National Soybean Research Laboratory Bulletin

The NSRL Bulletin is published three times a year by the National Soybean Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois, 170 National Soybean Research Center, 1101 W. Peabody Drive, Urbana, IL 61801; telephone (217)244-1706; e-mail nsrl@uiuc.edu; FAX (217)244-1707. Steven T. Sonka, director; Robert J. Wynstra, editor; David Riecks, photographer; Lynn Hawkinson Smith, graphic designer.

Unless otherwise stated, articles may be reproduced or quoted if credit is given to the NSRL Bulletin. The National Soybean Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois is an affirmative action and equal opportunity institution.

Wayne Pedersen, plant pathologist at the National Soybean Research Laboratory,views pathogen spores through a microscope prior to inoculation. The culture is used to infect soybean plants as a way of studying the mechanisms of resistance to Phytophthora root rot.

During the past ten years, the number of soybean acres planted to no-till has risen dramatically. Even though there are definite benefits to the soil-saving properties of no-till, there also has been a price to pay in terms of changing disease management programs.

Under no-till, the crop residues act as a mulch layer, which helps insulate the soil. As a result, the soils in no-till fields are usually cooler and wetter at planting. Those conditions are particularly favorable for the Pythium fungus, which can cause seed rot and seedling blight.

On soybeans, even light infection on the root tip may cause plants to lose early season growth and remain smaller than non-infected plants throughout much of the early season. These stress conditions also make it harder for plants to withstand infection from other fungi, such as Phytophthora, Rhizoctonia, and Fusarium. The problem of disease control has been compounded even more by identification of several new races of Phytophthora.

To stay ahead of these disease problems, Wayne Pedersen, plant pathologist at the National Soybean Research Laboratory, is searching for new sources of resistance to Phytophthora and studying the mechanisms of resistance. Through the use of a technique known as fluorescence microscopy, he has been following the infection of soybean plants by Phytophthora, with the aim of determining when and how a specific resistance gene functions.

"By selecting genes that have different modes of action, it should be possible to pyramid several resistant genes into a single variety," Pedersen says. "With several genes with different modes of action, resistance should be more durable over a longer period of time."

Both Pythium and Phytophthora reduce plant stands by killing the seedlings as they emerge from the soil. This can result in large gaps in the stand, thereby reducing yields and increasing weed problems. To better understand this process, Pedersen has been cooperating with weed and crop scientists in a project to evaluate the interaction between plant densities, pre- and post-emergence herbicides, and seedling blights.

"This research has demonstrated the importance of having a uniform plant stand to insure both high yield and reduced weed pressure," he says. "It also has demonstrated a yield reduction associated with post-emergence herbicides and a corresponding increase in Rhizoctonia root rot."

Pedersen also is evaluating several other strategies for reducing disease problems associated with no-till, including identification of varieties with high seedling vigor that can tolerate adverse temperature and moisture and the use of seed treatments such as Apron. He further has been cooperating with other scientists on a project to develop a soybean production system for precision agriculture.

"A commercial field was mapped for low wet areas and for soil characteristics using GPS technology," he says. "A soybean planter was modified so that a fungicide could be applied in-furrow and the sprayer could be controlled on the tractor. The operator then could selectively apply the fungicide only in the low wet areas of the field."

During the past growing season, Pedersen and his research team applied the fungicide in strips and evaluated different areas of the field with a yield monitor. They found that the addition of the fungicide in-furrow was effective in the low wet areas but provided no benefit on the well-drained areas.

"Currently growers must decide if they want to use a fungicide when they purchase the seed or they can add a hopperbox treatment at planting," he says. "The fungicide is applied as a seed treatment across the entire field. This alternative method will allow growers to decide if they need a fungicide and then apply it only as needed."

Pedersen expects to link this fungicide application to a GPS system during field trials in the next growing season. He further plans to expand his research to focus on the interactions between herbicides and plant diseases.

"Dealing with new disease problems that result from changes in tillage practices will require an integrated approach," he says. "By looking at a number of different management practices, we hope to find the best combinations that will allow producers to better control soybean diseases while continuing to reduce erosion of our soils."

