Farmers harvesting soybeans in several growing regions are finding brown, grey or green discoloration on seed coats, raising questions about quality and price deductions, Farms.com reports. The condition, known as Soybeans of Other Colors or SBOC, is generally cosmetic, specialists say: it affects only the outer seed coat, and oil content, protein and the bean's functionality are unchanged.
Researchers attribute SBOC to a mix of variety genetics and weather. Hot, dry conditions early in the season followed by wetter weather during grain fill and maturity raise the likelihood. Not every variety is affected and it does not happen every year. It is not caused by disease or heat injury.
The concern is mainly for food-grade markets, where seed-coat colour can affect the look of products such as tofu. For crushing, oil extraction, feed and many industrial uses, discoloured beans generally keep their full value.
US soybean grading standards updated in 2023 made marketing easier. SBOC is no longer a separate special grade; less than 10 percent discoloration is not a grade-determining factor for No. 1 or No. 2 yellow soybeans, while lots with more than 10 percent may be classed as mixed soybeans. Some buyers, export customers and specialty markets may still apply stricter requirements.
The advice to growers who see discoloration is to talk to their elevator, processor or buyer before delivery, learn the discount schedules, and consider domestic crushing as an outlet if one buyer insists on stricter appearance standards.
Photo: Jake was here (soybean harvest in Michigan) / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Source: Farms.com
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