Packing A Protein Punch

 

 

 

 

Soybean farmers don’t have to choose between varieties that produce high yields and those with high protein content. Researchers at the University of Arkansas have bred a conventional soybean variety that delivers both.

 

University of Arkansas soybean breeder Pengyin Chen, Ph.D., says the new variety produces soybean meal with over 52 percent protein. The high protein level offers excellent feed efficiency for swine, poultry, beef and aquaculture producers.

 

Chen has been working for about a decade to produce a high-protein variety that didn’t suffer from yield drag.

 

“We have been able to break the linkage to get both yield and high protein,” Chen says. “Higher protein itself has not been hard to work with, but getting good protein with high yield has been a challenge.”

 

The new variety called UA 5814HP, was developed with support from the soy checkoff. It is a maturity-group-V soybean that averaged over 58 bushels per acre in four years of testing across Arkansas. It was also tested across several other southern states, averaging 64 bushels per acre. The variety has been released to the public and Chen says the University of Arkansas is in discussions on possible licensing agreements.

 

Other current varieties can produce high levels of protein without sacrificing yield. To find those varieties, ask your seed dealer or use the soy checkoff’s Soybean Quality Toolbox.

 

Farmers are sometimes paid premiums for raising non-GMO soybeans. Chen is optimistic farmers may be able to receive additional premiums for producing high-protein soybeans.