|
 All
good things must come to an end, including these projects
funded by the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board:
Production of high-quality seed of Maturity Group
IV soybeans using planting date, foliar fungicides and
Phomopsis seed decay resistance. -John Rupe
Rupe, a University of Arkansas plant pathologist,
says this was a study of factors affecting seed quality
of Maturity Group IV soybeans. It identified practices
that improve the chances of producing good seed.
"Group IV and other early maturing varieties were
developed in northern states and are adapted to a cooler
climate," noted Rupe. "They lack genetic resistance
to a common fungus that causes Phomopsis seed decay
in warmer climates."
The study found that:
- Mid- to late-May planting produces
the best seed quality.
- The further north, the better
the chance for good seed quality.
- Benomyl is marginally
effective in fields with a history of Phomopsis seed
decay.
- Even with May planting in northern counties and the
use of Benomyl, seed quality of Group IV varieties will
vary from year to year due to weather.
New carbon absorbents from soy hulls for the chemical,
food and water purification industries. -Andy Proctor
A ton of soy hulls, worth $20 to $100, can produce
400 pounds of activated carbon, potentially worth $8,000,
using a process developed by the University of Arkansas.
Proctor and fellow food scientist Ravin Gnanasambandam
developed a process for converting hulls to a carbon
absorbent material for industrial use. The project received
the 1999 American Oil Chemists Society's Archer Daniels
Midland Research Award.
Large amounts of activated carbon are used as an absorbent
in industrial processes such as purifying water, processing
petrochemical products and making cosmetics or pharmaceuticals.
"The challenge now is to take this new technology to
commercialization," Proctor said in his final report.
"We are working with Scientific Ag Industries, a manufacturer
of activated carbon from only renewable resources. Due
to the large amount of soy hulls available, the company
is optimistic about the future of this soy application."
Creating new consumer products from soy lecithin
for the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.
-Andy Proctor
Foods rich in medium chain triglycerides (MCT) are
needed by many people who can't digest fats and oils
in conventional foods. Checkoff funds supported a project
led by U of A food scientists Andy Proctor and Jean-Francois
Muellenet to develop soy lecithin as a stabilizer in
MCT food products and for other potential uses.
Proctor said Abitec Corp. is looking at lecithin-based
formulations of MCT yogurt, milk shakes and ice cream
products.
"Abitec is exploring the potential for marketing the
lecithin formulations to MCT food manufacturers. These
formulations are readily adapted to development of nutritional
foods for the medical and sports foods markets," said
Proctor.
"Soy lecithin is also very effective in creating stabilized
MCT emulsions for cosmetic products and as a potential
carrier for pharmaceuticals."
Soybean production management alternatives under
full flexibility. -Robert Coats
Coats, a U of A economist, noted that the 1996 Farm
Bill gave producers the flexibility to plant commodities
to optimize their farm income. But any hope of increased
profitability was shattered by the start of the global
financial crisis in 1997.
"The crisis deflated our commodity prices and reduced
our ability to compete in export markets," Coats says.
Using USDA and actual farm figures, Coats estimated
that the net worth of a 1,380-acre Delta soybean, rice
and wheat farm, farmer owned and operated with a 25
percent debt to asset ratio, dropped from more than
$66,000 in 1996 to about $36,600 in 1997, to about $8,800
in 1998, and to a negative $6,900 for the 1999 production
year.
"The study concluded that many farmers, in the face
of severe competition in the global economy, won't survive
with traditional farm production systems," says Coats.
To remain viable, farmers have to:
- Make full use of
their land resources with precision leveling, improved
drainage, etc.
- Ensure an adequate water supply with
wells, reservoirs, water delivery and recovery systems,
etc.
- Practice timely, optimal production management
practices.
- Optimize the use of technology for maximum
yields and minimal variability in yields.
"This would
allow producers to reduce their per unit costs, be competitive
domestically and improve their ability to compete in
export markets," says Coats.
Soybeans Today January 2000
Table of Contents
About the ASPB | ASPB Programs | Publications
Research Results | Arkansas
Ag Statistics | Internet Resources
Biodiesel Suppliers | Homepage
For additional information about any board-related activity contact:
Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board
ATTN: Brandy Carroll
P.O. Box 31
Little Rock, AR 72203-0031
Phone: 501-228-1268
Copyright © 2008 Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board.
All rights reserved.
Web
Services by
Aristotle Web Design.
Privacy Policy
|
