Ohio Soybean News January-February 2017 by ohiosoybean

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Perspective

Adam Graham

Ohio Soybean Association Chairman Logan County soybean farmer

I’m Adam Graham from Logan County.

I’m your new Ohio Soybean Association (OSA) Chairman. I previously served as OSA President, First Vice President and Secretary.

I’m a husband, a father and raise soybeans and corn near North Lewisburg, Ohio. I want to first thank Tommie Price, outgoing Chairman for all of his hard work and dedication to OSA. It’s been an honor to work alongside Tommie and my fellow farmer leaders on our priorities this past year.

One of the biggest wins OSA celebrated in 2016 was the creation of a national GMO labeling standard. This law was the result of stakeholders in the food and agriculture industry coming together to find a reasonable solution to meet the desire of consumers for transparency without creating a patchwork of state by state rules.

There are still plenty of battles ahead that we’re preparing for. Trade will be a hot topic in the coming year, as well as the next Farm Bill and biodiesel tax credit.

Here in the state, water continues to be our top priority at the Statehouse. We didn’t experience a large algae bloom in Lake Erie this year, but we can’t be complacent. The possibility of another large bloom remains and there will continue to be discussions among environmental groups, farm groups and regulators on the best way to tackle this challenge. We will be at the table and fight on your behalf.

Soybean checkoff dollars are not allowed to be used for lobbying. Therefore, I urge you to remind your friends and family that OSA membership is vitally important in protecting our way of life at the Statehouse and in Washington, D.C. I want to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a safe and productive 2017!

Sincerely, Adam

Graham

Ohio Soybean Association Chairman Logan County soybean farmer

SOYBEAN ASSOCIATION

President

Todd Hesterman, Henry County

First Vice President

Allen Armstrong, Clark County

Vice President

Scott Metzger, Ross County

Treasurer

Ryan Rhoades, Marion County

Secretary

Jennifer Wilson-Oechsle, Van Wert County

Chairman

Adam Graham, Logan County

Trustees

Bret Davis, Delaware County

Caitlyn Heimerl, Industry Affiliate Ex-Officio

James Heimerl, Licking County

Jerry Meyer, Industry Affiliate Cargill

Cindy Parker, Miami County

Tommie Price, Putnam County

Derek Reusser, Holmes County

Ryan Rhoades, Marion County

Jeff Roehm, Highland County

Luke Ryan, Lucas County

Bruce Simmons, Medina County

Jeff Sollars, Fayette County

Andy Stickel, Wood County

Kerrick Wilson, Preble County

American Soybean Association

Board Representatives

Jerry Bambauer

Bret Davis

Jeff Sollars

Staff Credits

Adam Ward-Publisher

Jennifer Coleman-Editor

Katie Bauer-Contributing Editor/Staff Writer

Kayla Weaver-Contributing Writer

Donovan Harris-Design Director

Brent Warren-Senior Designer

Barry Falkner-Photo Quality/Proofer

Tony Green-Advertising Production

Ohio Soybean news is published six times a year by the Ohio Soybean Association, 918 Proprietors Rd., Suite A, Worthington, OH 43085. Phone: 614-476-3100. For address corrections contact Ohio Soybean News at 918 Proprietors Rd., Suite A, Worthington, OH 43085.

Web address: www.soyohio.org E-mail: cdeboard@soyohio.org

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For Advertising Sales Contact:

Matt Herman- (612) 812-5833

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Booth Details: West Pavilion - Booth #800

Beck’s Young Farm Leader of the Year

Jason Putt, Greenwich,

OH

The Ohio Soybean Association (OSA) and Beck’s Hybrids are proud to announce that Jason Putt of Huron County was named 2016 Beck’s Young Farm Leader of the Year.

The program highlights the important role of young farmers in the industry and recognizes those who are building strong foundations in agriculture that will help them lead the industry into the future.

“We are proud to recognize Jason and his committment to the industry,” said OSA Chairman, Adam Graham. “He works hard and takes pride in raising his family on the farm and tackling the challenges that come with being a farmer.”

Jason was born into farming and grew up working on the farm alongside his dad, Tom, who thought it was best to learn by doing. Developing that solid foundation in farming at a young age has helped them grow the operation to more than 3000 acres between Jason and his dad.

“Beck’s Hybrids congratulates Jason for his selection as the Beck’s Young Farm Leader for 2016,” said Bruce Kettler, director of public relations for Beck’s Hybrids. “Our program strives to identify and recognize young farmers who demonstrate the capacity to move their farm, community and industry forward.”

As the 2016 Beck’s Young Farm Leader of the Year, Jason will receive a trip for two to the 2017 Commodity Classic in San Antonio, Texas.

Additional quarterly recipients for 2016 included:

- Scott Isler, Marion County

- Jennifer Wilson-Oechsle, Van Wert County

- Ben Bowsher, Allen County

“There are a lot of challenges that come with farming, but when everything’s going right, you feel like you’re on top of the world.”

- Jason Putt

I will take action against herbicide resistant weeds.

I will know my weeds. I will target their strengths and exploit their weaknesses. Escapees don’t stand a chance.

