable to other
elite Pioneer® brand soybeans, plus an added processor-paid premium per bushel for a stronger
bottom line. Talk to your local Pioneer sales professional. Pioneer.com/PlenishContracts
The DuPont Oval Logo is a registered trademark of DuPont. PIONEER® brand products are provided subject to the terms and conditions of purchase which are part of the labeling and purchase documents.
® TM SM
, , Trademarks and service marks of Pioneer. © 2014 PHII. DUPPPL14011VAR1
Make your soybean numbers gush
bu/A
Plenish®
High Oleic Soybeans
Pioneer® Brand
Soybeans
60
50
40
30
20
10
Grain Income
Premium Income
Calculation
Income Potential
57.1 / bu x $10.80 / bu
$616.68
57.1 / bu x $.50 / bu
$ 28.55
Income Opportunity
Source: 2011–13 DuPont Pioneer research plot yield data from 345
observations in Indiana and Ohio depicting an average yield of Plenish
high oleic soybean commercial varieties compared to average yield of
Pioneer brand elite soybean varieties. Product responses are variable
and subject to any number of environmental, disease and pest pressures.
Per Acre1
$645.23
INCOME POTENTIAL EXAMPLE
Source: 2011–13 yield data (57.1 bu average) from Indiana and Ohio.
1
Income potential per acre is calculated with a $10.80 per bushel
Nov. 2014 CBOT soybean price and a processor-paid high oleic premium
of $.50 cents per bushel.
See more at Pioneer.com/PlenishContracts
^ EXPORT APPROVAL NOTICE: This product is fully approved in the United States and Canada. Traits included in these products may or may not be approved in all global markets; therefore, the combination of these traits and the grain and certain byproducts (including oil, dried distillers grain, cobs, and husks) from THESE PRODUCTS MAY NOT BE APPROVED for all markets. Growers that use this product are required and agree to adhere to the stewardship requirements as outlined in the Pioneer
Product Use Guide and product-specific Stewardship Requirements for this product, which include specific grain disposition requirements. For questions regarding product stewardship and biotech traits please contact your sales representative or
refer to www.pioneer.com/stewardship. Growers are required to discuss trait acceptance and grain channeling policies with their local grain handler prior to delivering grain containing biotech traits.
THESE FARMERS HAVE GROWN HIGH-OLEIC
SOYBEANS AND SAY IT’S ALL ABOUT
Customer Service
By Gene Johnston
Matching Up
with the Future
Good for Us,
Good for Them
GARY HAYNES OF MASON, MICHIGAN, is growing high-oleic
soybeans on about 300 acres this year. “I like the fact that
they have potential to make better soy-based lubricants,” he
says. He has a contract to grow them for a local processor,
and the premium is about 80¢ a bushel. “I’m adequately rewarded, but I’m not really growing them for that. It’s a good
idea because it’s good for the industry, with the advanced
qualities of the oil.
LUKE SMITH OF SMITH FAMILY FARMS, ROCHESTER, INDIANA,
“I’ve talked to restaurant people who use cooking oils, and I
often ask what they like. Soybean oil usually is at the top of
their list. They may not understand everything I do to grow
them and all of the issues, and that’s OK. They just have to
be happy with the product, and that’s what I’m trying to do.
Above all else, it’s about having customers who think my
product is healthful and nutritious,” he says.
Haynes’ soybeans are Monsanto’s Vistive Gold brand. “I’m
impressed with how they look, and I see no negatives in performance or yield potential or disease issues,” he says.
His landlord has open bins that Haynes will use for the
Vistive beans to keep them separate from his traditional
soybeans. “It’s not a problem for me. I think in the future just
about everything that’s grown will be identity preserved, so
I am learning how to do it. I’m trying to match up my farm
with the future,” he says.
Luke Smith
of Rochester,
Indiana
has grown the DuPont Pioneer Plenish soybeans each of the
last two years. This year, he has about 800 acres, or half of his
soybean total. “I saw it as an opportunity to do something
good and to get a premium for it,” he says. “One thing I’ve
learned is that there is no yield drag on these soybeans. They
yield right with my best conventional soybeans.”
