LONG-TERM SOYBEAN COMPOSITION PATTERNS AND THEIR EFFECT ON PROCESSING

Soybean protein and oil data from eight years of national surveys show ed Western Corn Belt soybeans to consistently be one percentage point lower in protein than soybeans from the rest of the nation. There was year-to-year variability in protein patterns among other regions, Oil percentages were more variable than protein percentages among differen t years. Except for the far northern states, which typically produce l ow protein soybeans, improvement and stabilization of oil content woul d produce the most certain increases in processor yields. Increased pr otein would be valuable only if soybean meal were priced to reward pro tein content in excess of specifications.