I will seek them out and take them down before they go to seed.

Because fewer seeds today mean fewer weeds tomorrow.

Now is the time to take action against herbicide resistant weeds. Visit TakeActionOnWeeds.com to learn how you can prevent herbicide resistant weeds from spreading.

Soybean Industry Plays Leading Role in Biodiesel Tax

Credit Meetings on Capitol Hill

The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) recently hosted industry stakeholders for a series of meetings in Washington, D.C. with Members of Congress to discuss the status of the biodiesel tax credit and the outlook for tax issues going forward. The current one dollar per gallon biodiesel blender’s tax credit expired on Dec. 31.

The biodiesel tax credit has expired numerous times over the past decade and has ultimately been retroactively reinstated by Congress. The prospects for addressing comprehensive tax reform in 2017 have resulted in a reluctance by

leadership in the House of Representatives to consider another temporary extension of specific tax credits.

Many farmers and soybean industry leaders joined with other biodiesel stakeholders and NBB members to conduct targeted meetings with key Members of Congress to reiterate the benefits provided by the biodiesel industry, the value of the biodiesel tax credit and to get insight on how it might fit into the comprehensive tax reform process in 2017. Participants included American Soybean Association (ASA) Director Mike Cunningham (IL), who

is also vice chairman of NBB, ASA Washington staff and numerous state soybean representatives.

The feedback received from Members of Congress and their staff, was that while the process could be lengthy, the intent is to move aggressively on tax reform. There was no consensus or clear indication on how the expiring tax credits will be treated in the initial tax reform proposals.

ASA will continue to advocate to policy makers in support of the biodiesel tax credit and the issue will be a top priority in 2017. u

2017 ASA DuPont Young Leaders

Hone Communication, Management Skills at First Phase of Training

The 33rd class of American Soybean Association (ASA) DuPont Young Leaders recently began their leadership journey at DuPont Pioneer headquarters in Johnston, Iowa.

The Johnston training session was the first phase of a program designed to identify new and aspiring leaders and provide them with opportunities to enhance their skills and network with other growers. Representatives from 23 states and Canada participated in the training.

“The Young Leaders program provides training in key areas, including communication and leadership, while growing their peer network. This strengthens our industry and allows us to work collaboratively in our local, state and national organizations,” said ASA Chairman Richard Wilkins. “The Young Leaders program continues to have an enormous impact on not only

the soybean industry but all of agriculture. The class of 2017 is exceptional; they are engaged, talented and passionate about agriculture. We are grateful to DuPont Pioneer and DuPont Crop Protection for making this program possible.”

The 2017 Class of Young Leaders are: Cade Grace, AL; Layne and Ryane Miles, AR; Brock Willard, IL; Jonathan and Derika Lynam-Spaetti, IN; Alex Brownlee, IA; Casey Schlichting, IA; Brandon and Blair Geiger, KS; Brett Neibling, KS; Kyle Bugg, KY; Mike and Lindsey Gaspard, LA;

Angela and June Provost, LA; Andrew Crawford, MI; Matt and Jessica Swoish, MI; Trevore Brekken, MN; Chad and Monica McCollough, MO; Blake Hokamp, NE; Leslie Hamilton and Dan Stein, NY; Greg Manning and Jessica Harris, NC; Kasey Bitz, ND; Trish Levering, OH; Jean Lam, OK; Jeff and Janie Harrison, Canada; Justin and Jessica Rivers, SC.; Nick and Shelly Lorang, SD; Rob Holman, TN; Doug Singleteary, TN; Grayson Kirby and Cindy Dykes, VA; Wes and Amanda Marshall, VA; and Tony and Katie Mellenthin, WI.

“It was a privilege to meet this year’s enthusiastic class of DuPont Young Leaders, who will take on the challenges and opportunities that face American agriculture,” said Steve Reno, vice president, regional business director – U.S. & Canada.

“We look forward to watching them develop their leadership skills throughout the program.” u

EPA Releases 2017–18 RFS Volumes

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) volumes for 2017–18. There are positive aspects to the volumes they have announced, with the overall RFS increasing and the total Advanced Biofuels portion being increased above the levels in the Proposed Rule. The increased Advanced Biofuels volume requirements provide a market opportunity for soy biodiesel, which is the most prevalent fuel to qualify as an Advanced Biofuel. The Ohio Soybean Association (OSA) and American Soybean Association (ASA) would have liked to see greater support and promotion specifically for domestically produced biodiesel through higher volumes for the

biomass-based diesel category. EPA chose to maintain the biomass-based diesel volumes at 2.1 billion gallons for 2018, the same level in the initial Proposed Rule. While it represents a 100 million gallon increase in the RFS biomass-based diesel volumes from 2017, it is roughly the same amount of biomass-based diesel that was utilized in the U.S. in 2015.

