U.S. soybean farmers through their soybean checkoff are providing funding for research to improve the utilization of soybean meal. Some of the projects underway are:

Project Title: Assessing nutritional value of soybean meal: identifying nutritional traits that would improve market position of soybeans.
Lead Principal Investigator: Monty Kerley (University of Missouri).
Project Sponsor: Missouri Soybean Merchandizing Council.

The goal of this research is to develop a model for evaluating nutritionally important attributes of soybean meal and rapid NIR prediction of these attributes. The objectives of this research project is to identify soybean cultivars that have higher energy and amino acid digestibility; to develop a model sensitive enough to determine level of improvement in soybeans selected for nutritional attributes; and to develop NIR calibrations for assessing nutritional value of soybeans (meal).

Project Title: Nutritional evaluation of soybean meal generated from high oleic acid soybeans.
Lead Principal Investigator: Monty Kerley (University of Missouri).
Project Sponsor: Missouri Soybean Merchandizing Council.

The goal of this proposal is to develop nutritional information (amino acid profile, amino acid digestibility, energy digestibility) for soybean meal processed from high oleic soybean varieties. Information developed will be provided to nutritionists responsible for formulating feeds for livestock and poultry operations.

Project Title: Using soybean meal protected from rumen degradation to improve health of receiving calves and feed efficiency of stocker and feedlot calves.
Lead Principal Investigator: Monty Kerley (University of Missouri).
Project Sponsor: Missouri Soybean Merchandizing Council.

The goal of this research is to demonstrate the economic value of rumen undigestible protein (RUP) from soybean meal for receiving, stocker and feedlot cattle.

Project Title: Non-transgenic soybeans with broad plant disease resistance and high protein.
Lead Principal Investigator: Ling Li (Iowa State University).
Project Sponsor: Iowa Soybean Association.

The transgenic soybean QQS interactor overexpressing mutants will be tested for seed composition (protein and oil content) in the field and transgenic QQS interactor overexpressing mutants with increased seed protein will be identified. These mutants with higher seed protein levels will be made available for soybean breeding programs.