Research on Phytoestrogens in Soybeans Could Have Impact on Swine Industry

Soybeans contain estrogen-like compounds known as isoflavones that have been shown to have physiological effects when eaten by humans and animals. In humans, these phytoestrogens can reduce susceptibility to cancer, lower serum cholesterol, and control symptoms of menopause. They also appear to affect reproduction in livestock.

And, according to Todd Winters, assistant professor in the Department of Animal Science, Food and Nutrition at Southern Illinois University (SIU), greater understanding of these compounds may well hold the key for soy products to reach their full potential in the marketplace.

"Research focusing on the effects of phytoestrogens on reproduction in animals should help provide the knowledge base necessary to manipulate their concentrations in soybeans," Winters says. "Such research has great potential to expand the markets for soy products, especially within the growing phytopharmaceutical industry."

During a recent seminar sponsored by the National Soybean Research Laboratory, Winters presented details of research underway at SIU on chemical and genetic analysis of these compounds and their effects on swine reproduction. Primary funding for the project comes from the Illinois Council on Food and Agricultural Research (C-FAR). Additional support is provided by SIU's Office of Research Development and Administration and by the Illinois Soybean Checkoff Board.

"We hope to identify the beneficial or detrimental effects that soy phytoestrogens may have on animal reproduction," Winters says. "Effects on parameters such as litter size may have great economic significance in swine. Once these effects are sorted out, soybean varieties could be bred or genetically engineered to produce beneficial phytoestrogens."

The overall goal is to characterize phytoestrogen production in different varieties of soybeans and to determine their effect on mammalian reproductive function. Specific aims include isolation of phytoestrogens in seeds derived from 11 varieties of soybeans and identification of molecular markers in the soybean that would be linked to genes controlling phytoestrogen profiles in those varieties. Additional efforts will focus on in-vitro and in-vivo testing to confirm the effects of these compounds on reproduction.

"Achieving these objectives would be economically beneficial to swine and soybean producers by making pork production more efficient and by increasing the utilization and demand of soy products in the swine industry," Winters says.

Preliminary results have identified differences between two varieties of soybeans for three of the genes that are important in biosynthesis of phytoestrogens. Chemical analysis and further genetic studies of these varieties are underway at the SIU laboratories.

"This genetic and chemical information could then be used in plant breeding to control the levels of phytoestrogens produced by soybeans," Winters says.

He further points out that estrogens have been shown to affect ovarian function and early embryonic development. Winters suggests that phytoestrogens in soybean meal could positively affect ovulation rate and embryonic survival in swine, thus increasing litter size.

"An average increase of one pig per litter nationwide would allow us to produce 17 million more market pigs to meet expanding world needs," he says. "In addition, a positive influence from soy phytoestrogens on reproduction would increase demand to isolate those compounds."

Winters adds, however, that there also may be detrimental effects from phytoestrogens on sexual differentiation and reproduction. In either case, information from this research would be useful in the breeding of soybean varieties that have been characterized for production of these compounds.

"Each year Illinois produces nearly 6 million hogs and pigs," he says. "The state also ranks at the top for soybean production in the U.S. Therefore, our research examining the effects of soy products on swine reproduction could have a direct impact on agriculture in Illinois."

A participant at the workshop in Trinidad on soybean utilization in the Caribbean basin takes time out from the general session to attend a major exhibit of soy products and processing equipment. The workshop, co-sponsored by the International Soybean Program at the University of Illinois, attracted more than 80 participants from 19 countries.

The Central American and Caribbean region recently has emerged as one of the leading export markets for U.S. soybean products. Mexico, in particular, has made significant progress in using soybean products for its rapidly expanding food and livestock industries. In 1995, the entire region imported more than one million metric tons of soybeans, soybean meal, and soybean oil from the United States alone.

To help promote increased use of soybeans in animal feed and food systems across the Caribbean basin, the International Soybean Program (INTSOY) at the University of Illinois recently organized a major regional workshop in Trinidad on soybean processing and utilization. The event was co-sponsored by the Continuing Engineering Education Center, University of the West Indies, Trinidad and the Department of Agricultural Economics, Panamerican School of Agriculture, Honduras.