“The levels announced today provide opportunities but also do not take full advantage of an opportunity to further promote a viable, domestically produced renewable fuel industry that is U.S. biodiesel,” said ASA President Richard Wilkins, a soybean farmer from Greenwood, Delaware. “EPA will raise the overall volumes relative to the

Proposed Rule and increase the total Advanced Biofuels volume requirements for 2017 from 4.0 billion gallons to 4.28, an increase of 19 percent. That’s a plus for biodiesel as the primary source of Advanced Biofuels.” Wilkins noted, however, that EPA chose not to raise the Biomass-based diesel volume requirements within that Advanced Biofuel pool for 2018.

“When EPA issued its proposed rule, ASA clearly stated that the 2.1 billion gallon mark did not adequately capture the capacity of the biodiesel industry,” he said. “To see the volume remain at 2.1 billion gallons as they were in the Proposed Rule is frustrating. We know we can do more.” u

Bret Davis Elected to American Soybean Association Governing Committee

Ohio Soybean Association board member, Bret Davis of Delaware County, was elected to serve on the Governing Committee of the American Soybean Association. Bret joins farmers from around the country who will work to represent the legislative and policy interests of U.S. soybean farmers.

“We congratulate Bret on being elected to the Governing Committee,” said Adam Graham, OSA chairman and Logan County farmer. “He has been a great leader here in Ohio and I know he will work hard to represent U.S. soybean farmers well.”

Bret Davis farms on Davis Farms near Delaware where he grows over 3,000 acres of soybeans and corn. He serves on both the OSA and Ohio Soybean Council Board of Trustees and is in his second term with

ASA. Bret has served as OSA President, Chairman, Vice President and Treasurer. He holds a designation as a Certified Crop Advisor and is a past president of both the FSA Board and the Delaware County Farm Bureau. He was a member of the FFA and earned his American FFA Degree. u

Bret Davis

Whether you’ve been planting soybeans for years, or you’re just starting out, the Ohio Soybean Council is investing in projects designed to help you maximize earnings on your farm now and for generations to come. From yield research to creating demand, your checkoff dollars are working hard for you. To learn about what the Ohio Soybean Council is doing for you, visit soyohio.org

Photo Courtesy of the United Soybean Board

Ohio Soybean Council Foundation Names Undergraduate Scholarship in Honor of Robinson W. Joslin

The Ohio Soybean Council Foundation (OSCF) recently announced at the Ohio Soybean Council (OSC) and Ohio Soybean Association (OSA) industry dinner that one undergraduate scholarship of $3,000 will be named each year to honor the life of Robinson ‘Rob’ W. Joslin, a long-time leader in the soybean industry both in Ohio and nationally, who passed away in May of 2016.

Rob was a lifelong farmer in Shelby County with his wife Ellen. He had a long-term relationship with 4-H and enjoyed

“Rob truly believed in supporting our next generation of industry leaders and we are so honored to name a scholarship after him.”

— Terry McClure, OSC and OSCF chairman and soybean farmer from Paulding County.

learning parliamentary procedures during his early years at Starting Farmers 4-H Club. Later he enjoyed putting those experiences to work in his endeavors with the soybean associations. Rob was an active member and past officer in OSA and the American Soybean Association serving as President and

Chairman of both organizations over the years.

Rob was a member of the Farm Foundation Round Table and was a Trustee at Edison State Community College. He had served as a zoning officer for Clinton Township. He was a member of OSA, Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association, Ohio Farm Bureau, a lifetime member of Shelby County OSU Alumni and Sidney Rotary Club, and member of the Sidney Moose, Elks and VFW.

“Rob truly believed in supporting our next generation of industry leaders and we are so honored to name a scholarship after him,” said Terry McClure, OSC and OSCF chairman and soybean farmer from Paulding County.

The 2017–2018 academic year marks the 10th anniversary for the OSCF scholarship program that will grant $44,000 in scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students studying agriculture or a related field at Ohio colleges or universities. Since 2008, the OSCF scholarship program has awarded $266,000 in scholarship funds. For more information, visit the Ohio Soybean Council Foundation at www.soyohio.org/ scholarship. u

One undergraduate scholarship of $3,000 will be named each year by the Ohio Soybean Council Foundation to honor the life of Rob Joslin, long-time leader in the soybean industry.

Investing Checkoff Dollars

Soybean Cyst Nematode Should be On Every Ohio Farmer’s Radar

Soybean Cyst nematode (SCN) was first discovered 30 years ago in Ohio, and its presence in soybean fields across the state has been growing ever since. Currently SCN is likely to be present in nearly every county in Ohio, even if there are no signs of damage yet.

According to soybean pathologist, Dr. Anne Dorrance, at The Ohio State University, the most recent soil surveys revealed that aside from a few counties in the northeast corner of Ohio, every producer can assume there is at least one or more cysts in every field. There have even been a few reports of SCN coming in from Pennsylvania and New York, meaning farmers now should be focused on keeping levels low.

While there are a few extreme cases, most areas have yet to see an economic impact from the presence of SCN. As soybean production continues to expand, many fields are continuously planted to soybeans favoring the buildup of SCN and making it harder to manage.

“We’re also seeing an impact in some places we wouldn’t expect it and on some occasions we have seen levels as high as 20,000-30,000 eggs per cup of soil,” said Dorrance. “When you get to those levels you’re in a world of hurt and it’s hard to get those numbers back down.”

