As Minnesota gears up for another soybean harvest, the University of Minnesota (UMN) is encouraging farmers to send soybean samples to test soybean quality.

“Sending these samples will help the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council (MSR&PC), UMN and the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) measure the full value of the oil, protein and amino acids in Minnesota’s soybean bushels,” says Minnesota Soybean Director of Market Development Kim Nill. “This information is valuable when marketing our beans abroad and the report generated is one of the most trusted documents around the world.”

Farmers will receive a resealable plastic bag and pre-addressed return envelope to gather the soybean sample. UMN will, then, analyze the soybean sample and send back individual, confidential results to all participants. The data will be analyzed and reported in aggregated statics in the report. These results will aid in encouraging overseas soy buyers to purchase northern U.S. soybeans due to their higher Essential Amino Acid (EAA) concentration through the development of a Soybean Quality Report.

“The samples farmers and agribusinesses send back are critical to helping soybean checkoff researchers track feed and oil value and support sales-building activities with customers around the world,” Nill says. “Sending in a soybean sample is an easy way to showcase the hard work farmers do every day to continue producing the highest quality soybeans.”

If you have not received a sampling packet before and would like to participate in the study, please contact Seth Naeve, UMN extension agronomist, at naeve002@umn.edu or (612) 819-2338.

All soybean samples need to be mailed by Oct. 23, 2020 to:

University of Minnesota
411 Borlaug Hall
1991 Upper Buford Circle
St. Paul, MN 55108-6024