In-Season Agronomy

Evaluation and Commercialization of SOYLEIC Varieties in Illinois

Evaluation and Commercialization of SOYLEIC Varieties in Illinois

To help Illinois soybean farmers capitalize on market opportunities for high oleic, low linolenic (HOLL) soybean oil, this project continues the breeding efforts to select and license varieties that combine competitive yields with the value-added SOYLEIC™ trait.

Project Information

  • How can Illinois soybean farmers extract more value from their crop?

  • 2-row preliminary tests in four locations in Illinois
  • SOYLEIC lines in 4-row advanced yield tests in five Illinois locations

  • Health concerns over trans-fats have decreased use of soybean oil as a food product. The University of Missouri has developed a soybean trait that has improved oil quality via non-GMO breeding. Marketed as SOYLEIC, the varieties contain greater than 80% oleic acid and less than 3% linolenic acid (high oleic and low linolenic, or HOLL).
  • The improved stability of SOYLEIC oil is opening the door to other industrial/non-food markets, including as a base for motor oil, in automotive lubricants, in marine oils, in hydraulic fluids and more.
  • ISA checkoff funding will give the Illinois SOYLEIC breeding program the ability to expand agronomic testing across environments to help identify high-yielding, Illinois-adapted SOYLEIC varieties.

  • Illinois farmers will have more options for high-yielding SOYLEIC varieties adapted to the various growing environments across the state. This will allow them to capitalize on premium market opportunities in the food industry and various industrial uses.

  • Five new SOYLEIC lines are being increased in Puerto Rico and Illinois for release in 2024.

  • Jacob Tammen, Senior Research Specialist, UIUC
  • Sarah Schultz, Senior Research Specialist, UIUC
  • Troy Cary, Research Specialist, UIUC

About the Lead Researcher

Dr. Eliana Monteverde
Assistant Professor
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)
217-300-7658
elianam@illinois.edu

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If you’re a farmer or advisor, we invite you to take our Soybean Production Concerns Survey linked below to help guide future ISA research efforts. We also encourage you to contact us below with specific production challenge research ideas.

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If you’re a researcher interested in working with ISA on a project, we encourage you to contact us with your ideas. The RFP will open in early March. Contact us below to be added to the mailing list for more information.

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