Dorrance cites crop rotation and variety resistance as the two most important ways

to combat SCN. If fields have been in soybean production for several years and yields are below the county average, long term economic viability dictates that something else needs to be grown there.

“Either wheat or corn will work to drive down SCN numbers and shake things up,” said Dorrance. “Alfalfa is not a host either and may be a good option in areas with large dairy farms. The developing barley market could also be an option for a non-host crop.”

for some farmers to introduce a new resistance into the system.”

Resistant varieties are also important, but producers need to make sure they are getting everything they need from the variety they choose. If another disease or pathogen is present, such as phytophthora root rot or frog eye, they should be looking for a variety with resistance for both issues.

“Soybean breeders certainly have their work cut out for them,” said Dorrance.

“If a producer has been using a resistant variety for a long time, we’re beginning to see them slip a little bit and have detected SCN populations reproducing on those varieties. It may be time

Recommendations for Managing SCN...

Rotate, Rotate, Rotate:

1. Rotate with nonhost crops to reduce SCN numbers.

2. Rotate with resistant soybean varieties to reduce yield loss due to SCN.

3. Rotate the resistant varieties you use: don’t use the same one twice in a row.

4. Rotate with tolerant or susceptible soybean varieties only if SCN numbers are low.

Relieve Stress

Good management of weeds, water and soil fertility will avoid compounding damage due to SCN.

Other Practices

No-till, late planting or other practices may be beneficial. Check local recommendations. Monitor SCN populations through periodic

Dorrance estimates the first year of planting a field to corn can drop the SCN egg count by 40-60% in many cases. It will take somewhat longer to starve them out and keep pushing numbers down. Conversely, sandy soils or well-drained soil types tend to see numbers climb much faster, especially during a dry year.

Advancements in soil sampling that may enable faster, more accurate sampling as well as progress with exploration of specific gene resistance during all feeding stages give hope to managing SCN’s economic impact for Ohio farmers.

“Where we’re at, it isn’t going to go away, so we have to learn how to manage it,” said Dorrance. u

sampling and note how the numbers change. It is much easier to keep numbers low than it is to drive high number down.

SCN cannot be eliminated from an infested field, but soybean production can remain profitable with proper SCN management.

Source: The North Central Soybean Research Program

OSU Data Shows Phosphorus Levels in Ohio Soil Trending Down in Most Counties

Ohio Grain Farmers Launch “Doing Their Part” Initiative to Announce Water Quality Efforts and Progress

Arecent study conducted by The Ohio State University’s (OSU) College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences showed that Ohio farmers are doing their part in effectively managing phosphorus and other nutrient runoff from their fields — a key to helping address the state’s complex algae issues, particularly in the western Lake Erie basin.

“We have invested more than $3.5 million in water quality research and education in recent years, most before the Toledo water crisis. That research is now validating just how effective our response and hard work has been on this issue,”

said Terry McClure of Grover Hill, a grain farmer and board chairman of the Ohio

Ohio Corn Checkoff Board Chairman, Keith Truckor, welcomes attendees and the media to the Doing Their Part initiative launch.

Ohio Soybean Council Chairman Terry McClure being interviewed about water quality by a Toledo news station during the Doing Their Part initiative launch.

Soybean Council (OSC), who spoke at a news conference sponsored by OSC, the Ohio Soybean Association and Ohio Corn & Wheat (OCW) at the National Museum of the Great Lakes in Toledo.

“We care very deeply about this issue and have stepped up and are doing our part. We encourage other stakeholders to join us in addressing this complex problem,” said Keith Truckor, a grain farmer from Metamora and the Ohio Corn Checkoff Chair, citing other sources of pollutants including industrial pollution, municipal sewer systems, urban storm runoff and naturally occurring nitrogen and phosphorus in soil.

the right amount and type of fertilizer needed for crops.

▶ Incorporating fertilizer into the soil through banding or injecting has the potential to reduce the concentration risk of phosphorus in runoff up to 90 percent under certain conditions.

▶ Tile drainage is an effective filtration system that can reduce soil erosion and prevent the loss of nutrients. In general, phosphorus concentration from tile runoff is less than in surface runoff.

During the news conference, Dr. Elizabeth Dayton from OSU’s College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences provided progress observations and presented on-field data spanning 29 farm fields, 2,000 water samples and 42,000 data analyses since 2012.

Among the key findings:

▶ Agricultural soil phosphorus levels are holding steady or trending downward in at least 80 percent of Ohio counties from 1993 through 2015.

▶ Soil nutrient testing is vital to determining

Ohio Farm Bureau President Frank Burkett III discussed the importance of collaboration among agricultural organizations to address water quality.

▶ Current guidelines for phosphorus levels in soil established by Tri-State Fertilizer Recommendations appear to be on the right track.

▶ Nearly 3/4 of phosphorus in surface runoff is attached to and travels with eroded soil sediment, making erosion control a key to phosphorus runoff control.

