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Agreement will bring non-GMO high oleic soybeans to Missouri farmers

The Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council (MSMC) signed an agreement Wednesday bringing non-GMO high oleic soybean technology to growers.

The agreement grants Des Moines based Schillinger Genetics a license to commercialize soybeans with high oleic and low linolenic traits that yield oil with a longer shelf life and without trans fats. Company president John Schillinger tells Brownfield the traits are bred conventionally.

“The organic segment is growing,” Schillinger told Brownfield Ag News Wednesday at the Missouri Soybean Association’s Bay Farm research facility near Columbia, Missouri.  “Our varieties would be qualified for organic grain production.  They’re relatively small [compared] to the total soybean acreage in the United States, but they’re growing.”

Project researcher, USDA molecular biologist Dr. Kristin Bilyeu, said following the signing ceremony, that it’s the kind of day that is gratifying to a scientist.

“Today is the day we can celebrate that an end result is here,” said Bilyeu, during an interview with Brownfield Ag News.  “There’s a company that is going to take this technology and provide [soybean] varieties that are going to be great varieties for farmers to have new opportunities.”

The soybeans will be available to plant in 2018 in maturity groups III and IV, appropriate for Missouri’s latitudes.  Maturity groups for most other U.S. growing areas will be available in the next two to three years, according to Schillinger.

“Our partnership with USDA is phenomenal; our friendship and partnership with our land grant institution (the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources),” said Missouri Soybean Association CEO Gary Wheeler, in Building 1 at the Bay Farm.

Royalties from the soybeans, which the MSMC licenses, are reinvested into soybean research and possible lower costs per unit, said Wheeler.

“It’s just a great day,” Wheeler concluded.  “A lot of hard has gone into this and it shows that hard work pays off.”

AUDIO: John Schillinger (9 min. MP3)

AUDIO: Kristin Bilyeu (5 min. MP3)

AUDIO: Gary Wheeler (7 min. MP3)