Smith’s family has a grain elevator in addition to the farm,
and the elevator is a collection point for other farmers growing
the high-oleic soybeans in the area. “We have two grain dumps,
and we can dedicate one of them to only handling the Plenish
soybeans. We don’t run the risk of contamination,” he says.
Smith says his soybean yields generally run between 55 and
60 bushels an acre, and that’s what the Plenish beans have
been. “Last year, I had one whole field that did 64 bushels,
and that was as good as any bean field I had,” he says.
“I like the health aspects of the high-oleic soybeans. They will
have more demand, because the oil has no trans fats. It’s good
for farmers and end users,” he says.
Smith Family Farms probably won’t ever grow all high-oleic
soybeans. Smith says he sells some soybeans early after harvest for cash-flow
“LAST YEAR,
reasons, and he can’t always do that
I HAD ONE
with the Plenish contract.
WHOLE FIELD
THAT DID 64
BUSHELS, AND
THAT WAS AS
GOOD AS ANY
BEAN FIELD
I HAD.”
– Luke Smith
He’s not concerned about identitypreservation problems. “If a practice
makes sense for my farm, I will make it
work,” he says. “I have the technology to
keep the soybeans identified. The combine has the variety locator function on
the computer. When I pull into a field,
it tells me what was planted there.”
They Want it,
I Grow it
The Bean of
the Future
JASON SCOTT OF HURLOCK, MARYLAND, is in his third year of
growing Plenish soybeans from DuPont Pioneer. “I started
with 30 acres, expanded to 250 last year, and have about 400
acres this year,” he says. That’s about 60% of his soybean acres.
JOHN TUTTLE OF BELLE CENTER, OHIO, is growing Monsanto’s
Scott sells his beans to Perdue Farms, which has a soybean
crushing business. “It appears they have a high demand for
the Plenish oil,” he says. “My premium has been 50¢ to 60¢
a bushel.”
Yields have been very comparable to conventional
soybeans, Scott says. “Where I irrigate, I can grow
65 to 70 bushels per acre consistently, and the
Plenish beans have done that. I plant a lot of
double-crop soybeans after a small grain.
If I can get the double-crop beans in by early
July, I can grow 60-bushel soybeans as a
second crop.”
The high-oleic beans are Scott’s first entry into
identity preservation. “I’ve always run a lot of test
plots, so I’m used to cleaning out planters and other
Jason Scott equipment to avoid contamination. It’s not a big deal,” he
of Hurlock, says. This year, he used a grain drill for his conventional
Maryland
soybeans and a planter for the Plenish beans, so it wasn’t
difficult to avoid contamination at planting. At harvest, only
the Plenish soybeans will be stored on the farm.
“My Plenish soybeans are maturity group 3, and most of my
conventional beans are 4s, so it’s easy to see which is which
when harvest comes,” he says.
Scott says he has split fields between Plenish and conventional soybeans. In every case, the Plenish soybeans outyielded
the conventional. “I don’t know if that’s just an accident that
it happened every time, because it was the same genetics
except for the Plenish trait,” he says.
“Some of my soybean customers want healthier oil, and
farmers need to grow it,” he says in support of the high-oleic
crop. “Having no trans fats is a huge selling point. I’m excited
about the potential for these high-oleic soybeans.”
Vistive Gold soybeans for a third year in 2014. “The first year
was a test; the last two years, I’ve been 100% Vistive,” he says.
That’s about 700 acres of soybeans this year, and they are sold
locally to Heritage Co-op, which markets them to processors.
Tuttle’s premium is 60¢ a bushel.
“The first year, I had both Vistive and conventional soybeans. There was no difference in yields,” he says. “Last year, I
didn’t have conventional, but I know my Vistive yielded very
comparable to conventional soybeans in the area. I’m not
losing any yield with them. They are Monsanto’s top genetics
package.”
Tuttle usually stores the high-oleic beans on the farm in a
dedicated bin. Processors usually want them by mid-December, so he doesn’t store for long.
“There are some hoops I have to jump through as far as cleaning out the planter and the combine, but it’s not that bad,” he
says. “Monsanto is very helpful. I clean out the planter and
combine thoroughly between crops
anyway, so it’s not really a change to
“THE FIRST
keep the soybeans pure.”