“There has been concern that phosphorus concentration in agricultural runoff water has been on the increase, but our findings indicate the opposite. Ohio farmers are doing a good job of managing soil phosphorus levels. The trend lines are in the right direction,” said Dayton. u

Investing Checkoff Dollars

Ohio Soybean Council Celebrates Winning Two R&D 100 Awards

The Ohio Soybean Council (OSC) and soybean checkoff continues to be a leader in soy-based products and technologies. In fact, two technologies developed through OSC collaborations recently won R&D 100 Awards. Both technologies, Soy-PK Resin and Bio-YIELD bioreactor, leverage the natural properties of soybeans to increase the sustainability and improve health in modern industries. Winners were announced in November at the R&D 100 Awards Conference in Washington, D.C.

Soy-PK offers a safe alternative to epoxy resins containing bisphenol-A (BPA). BPA represents a health hazard, especially in food contact applications — BPA-based polycarbonate plastic bottles have been banned for infant feeding usage and California relisted BPA as a hazardous chemical in May 2015.

Soy-PK Resin

The Soy-PK Resin offers a practical and readily implementable drop-in replacement for BPA-containing epoxy coatings in metal beer, beverage, and food can coatings. The Soy-PK Resin offers a viable option to displace a significant amount of fossilbased BPA-containing epoxy resins with

a renewable-source raw material, greatly improving industry’s environmental footprint. Other team members include Battelle and Redwood Innovations.

Bio-YIELD bioreactor

3Bar Biologics Bio-YIELD bioreactor is a patent-pending device that enables farmers to grow their own beneficial microbes, enabling increased crop yield with reduced chemical inputs. This approach addresses one of the most significant sustainability challenges of our time: to increase agricultural production while reducing use of resources and impact on climate.

The Bio-YIELD bioreactor uses a disposable inoculant system that delivers fresher, more viable microbes

(Left to right) Kirk Merritt, Lisa McClure, Barry McGraw, Ram Lalgudi, Battelle, Research Leader, Terry McClure and Tom Fontana at the R&D 100 awards. Not pictured: Bhima Vijayendran and Jim Sonnett, Managing Partners at Redwood Innovation.

(Left to right) Kirk Merritt, OSC Executive Director, Barry McGraw, OSC Director, Product Development & Commercialization, Bruce Caldwell, Owner, 3Bar Biologics, Jane Fife, Chief Technical Officer, 3Bar Biologics, Tom Fontana, OSC Director, Programs and Development and Terry McClure, OSC Chairman at the R&D 100 awards.

versus competitor processes. The system opens the commercialization potential of numerous beneficial, naturally occurring microbes that have been proven in research over the past two decades but never before available commercially in a viable state.

“I can’t fully express how honored we feel as an organization to win R&D 100 Awards for our research and development efforts,” said Nathan Eckel, OSC Research Committee chair and soybean farmer from Wood County. “Research and development for soy-based products has been a priority for our organization for decades and we are proud to see our technologies recognized both nationally and internationally.”

Since the early 1990s, OSC has engaged in public and private collaborations that encourage rapid commercialization of new commercial and industrial uses of soybeans. For over 50 years, the R&D 100 Awards — dubbed the ‘Oscars of Invention’ — is the place where the research and development community come together each year to recognize the top technology innovations around the world.

This year’s awards mark the sixth and seventh R&D 100 Awards that OSC has received since 2007. u

OSU Soybean Center Opens Opportunities for Collaborative Research

The College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences at

The Ohio State University boasts some of the brightest soybean researchers in the nation. There are soybean breeders, pathologists, entomologists, and many other researchers all working for the betterment of Ohio agriculture; and with the creation of the Soybean Center they will be working more efficiently and collaborating regularly.

The Soybean Center concept has stemmed from Ohio State’s current Center for Applied Plant Science where a small group of soybean researchers received a grant that brought them together as a team.

“It was an absolutely awesome experience,” said Dr. Anne Dorrance, a plant pathologist at Ohio State who has been instrumental in the Soybean Center momentum. “I’ll have a research project with one faculty member or another at times, but the power comes when you’re free to work together, so we’ve been collaborating and meeting as a group and the energy that’s come out of that is just awesome.”

Dorrance also realizes the benefits for students who are able to be part of a team science approach that is often used in industry and for many national grants. The collaborative effort brings out new and different ideas by combining various areas of expertise among the researchers and multiplying the results of research projects. Bringing together individuals from pathology, agronomy, entomology, precision agriculture and more, field research becomes more accessible and the teams can reach more sites. In the last few years it’s become increasingly important to include multiple sites and individual experiments would be too expensive and cumbersome for one researcher, but combining time and resources expands the efficiency and what they can accomplish.

“The center creates a more formalized structure and facilitates connections that allow us to work more efficiently and create synergy between groups. Many projects now with grant requests and proposals require interdisciplinary thought and this is an opportunity for us to bring some of the money back to Ohio,” said Andy Michel, an entomologist at Ohio State and part of the Soybean Center team.

The group has worked on identifying the mechanisms of resistance in soybeans down to the individual genes, how pathogens manipulate hormone responses in relation to resistance and susceptibility, and shared resistance against some pathogens and insects.

