Growing the Game Changer in Soybean Traits

High-oleic soybeans drive potential for soy oil customers and farmers alike

Ohio soybean farmer John Motter took a chance in 2011 and grew a variety with a brand-new soybean trait: high-oleic oil. Industry representatives call the high-oleic trait the “game changer” for U.S. soybeans because it offers an improved oil that the food industry needs, which in return boosts demand for U.S. soybean oil. Motter, a soybean checkoff farmer-leader from Jenera, Ohio, planted high-oleic soybeans and recently commented on their performance at a field day he hosted.

Q. What do high-oleic soybeans mean for U.S. soybean farmers?
A. “The high-oleic trait represents the future. We need to embrace the technology as soon as we can because the food industry is asking for this product. This is the bean of the future, and it’s important for growers to know what’s coming their way.”

Q. What made you decide to try high-oleic soybeans?
A. “The high-oleic trait is new this year. As a farmer-leader, I wanted to show these varieties to the soybean farmers around me and share my story. High-oleic soybeans are a new trait that can help us recapture some of the edible-oil market for soybeans. It creates demand for our soybean oil, and that’s always good. The greater the demand, the greater the potential for a higher price per bushel. It’s good for the U.S. soybean industry to create more demand for our products.”

Q. Do the high-oleic soybeans offer what you need in your field?
A. “With the high-oleic trait, the seed companies are still putting the same genetic package together. They are using the same traits, like Roundup Ready, and the same disease-resistant package that’s adapted to my area. The only thing different about this variety is it has a different oil trait. So far, these varieties are performing as good as, if not better than, the other soybeans I grow on my farm.”