YEAR, I HAD
BOTH
VISTIVE AND
CONVENTIONAL
SOYBEANS.
THERE WAS NO
DIFFERENCE IN
YIELDS.”
– John Tuttle
While Tuttle says he likes the premium,
he grows Vistive Gold mostly because he
thinks it’s the soybean of the future. “I
want to be a part of that,” he says. “So far,
it’s been a very positive experience.” •
Soybean
Visionary
EXPERT RICHARD GALLOWAY SAYS HIGH OLEIC WILL
TURN DEMAND IN FAVOR OF U.S. SOYBEANS.
By Gene Johnston
RICHARD GALLOWAY IS ONE OF THE SOYBEAN
INDUSTRY’S LEADING EXPERTS ON DEVELOPING
NEW MARKETS FOR “THE MIRACLE CROP.”
Galloway consults extensively with
vegetable oil refining and grain-handling
industries. The president of Galloway and
Associates LLC is currently lead consultant
for two initiatives of the USB:
1. Improving the nutritional value of soybean oil and soybean meal.
2. Increasing protein and oil levels of
soybeans.
In association with the soybean checkoff, he
is a consultant to QUALISOY, a collaborative effort among the soybean industry
to develop and market trait-enhanced
soybeans, including high oleic.
Successful Farming® recently visited with
him about the high-oleic future.
SUCCESSFUL FARMING: Why are
farmers now hearing about the
new high-oleic soybeans?
GALLOWAY: The high-oleic soy
(HOS) is superior to traditional
soy oil in some applications for two
reasons. The first is functionality.
HOS has among the highest stability ratings of all the liquid highstability oils available, comparing very
favorably with partially hydrogenated
oil that has been relied upon in the past.
Soybean oil contains natural antioxidants
that are not prevalent in competing oils.
The other reason is nutritional value. HOS
is among the lowest in total saturated fat,
and it’s rich in monounsaturated fat. The
high-oleic trait does not contribute trans fat
to food products, as does partially hydrogenated oil.
QUALISOY is undertaking an extensive battery of functionality testing and
food-sensory evaluations. When completed
in 2015, this will provide food companies interested in a high-stability oil with
independent, third-party information on
which they can rely without question. It will
ultimately bring more demand for farmers
to grow the high-oleic soybeans.
SF: What is the potential of HOS over
the next few years?
GALLOWAY: Acreage will grow to as much as
7 million across 14 states within five years.
When seed availability has been expanded
to its maximum capability, HOS beans will
be grown in up to 24 states and over 18 million acres. This will make HOS the fourth
biggest row crop in U.S. agriculture after
corn, traditional soybeans, and wheat.
At that point, it is not a specialty soybean;
it’s a totally different commodity for both
the American farmer and for industry. The
broad area in which HOS will be grown
assures an adequate supply at a competitive
price from crop year to crop year.
SF: Will market outlets be in place to
support that many new acres of HOS?
GALLOWAY: This industry is supported by
63 soybean crushing plants that produce
20 billion pounds of soybean oil every
year. The extensive infrastructure assures
availability, competitiveness, and a supply
chain that is very manageable. By 2024, I
expect the food industry in North America
to be using over 6 billion pounds of HOS
oil, with another 3 billion pounds utilized
in nonfood applications and exports.
SF: When we get to 18 million acres of
the high-oleic soybeans, how will that
compare to other competing high-oleic
vegetable oils?
SF: Farmers who already grow the HOS
receive premiums of about 50¢ a bushel.
Will that go higher as demand builds?
GALLOWAY: No. Direct premiums to con-
tract high-oleic soybeans will likely decline
over the years, as many markets transition
to be dominated by HOS volume. The real
value to farmers is in increasing overall
demand for soybean oil in both edible and
industrial uses where it is not demanded
now. This substantial increase in demand
will result in higher prices for soybeans,
whether high oleic or traditional.
SF: HOS beans are genetically modified.
With this being an output trait that
enhances nutritional quality, might HOS
turn some of the anti-GMO tide?