“This team allows us to not only try to understand how resistance is formed, but also develop ways to make sure resistance is sustainable,” said Michel. “We’re trying to make sure the innovation developed by university researchers gets into the hands where it can make the most impact. It puts us in a better position to work with industry and granting agencies to really get these tools to the farmer.”

The Ohio Soybean Council (OSC) and soybean checkoff program has been a prime supporter of the creation of the Soybean Center as it is an important part of the mission to invest checkoff funds to maximize the profit opportunities for Ohio soybean farmers.

“All of the researchers and educators involved during this time have been a valuable resource for our industry,” said Terry McClure, OSC chairman and soybean farmer from Paulding County. “It is fair to say that the group that currently makes up the “Soybean Team” at OSU is first class and in our opinion the premier group in the country. This group spans a wide variety of disciplines and are excellent representatives of the university and of the soybean industry.” u

Researchers involved in the Soybean Center collaborative research include:

Entomology:

Andrew Michel, Kelley Tilman

Extension: Elizabeth Hawkins, Eric Richer

Horticulture & Crop Science:

Joshua Blakeslee, John Finer, Laura Lindsey, Mark Loux, Leah McHale

Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering (Precision Ag): Scott Shearer, John Fulton

Plant Pathology:

Anne Dorrance, Terry Niblack, Feng Qu, Chris Taylor

School of Environmental and Natural Resources:

Steve Culman, Libby Dayton

Center for Applied Plant Sciences: Erich Grotewold, Ana Alonso

The U.S. roofing industry produces more than 12.5 billion square feet of shingles each year. At the same time, the industry generates around 11 million tons of waste from tearing off shingle roofs that have passed their useful life.

While many roofing companies are happy to simply continue replacing roofs, Mike and Todd Feazel decided to do it differently. After 24 years spent building a premier roof replacement company in Columbus, Ohio, the brothers sold the business to pursue a greener path by stretching the lifespan of sloped shingle roofs while reducing waste in landfills and saving money for consumers.

“At Roof Revivers, we don’t replace roofs, we specialize in taking an older roof and giving it more life,” said Mike Feazel, co-owner of Roof Revivers.

Roof Revivers Help Environment and Homeowners with Soybean Oil

The process includes a roof inspection and “tune-up” to fix any problem areas before the application of RoofMaxx — a sealer that penetrates the shingle and brings it back to life and also happens to be soy-based.

“When we started researching products, we weren’t looking for soy, but we’ve learned a lot about soy since then,” said Feazel. “The product was actually developed out of the University of Maryland while they were working on a lubricant for grinders used in the roof to roads program.”

The asphalt was getting gummed up on the blades of the grinders and clogging the machines; and researchers discovered the soy-based lubricant was a perfect fit as it could penetrate the asphalt and keep blades

Roof Revivers treat shingle roofs with a soy-based sealer that penetrates and refreshes the shingle to give it a longer life.

clean while also being environmentally friendly to be used outdoors without fear of toxic residue. Those same qualities created an ideal recipe to restore flexibility and water repelling qualities in roofing shingles.

“We feel there is a huge market potential, it’s not a replacement, but a preventative maintenance product to boost an aging roof’s usefulness by five years,” said Feazel. “And the process can cost up to 90% less than a roof replacement.”

An application of RoofMaxx extends the life of shingles for five years and can be re-applied to further extend the life in some cases as much as 15 years. The average life for many of today’s standard shingle roofs before needing some repairs is around 15 years, meaning reviving the shingles could double their useful life and reduce the number of times a homeowner needs to replace their roof — saving them

money and keeping waste out of our landfills.

While there are many recycling programs for shingles, the resources that go into making them — including millions of barrels of oil — are still better left unused. In addition, roof tear-offs produce waste that is full of additional debris such

as wood and nails that can be hard to separate and cause damage to machines that grind the shingles leaving a large part of the waste to continue to make its way to landfills.

While the Feazel brothers weren’t specifically looking for a soy-based product, the properties and capabilities of the soy-based RoofMaxx provided a perfect fit and drives demand for U.S. soybeans. u

Soy-Based EnzoMeal™ Revolutionizes Aquaculture Feedstocks

Aquaculture is the fastest-growing sector of food production. Global fish consumption has nearly doubled in the last 40 years. The Ohio Soybean Council (OSC) partnered with Battelle and Kentucky State University to develop and evaluate a new technology that could revolutionize the modern aquaculture (“fish farming”) industry. The technology completely removes non-digestible carbohydrates (oligosaccharides) without compromising the amino acid composition, making it easier for fish to digest. Initial testing has shown that EnzoMeal™, an improved soybean meal, outperforms 100% fish meal diets.

“Ohio soybean farmers are excited to be able to meet an important need for aquaculture farmers,” said Nathan Eckel, chair of the OSC Research Committee and soybean farmer from Wood County. “This technology shows tremendous promise.”

A Rapidly Growing Market

In the present scenario, natural fish resources are stretched to the maximum utilization limit—wild fish capture has leveled off due to decreasing natural stocks. Consequently, effective and environmentally sustainable aquaculture offers a logical alternative to wild fish capture.