"This was an opportune time to examine the soybean industry in the region and assess the current status and opportunities for further development," says Wilmot Wijeratne, INTSOY director. "We especially wanted to identify problems that constrain soybean processing, marketing, and use in the Caribbean basin and then determine some practical solutions."

More than 80 participants from 19 countries across the area, as well as from the United States and Canada, attended the three-day workshop. Those in attendance included representatives from crushing companies, feed manufacturers, food industries, equipment suppliers, research and educational institutions, financial institutions, and non-government agencies.

Primary funding for the workshop was provided by the Illinois Soybean Checkoff Board. Additional contributions came from the United Soybean Board and participating U.S. agribusinesses. Logistic support was provided by the Continuing Engineering Education Center, University of the West Indies.

The general session on the first day was devoted to invited speakers who presented regional and global perspectives on the food and feed industry and trade issues. The keynote speech for the event was presented by Keith L. Andrews, director of the Panamerican School of Agriculture, Honduras.

In addition to the general sessions, the first day featured the opening of an extensive exhibition of soybean products, equipment, and services. This three-day event provided ample opportunities for participants to interact with potential suppliers and to establish mutually beneficial business linkages. Following the opening events, participants on the second day divided into three groups to focus on areas of special interest. Each group was charged with identifying major problems and reaching a consensus on possible solutions.

On the third day, the three breakout groups presented the results of their discussions to the general session. The organizers used these reports as the basis for the final recommendations from the workshop. At the last general session, the participants agreed on the need for a regional association of businesses and institutions in order to foster further development of the soybean industry in the region.

Recommendations from the participants for further action included introduction of soy products into traditional foods and markets, formation of a regional soybean association, and promotion of the health benefits and taste of soy products already on the market. The group also called for increased training sessions for using soy in animal feed systems and the establishment of technological demonstrations through the extension services.

In areas of trade and policy issues, the breakout groups called for government and private sector support for research and extension programs aimed at adapting technology to local conditions. They also recommended strong promotion of activities that would help make consumers aware of soy products and their benefits.

"The feedback from the participants was overwhelmingly positive," Wijeratne says. "It was agreed that the University of the West Indies and the Panamerican School of Agriculture, as the two regional organizers of the workshop, would take the lead in following up on the group's final recommendations."

Quality complaints by foreign grain buyers have been quoted as far back as 750 B.C. by the Biblical prophet Amos. Even today many foreign buyers of corn and soybeans continue to complain about foreign material and the moisture content of shipments from the United States.

Lowell D. Hill, L.J. Norton Professor
of Agricultural Marketing

Exporters, however, respond that foreign purchasers can buy any quality they want as long as they are willing to pay a fair price. They say the real problem is that those buyers simply will not pay for better quality and are trying to improve their bargaining position by criticizing the quality of U.S. exports.

But, according to Lowell Hill, L.J. Norton Professor of Agricultural Marketing in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics at the University of Illinois, loss of quality occurs between origin and destination due to handling. Recent studies that followed several shipments overseas confirmed that the quality at loading usually was better than specifications.

However, quality at the destination often was one or two grades lower than the origin certificate. These results serve to discredit the claims that quality problems are caused by high prices or a search for negotiating position by the foreign buyers.

Exporters have sometimes stated that foreign buyers will not pay for better quality and that offers of better quality at higher prices have been rejected. As a result, some in the industry question whether prices reflect differences in quality and see little reason for making any improvements in quality.

"If price and quality are truly independent, then quality and grades would be irrelevant and we should abandon efforts to increase oil and protein contents, change seed size, or lower maximum foreign matter limits to #2 grade," Hill says. "Finding the correct answer to this question is absolutely essential."

Hill presented these and other views on the issue of whether soybean quality is rewarded in the marketplace during a recent seminar at the National Soybean Research Laboratory. As holder of the first endowed chair in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, he is internationally known for his leadership in research on grain marketing, grain quality, trade, and exports. His research has resulted in numerous changes for the benefit of the grain industry and grain producers.

Hill notes that, based on the principles of competitive markets, a higher value product should command a higher price. Processors should bid against one another to gain a profit advantage until prices reach an equilibrium, where price equals value for the full range of qualities.