GALLOWAY: This is the first output trait for
soybeans, and it should be interpreted as an
argument for the value of biotechnology in
agriculture. •
GALLOWAY: Due to its expected superior
functionality and the fact that it will be
grown and the oil refined so close to consumption (that is, in the U.S.), it should be
expected to be the dominant high-stability
liquid oil in the country.
Science Rules
GALLOWAY: That would be high-oleic
Science rules the day with new farm
technology, and that’s especially true
with the high-oleic soybeans coming
from Monsanto and DuPont Pioneer.
Their plant breeders have been developing independent high-oleic varieties
in the last 10 years.
SF: Will South America be a big com-
Steve Schnebly, senior research manager for Pioneer, says, “We’re dealing
with a biological process that we
take one step at a time. Our Plenish
soybean varieties need to perform on
par with what farmers grow today
and will grow in the future.”
SF: Which oil is the biggest competitor
to HOS in food applications?
canola oil for general frying, palm oil for
frying shortenings, and olive oil, sunflower
oil, safflower oil, and peanut oil for highend specialty uses. I expect soy to be priced
much lower than most of its competitors
once the market is mature.
petitor to grow HOS, just like it is with
conventional soybeans?
SF: Why not just go for 100% high-
He says the goal is to get the
high-oleic trait into varieties that
have the full defensive package of
traits: sudden death syndrome tolerance, phytophthora resistance, soybean cyst nematode resistance, and
herbicide tolerance. “Our customers
expect those traits, so we’re building
them into our Plenish varieties. We’re
very confident they will perform at
the highest level of yield,” he says.
GALLOWAY: I think this is unlikely, at least
for many years. Traditional soybeans serve
a very large market really well, certainly
over half of U.S. edible oil consumption.
Even though there will be 18 million
acres devoted to HOS, there will still be
demand for over 60 million acres of traditional soybeans. That’s solidly in second
place behind corn as the top row crop in
the U.S.
Up to now, high-oleic soybeans have
been grown in Ohio, Indiana, and
Delmarva (Delaware, Maryland, and
Virginia). Schnebly says they will
expand the Plenish offering to more
maturity groups. “We’ve enlarged
our testing footprint to enable processor expansion into new growing
areas in the future,” he says. “We
will continue to integrate the Plenish trait into new germplasm in our
normal breeding process.”
GALLOWAY: The South American agricultur-
al infrastructure is not well suited to crops
that require segregation. Their competitive
advantage (besides the export tax policy) is
high volume and low price. No, the U.S. will
dominate the global production of HOS
liquid high-stability oil.
oleic soybeans, if they are equal in yield
and superior for end users?
Monsanto has been going through a
similar development and testing process with its Vistive Gold high-oleic
soybeans. Soybean breeding lead
Warren Kruger says, “We’ve spent
a lot of time researching the value
of the high-oleic trait. It’s a unique
trait that gives us an opportunity to
regain market share for soybean oil
in the food industry.
“Not just that, these soybeans can
help us build new industrial uses for
the oil.”
Kruger says Monsanto would only
invest a decade of time and resources into a product like Vistive
Gold if it sees great value to growers, the rest of the soybean value
chain, and to consumers, as well.
Farmers who grow the Vistive
Gold soybeans will find competitive performance to top-yielding
commodity soybeans, he says.
“We have gone to great lengths
to make the grower experience
a positive one. We’ve brought
the full breadth of our molecular
breeding technology to this new
trait. Vistive Gold soybeans have
to give the highest performance
and be higher in composition and
value.
“They also have to give growers
access to whatever new germplasm
and trait platforms come in the
future,” Kruger says. •
Doctor’s
Orders
FOOD EXPERTS WEIGH IN ON THE NEW SOY OIL. IT’S A
VERY BIG DEAL WITH FOOD COMPANIES AND CONSUMERS.
By Gene Johnston
DIETITIANS AND FOOD EXPERTS SAY THE
NEW HIGH-OLEIC SOYBEANS YOU’LL GROW
IN THE FUTURE ARE JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR
ORDERED.
