Project Number: 3620-41000-150-01
Project Type: Reimbursable

Start Date: Feb 12, 2012
End Date: Jul 31, 2012

Objective:
To analyze compositional variations in soybean samples provided to United Soybean Board (USB) by Farmers Independent Research of Seed Technologies (F.I.R.S.T.) using Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS). A limited number of samples will be analyzed using wet chemistry to ensure quality of NIR data.

Approach:
One of the goals of this project is to analyze the set of samples being provided by Farmers Independent Research of Seed Technologies (F.I.R.S.T.) to USB for amino acid levels. This information, together with other compositional characteristics, will be employed in models which estimate the economic implications of observed differences. This information will be used to complement the findings from other USB efforts toward describing the Component Market (i.e., emphasis of compositional variations in soybean products as one of pricing vectors) opportunity and the use of this information toward informing and driving a dialogue within the value chain. USDA-ARS-NCAUR in this project is responsible for grinding and scanning, using a FOSS NIRS 6500 instrument, no more than 3,800 soybean samples from crop year 2011 provided to USB by Farmers Independent Research of Seed Technologies (F.I.R.S.T.) to obtain NIR spectra for subsequent use by USB’s subcontractor in predicting compositional characteristics of the soybean samples. The NIR instrument will be standardized to the FOSS master instrument. As part of a Quality Assurance (QA) effort, USDA-ARS-NCAUR will work with USB to implement a process where up to 50 of the samples run by NIR are selected for analysis by wet chemistry. Expenses associated with the wet chemistry analysis of samples will be paid for by USB. The wet chemistry data will be shared between USDA-ARS-NCAUR and USB and its subcontractor.