"That's a very gratifying theory, but does it really explain the prices paid by the multinational companies located around the world?," he says. "Also, does it explain why soybeans from Brazil are commanding a higher price than soybeans from the United States?"

Based on extensive data from shipments to Rotterdam from Brazil, Argentina, and the United States during 1988-1994, results show that there is a clear premium for soybeans delivered from Brazil. Quality data show a clear advantage in oil content for Brazil, while protein differences are more variable. Data also confirm that foreign matter differences among countries are the reflection of contract terms, not handling breakage.

In contrast, U.S. quality is superior on several factors, including damage, free fatty acid, moisture, and test weight. When all these factors are considered, Brazil's advantage is much less than had been previously identified. Given that information Hill was able to calculate the value of each vessel from each country.

"The results indicate that quality is rewarded in the market place--not with explicit premiums but through bids and counter bids," he says. "If the value of U.S. soybeans are improved, they will command higher prices in the market place by virtue of competition among buyers."

He points out that genetic changes that improve the value of the soybean will be rewarded in aggregate. This means that individual producers are not likely to see higher prices unless the oil and protein contents are measured at the time the producers delivers their soybeans to the country elevator or the first handler. As result, payment according to value requires component pricing to reward composition.

"The ability to respond to this market opportunity is restricted by lack of information at the producer level about the true value of the product being delivered and the lack of rewards for any improvement other than the specific factors included in the grades," Hill says. "Our challenge is to combine both research and extension and find a way to incorporate more accurate information about value into the daily pricing strategies of the marketing firms."

This issue of the Bulletin marks an important step in the evolution of the NSRL. Effective on January 6, 1997, I assumed dual roles as Director of the NSRL and as the Soybean Industry Chair for Agricultural Strategy. In the first of these roles, I will benefit greatly from the able leadership that Jim Sinclair has provided as interim NSRL director.

I especially want to express my appreciation for everything that Jim has contributed during the last four years. During that brief period, the NSRL has made significant strides in becoming a catalyst for enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the entire soybean industry. These strides could not have been accomplished without his tireless and inspired efforts. As a faculty colleague, I have continually been impressed with Jim's dedication to the NSRL and the industry, as well as to his own active research program.

Under his leadership, the NSRL has played a key role in fostering interchange between researchers and soybean industry decision makers on major problems facing the sector. The rapid response to identification of soybean rust in Hawaii serves as an excellent example of how the NSRL has fulfilled that role.

That response included organizing a workshop of scientific experts to inventory the state of knowledge on the disease and to examine possible measures to prevent its spread. The summary results of the meeting were immediately disseminated through the StratSoy electronic information system, while the full proceedings were published for the scientific community as part of the NSRL publication series. Over the last four years, the NSRL also has served as home for a number of important research programs, as well as a meeting place for regional, national, and international visitors and organizations.

All of this has been accomplished under the guidance of a vibrant and forward-looking mission statement and six specific strategic objectives. The statement emphasizes the role of the NSRL in helping to expand the scope, size, and profitability of the U.S. soybean industry by providing strategic information and support for effective decision making. This statement of intent was developed in conjunction with our External Advisory Committee. The mission statement, as have Jim's leadership efforts in total, forms a solid foundation for the continued evolution of the NSRL's contributions to the industry.

Recognizing that strategic vision and focus is critical to all agricultural industries, the Illinois Soybean Checkoff Board established the Soybean Industry Chair for Agricultural Strategy. Supported by a $1.25 million endowment, the Chair's activities will focus on developing strategic information and tools that will better enable decision makers to craft their strategic futures. As holder of the Chair and as director of the NSRL, I will continue to be guided by the mission statement and objectives created by Jim and the External Advisory Committee.

To achieve those objectives, the NSRL will need to continually strive to excel in its role of fostering interchange between researchers and the soybean industry on key current and future challenges and opportunities. Success in that undertaking will require input from as many sources as possible. I urge anyone with specific comments or suggestion to call me at (217)244-1706 or send an e-mail message at s-sonka@uiuc.edu.

VOL. 4, No. 1, February 1997

In This Issue