Lisa Katic is a dietitian and owner of K
Consulting, a nutrition policy consulting
firm. First, she says, don’t forget that soybean oil has always been a good, preferred
product. “As a cooking oil, it is long known
for its quality and taste. It has a good nutrition profile, and it is the number one source
of vitamin E in our diets. It’s plentiful and
readily available for all cooking applications,” she says.
It does have a major weakness, however. To
create stability, or lasting power, it has to
be hydrogenated. “When you hydrogenate,
you make it a little more solid by adding
hydrogen to the chemical makeup,” says
Katic. “When you do that, you create trans
fat in the finished product. It turns out that
the trans fat is more detrimental to health
than we used to think. It may contribute to
heart disease.”
Just a few years ago, food regulators decided
that trans fat levels had to be listed on food
labels, and that’s when demand for soybean
oil began to suffer. Some food companies
have turned to sunflower, peanut, canola,
safflower, and olive oil because of the trans
fat issue. The problem with those alternatives is that they are less plentiful and more
expensive than soybean oil. They also may
have a different taste that carries into the
cooked foods. “Soybean oil has a relatively
neutral taste that makes it very desirable,”
says Katic. “Sometimes, food companies
blend oils to get what they want.”
The negativity about soybean oil and trans
fat goes away with the new high-oleic
soybean oil. The saturated fats are lower,
and the increased oleic acid gives it more
stability and shelf life without hydrogenation. That’s good for frying uses, where the
high-oleic oil has two to three times longer
fry life than conventional soybean oil. It’s
also good in baking uses like crackers or
cookies that may sit in transit or on a shelf
in a grocery store for a while.
Katic has tasted foods and snacks made
with high-oleic soybean oil, and it has the
same neutral taste as traditional soybean oil.
“It’s a great-tasting cooking oil,” she says.
Now, she says, the challenge is to create the
new, healthier soybeans in sufficient quantities for food companies. “If farmers can do
that, then I’m confident the demand for this
oil will be there. For consumers, believe me,
this is a big deal. They’ll get a product with
no trans fat and with all the good flavor
characteristics,” she says.
“In my world, I hear, ‘Give us healthier
food.’ I don’t know if farmers hear that
message, but when I talk to producers, I tell
them to get on this bandwagon,” she says.
Marilyn Schorin, a dietitian and consultant
to food companies at Schorin Strategies,
echoes Katic. There are three things that are
paramount with food companies when it
comes to cooking oil:
1. Taste. Soybean oil, with its neutral
taste, doesn’t change the food itself.
2. Usability. Restaurants, especially,
want a cooking oil that is stable, can be
reused, and has a long shelf life.
3. Health. They want no trans
fat issues.
“Soybean oil has to compete with two
major oils: canola oil and olive oil,” says
Schorin. “Neither is as plentiful as soybeans,
and olive oil has a significant cost disadvantage. Canola also has to be hydrogenated
for some uses.”
Although high-oleic soybeans are genetically modified, Schorin is not convinced that
issue will influence consumer choices. “This
is a better oil with the taste they like and
with strong health benefits. We’ll have to
see what happens if GMO labeling requirements come to pass,” she says.
Her message is simple. “High-oleic soybeans present farmers with an opportunity
to get at the forefront of what everyone
in the food industry – from consumers
to food companies to government health
agencies – has said it wants: healthier
choices,” she says. •
The yield you want, the demand you need – that’s high oleic.
With high oleic soybeans, you can take back the market share you lost to canola and other crops. High oleic are
top-performing varieties packed with innovation your end-use customers want. From supermarket food brands to
restaurant chains, high oleic soybeans offer you more market opportunities. Grow it now, and you grow your profitability.
Talk to your local seed rep for the best varieties in your area or visit SoyInnovation.com
Funded by the soy checkoff.
PRESORTED STANDARD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PEWAUKEE, WI
PERMIT NO. 620
The yield you want, the demand
you need – that’s high oleic.
High oleic soybeans are the top-performing
varieties packed with innovation your end-use
customers want. For industrial users, high oleic
provides higher heat stability for a renewable
alternative to petroleum products. For you,
high oleic offers more market opportunities.
Grow it now, and you grow your profitability.
Talk to your local seed rep for the best varieties
in your area or visit SoyInnovation.com
Funded by the soy checkoff.