An impediment to widespread expansion of aquaculture is the identification of an effective and sustainable food source for fish. Traditionally, fish meal has been serving as the main source of dietary protein for farmed fish at a production level of 5-6 million metric tons with the global aquaculture industry utilizing 68%. Since fish meal contains wild fish and shrimp which are considered non-renewable natural resources, fish farmers are gradually extending their interest in agriculture-based nutrients to supplement fish meal and to provide a sustainable source of nutrition at an affordable price.

Soybean meal offers an attractive alternative to fish meal diet as it is rich in protein content compared to other agricultural based meals. Due to the high content of available protein, essential fatty acids, unsaturated fats, and a favorable amino acid profile, soybean meal closely meets the dietary requirements of fish. However, its application in the diets of some fish species is restricted to 20%–30% due to the dietary component that interfere with the digestion and absorption of nutrients.

Digestive systems particularly carnivorous fish are not accustomed to utilizing

Soybean meal offers an attractive alternative to fish meal diet as it is rich in protein content compared to other agricultural based meals.

plant ingredients such as soybean meal because it contains approximately 30% of indigestible carbohydrates, including non-starch polysaccharides, and several compounds or anti-nutritional factors that may disturb the digestive process in fish.

Commercially important fish such as salmon and largemouth bass have lower activity of the enzymes needed to break down plant proteins and carbohydrates, therefore high inclusion of soybean meal can cause intestinal inflammation and organ damage. The intestinal inflammation impedes the fish’s biological processes to break down proteins which fortify the accumulation of undigested nutrient load in excretion. These circumstances deteriorate the water quality, and complicate the health issues for the fish and other organisms sharing the habitat.

Further Trials Underway

Trials are underway and will verify the performance with salmon, largemouth bass and asian sea bass — three carnivorous fish that have particular issues with oligosaccharide-intensive crop-based meals. With these fish, demand is quickly outstripping supply, increasing the potential for aquaculture. The potential to expand the ability to farm these profitable fish with a diet that entails a lower cost feed than traditional fish meal is a great opportunity to meet growing global demand for food and employ a cost-effective and proven crop in addressing that demand.

Ultimately, EnzoMeal will replace 100% of fish meal in feed for farm-raised fish and shrimp.

For more information about this technology, visit www.enzomeal.org. u

Ohio Soybean Farmer Will Lead the United Soybean Board

John Motter of Hancock County Elected Chair

Ohio Soybean Council (OSC) board member John Motter was recently elected to lead the national United Soybean Board as its 26th chair. He previously served on the USB executive committee as vice chair and treasurer and has been a board

member for eight years. This is the first time since USB was created in 1991 that an Ohio farmer has been elected chair.

“We’d like to congratulate John on his new leadership position,” said Terry McClure, OSC chairman and soybean farmer from Paulding County. “John has an excellent leadership track record both here in Ohio and nationally. His work ethic will undoubtedly benefit all U.S. soybean farmers.”

John farms soybeans and corn in Jenera, Ohio. In addition to his position with USB, he serves on the OSC Board of Trustees, where he has held the position of Chairman, Vice Chairman, Treasurer

and Secretary. John is also a member of Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, previously served on the State Extension Advisory Board, and has been an active leader on the Hancock County Fair Board.

Other farmer leaders from around the country elected to the Executive Committee include Lewis Bainbridge, Vice Chair, South Dakota; Jimmy Sneed, Secretary, Mississippi; Keith Tapp, Treasurer, Kentucky; Mike Beard, Indiana; John Dodson, Tennessee; Nancy Kavazanjian, Wisconsin; Jim Carroll, Arkansas; Dan Farney, Illinois; and Gregg Fujan, Nebraska. u

As Seen in Your Fields: The U.S. Soybean Advantage

Selecting high-quality soybean seeds keeps end users coming back.

If hour-long infomercials and as-seen-on-TV products tell us anything, it’s that as long as the demand is there, someone will find a way to meet it.

But unlike the obscure niches many of those products fall into, U.S. soybeans meet the demand of millions of end users around the globe. And better than a before-and-after commercial, farmers have the U.S. Soybean Advantage to demonstrate U.S. soy’s benefits, like quality.

“We believe that U.S. soybeans

have an edge over other soybeans and protein sources around the world because of its high nutritional value and consistency,” said Fares Hammoudeh, a business leader with the Hammoudeh Group, an agribusiness, food manufacturing and chemical company based in Jordan that specializes in animal feed and poultry processing.

Superior nutritional value and consistency are key factors for poultry and livestock farmers choosing efficient protein sources for their animals. But while U.S. soybeans have the advantage in this market now, farmers need to commit to continuous improvement to grow demand in the future.

Animal Agriculture and Soybean Quality

Poultry and livestock farmers depend on high levels of protein, amino acids and digestible energy to maximize their animals’ potential. One way U.S. soybean farmers can help meet these customers’ needs is by planting varieties that both produce high-protein soybeans and deliver high yield. Higher-protein soybeans create more demand, which can increase the price farmers receive.

Why the Soybean Checkoff Cares.

