New soybean variety offers high protein, yield, feed efficiency

• 

  Andrea Gantz

  UA 5814HP is the new soybean developed by University of Arkansas soybean breeder Pengyin Chen.

  From WATTAgNet:
  A new non-genetically modified soybean developed by scientists at the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture could not only produce more protein than the average soybean, but also yield more bushels per acre and provide a higher feed efficiency than most conventional soybeans.
  Listed as UA 5814HP, the new soybean developed by UA Division soybean breeder Pengyin Chen in effect offers the potential to improve feed efficiency for poultry, beef and aquaculture producers and yield potential for row-croppers, the Times Record reported.
  “It’s an important discovery as a feed meal ingredient,” said Rick Cartwright, associate director at the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. “This has a significant increase in protein control for conventional soybeans. It’s raised the bar.”
  The bean’s protein level at maturity is over 45 percent, or at least 5 percent higher than a regular commodity soybean. And it produces a feed meal with over 52 percent protein. According to the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board, the normal raw soybean in Arkansas is approximately 36 percent protein and 19 percent oil. When processed into soybean meal the concentration of crude protein is increased to 44 percent. That equates to a 20 percent improvement for feed meal.
  Poultry company OK Foods said it has expressed an interest because of the soybean’s potential to offer higher nutrition value per pound in animal feed.
  “OK Foods applauds the University of Arkansas and Dr. Chen on their efforts to develop this new soybean variety,” Russ Bragg, senior vice president of Supply Chain at OK Industries said. “Our industry, which requires nutritious high-protein soybean meal as feed for chickens, should work with the soybean processing industry to help bring this new variety to market.”
  Chen said in a news release that UA 5814HP will be released to private companies through license agreements with the Division of Agriculture. There were approximately 600 bags available through the Foundation Seed Program.