Newsletter

U.S. soybean production is projected at 3,885 million bushels, based on a harvested area forecast at 84.4 million acres. The soybean yield is projected at 46.0 bushels per acre, which is slightly lower compared to last year, but the weather during the summer and early fall will have a major impact on the final soybean yield. The soybean crush is projected at 1,840 million bushels, about the same as the 2014/15 crop year.

Soybean Meal use continues to increase. This crop year’s estimate for domestic soybean meal use is 32.3 million tons with a price projected at $350-390 per short ton. The domestic meal demand for soybean meal puts continued pressure on soybean meal exports.

All in all, soybean farmers are looking forward to a productive summer, provided, the weather cooperates and late summer rains support the soybean crop’s yield potential.

U.S. Soybean Supply and Soybean Meal Use

The Statistics Division of the United Nation’s Food and Agricultural Organization just released their estimated of world soybean production for the marketing year 2013. Three countries, the United States, Brazil and Argentina dominate the world in soybean production. These three countries account for over 80% of the world’s soybean production.

World Soybean Production – 2013

A Soybean Meal Swine Health experiment was conducted at the University of Illinois to determine the effects of dietary soybean meal (SBM) concentration on the growth performance and immune response of pigs infected with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV). The four experimental treatments included a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with 2 SBM concentrations (17.5% & 29%) and 2 levels of PRRSV infection (uninfected sham or PRRSV infected). Sixty-four weanling pigs (21 days of age; weighing about 7 kg) were individually housed in disease containment chambers. Pigs were provided a common diet for 1 week postweaning before being equalized for BW and sex and allotted to the 4 treatment groups with 16 replicate pigs per group. Pigs were fed experimental diets for 1 wk before receiving either a sham inoculation (sterile PBS) or a 1×105 50% tissue culture infective dose of PRRSV at 35 days of age (0 d postinoculation, DPI). Pig BW and feed intake were recorded weekly, and rectal temperatures were measured daily beginning on 0 DPI. Blood was collected on 0, 3, 7, and 14 DPI for determination of serum PRRSV load, differential complete blood cell counts, and haptoglobin and cytokine concentrations.

Results indicated that the infection with PRRSV increased (P < 0.01) rectal temperatures of pigs throughout the infection period, with no influence of dietary SBM concentration. Pigs in the PRRSV-infected group had lower (P < 0.01) average daily feed intake and feed effeciencies from 0 to 14 DPI compared with uninfected pigs. In the PRRSV-infected group, pigs fed the higher level of SBM tended to have improved average daily gains (P = 0.06) compared with pigs fed lower levels, whereas there was no influence of SBM concentration on growth of pigs in the uninfected group. At 14 DPI, PRRSV-infected pigs fed the higher level of SBM had a lower serum PRRSV load (P < 0.05), a higher (P = 0.02) hematocrit value, and a tendency for greater hemoglobin concentration (P = 0.09) compared with pigs fed the lower level of SBM. Serum haptoglobin and tumor necrosis factor-α concentrations of PRRSV-infected pigs were lower (P < 0.05) in pigs fed HSBM at 3 and 14 DPI, respectively, than in pigs fed LSBM. Overall, the research group concluded that increasing the dietary SBM concentration modulated the immune response and tended to improve the growth of nursery pigs during a PRRSV infection.

Two Soybean Meal Energy Levels experiments were conducted to determine digestible (DE) and metabolize (ME) and the standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of crude protein and amino acids in two sources of high-protein canola meal, conventional canola meal and soybean meal fed to growing pigs. In the first experiment, 40 barrows weighing about 50kg were housed in metabolism cages and randomly allotted to 1 of 5 diets with 8 replicate pigs per diet. A corn-based diet (97.4% corn) and 4 diets were formulated with canola meal or SBM.

The digestion study results for DE and ME were 3,347 and 3,268 kcal/kg in corn, 2,798-3,346 kcal/kg in canola meal, and 4,000 and 3,796 kcal/kg in SBM, respectively. Values for DE and ME were greater (P < 0.05) in SBM than in all other ingredients.

In the second experiment, 10 barrows weighing about 65kg were equipped with a T-cannula in the distal ileum and randomly allotted to a replicated 5 × 5 Latin square design with 5 diets and 5 periods in each square. A N-free diet and 4 corn starch-based diets that contained canola meal or SBM as the sole source of AA were formulated. Each period lasted 7 d and ileal digesta were collected on d 6 and 7 of each period. The SID of crude protein and all amino acids except proline were greater (P < 0.05) in SBM than in the 3 sources of canola meal.

Apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of energy, dry matter, nitrogen and amino acids and standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of nitrogen and amino acids were evaluated in six weanling pigs fed unfermented soybean meal (SBM), yeast fermented soybean meal (SBMY), bacillus fermented soybean meal (SBMB), yeast and bacillus fermented soybean meal (SBMYB), canola meal (CM) and nitrogen-free diet. Pigs having body weights of about 17kg were surgically equipped with T-cannula and randomly allotted to one of five dietary treatments and a nitrogen-free diet in 6 × 6 Latin squares design of treatments. AID and SID of nitrogen was greater (P < 0.05) in SBMYB and SBMB treatments compared with SBM and CM treatment. AID and SID of the total essential amino acids were greater (P < 0.05) in SBMB and tended to be low in CM compared with SBM treatments. In this study, fermentation of soybean meal by Bacillus showed better digestibility of amino acid and nutrients.

Two Molasses: Crude Glycerol Liquid Supplement experiments were performed to evaluate the effects of different levels of supplementation with a 50:50 (as-fed) mixture of molasses:crude glycerol on animal performance, total tract digestibility of nutrients, and ruminal in situ degradability of nutrients in beef heifers and steers consuming Tifton 85 Bermuda grass hay.

The University of Florida research team reported a linear increase (P = 0.027) in average daily gains wiith increasing daily liquid supplementation amounts. Liquid supplementation did not affect feed effeciencies while apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, non-detergent fiber, and acid-detergent fiber were increased linearly (P < 0.001), as the level of supplementation increased. The research team concluded that supplementing up to 2.27 kg/d of a 50:50 mixture of molasses:crude glycerol may stimulate microbial growth and fermentative activity, thereby increasing nutrient digestibility. Increased fiber digestion, along with energy supplementation, led to increased ADG in heifers consuming Bermuda grass hay.

Researchers evaluated the efficacy of eight sources of soybean meal (SBM) which included six new non-genetically modified soya varieties in practical feed formulation for Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei, using both growth and digestibility trials. A soybean meal-based reference diet was formulated using conventional soybean meal, which was then replaced on an isonitrogenous basis with various other experimental soybean meals.

In a 6-week growth trial, shrimp in four replicate tanks per dietary treatment (10 shrimp per tank, initial weight 0.52 ± 0.04 g) were cultured in a recirculating system. There were no significant differences with respect to per cent weight gain and survival across all dietary treatments. Apparent digestibility coefficients for the eight different soybean meals were determined for dry matter, gross energy and crude protein using chromic oxide as a inert marker. Coefficients ranged from 71.3% to 88.3%, from 76.6% to 91.3% and from 93.6% to 99.8%, for dry matter, gross energy and crude protein, respectively. Improved digestibility values were observed in the SBM which was characterized by crude protein (471 g/kg), crude fat (97 g /kg), low cooking temperature (180 °C), high nitrogen solubility index (689 g/kg) and a protein dispersibility index (619 g/kg). The researchers concluded that this study demonstrates that new lines of soybean meal can be used to improve digestibility coefficients in shrimp feeds.