Whether here in the United States or abroad, animal ag is every U.S. soybean farmer’s No. 1 customer. Providing high-quality soybean meal and meeting the needs of poultry, swine, fish and other livestock farmers helps maintain soybean farmers’ most critical market, a major driver of their profit potential. By looking beyond their local elevators and meeting the needs of their end customers, especially the animal ag

sector, soybean farmers can produce high-protein soybeans and increase their profit potential without sacrificing yield.

Key Points

▶ U.S. soybean farmers should select high-quality varieties in order to continue to provide customers with high-quality soybean meal that contains the important amino acids needed for poultry and swine feeds.

▶ Higher-protein soybeans increase demand from the animal ag sector, which brings processors more value and allows them to pay more to the farmer.

▶ Some processors are willing to pay more for high-protein soybeans, because those soybeans help them make better meal.

▶ U.S. soybean meal competes with not only other feed ingredients like synthetic amino acids and DDGS, but also with other soybean suppliers, such

That commitment can be made this year by selecting high-protein soybean seed varieties.

Manef Lakhghar, a trading director with Carthage Grains in Tunisia, is one of those end users that keeps coming back for quality.

“We import 550,000 metric tons [of U.S. soybeans] a year, and we are pushing to buy more,” said Lakhghar. “We are trying to give priority to U.S. [soybeans] because with this origin, we have more protein and better amino acids.”

And farmers can be confident when committing to quality knowing that it doesn’t mean giving up on yield. u

Source: United Soybean Board

as farmers in South America. That’s why it’s so important for farmers to work to improve soybean meal quality. The pricing system for U.S. soybeans compensates farmers for higher quality through their basis. The system isn’t transparent, however, and many farmers don’t know this is happening.

▶ Soybean price is determined by the combined value of soybean meal, oil and hulls. This combined value is called estimated processed value, or EPV.

▶ Historic data show a direct correlation between EPV and the price of soybeans on the Chicago Board of Trade.

Teachers Get Hands-On with Ag Engineering at Soybean Workshop

While the percentage of the population who farms has continued to decline over the years, jobs in the agriculture industry remain in high demand. The problem is, the students needed to study and train for these positions may not even know the opportunities exist.

In recent years, the Ohio Soybean Council (OSC) and soybean checkoff has teamed up with Education Projects and Partnerships (EP&P) to develop and deliver curriculum and lesson plans to teachers that enable them to incorporate agriculture into their classrooms and introduce students to new topics and concepts in relevant and engaging ways.

In October, OSC teamed up with The Works — a museum in Licking County dedicated to learning, discovery and play for all ages — to offer a professional development day for teachers facilitated by partners at EP&P. The curriculum centered on engineering in agriculture

The biofuels lab engaged teachers in the process of producing a biofuel and proved it could be done right in their classrooms.

and laid out lessons for teachers in biotechnology with GMOs, drone use in agriculture and renewable biofuels.

“We had more than 30 people there for the workshop and the reviews we received were excellent,” said Jeanne Gogolski, a partner with EP&P.

“The goal was to introduce teachers, mainly elementary and middle school, to engineering in agriculture. They all left with curriculum and lesson plans as well as some materials to do the activities in their classrooms.”

The workshop included three major lessons starting with a simple way to explain genetic modification using various flavors of fruit chews candy. After some background information and technical definitions, teachers did some modeling by shaking the candy in a cup and dumping it out to represent the uncertainty of traditional or conventional breeding compared to a GMO where certain traits or colors can be selected to appear consistently or in a certain way.

A second area of interest was the application of engineering design and capabilities of drones in agriculture. The group learned how drones can collect light sensitivity data to show plant health and diagnose problems in a farmer’s fields. They also looked at engineering design and developed their own paper airplanes they were able to attach to mini drones and test in flight, with each teacher able to take a mini drone provided by OSC back to use in their classroom.

Finally, teachers completed a lab activity where they produced biofuel right in the classroom on a scale they can replicate with their students and even tested their finished product in putt-putt boats during the workshop.

“Agriculture is a perfect vehicle for teaching science; it’s a great way of connecting science to the real world and helping students understand why it mat-

Teachers took the opportunity to test their successful creation of biofuels with small putt-putt boats during the workshop.

ters to study many of these topics,” said Gogolski. “There are also jobs available in agriculture for them, not just ag students, but students in science classrooms around Ohio that might be interested in ag careers if they knew they existed.”

In addition to providing support and materials for the professional development day, OSC also provided a drone that was raffled off to a teacher in attendance for their classroom and offers the curriculum used to all teachers through the GrowNextGen program.

“With farmers being such a small percentage of the population, we need to attract students from all backgrounds and introduce them to the diverse careers opportunities available in agriculture,” said Steve Reinhard, OSC board member and soybean farmer from Crawford County. “Programs like those at The Works help us get accurate information into the hands of teachers and provide them with engaging ways to introduce agriculture to their students who we need to step up and take on the challenges that will keep our industry strong.”

The curriculum used in the training is available to teachers through OSC’s GrowNextGen program online at: http:// grownextgen.org/news/article/teacherslove-making-biodiesel-with-us/. u