Major Progress in the Development of Healthier Soybean Oils at ISU

AMES, Iowa – The soybean breeding program at Iowa State University continued its record of achievement in 2007 for the development of varieties that produce healthier oils.  With the generous financial support of U.S. soybean farmers through the Iowa Soybean Association and the United Soybean Board, major progress was made in developing modified oil varieties that provide profitable alternatives to conventional soybeans. 

A highlight of the 2007 growing season was the first commercial production of a soybean that has the unique combination of about 50% oleic acid and 1% linolenic acid. Developed at Iowa State University, the new varieties produce oil with the highest level of stability and shelf life currently available in soybean.  Thanks to the cooperative effort of soybean growers in Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri; the financial support of the United Soybean Board; the project management of Asoyia; and the processing activities of Cargill, about 500,000 pounds of the oil were produced from the 2007 crop for the first large-scale tests by the food industry.  The oil can be obtained by contacting Asoyia.

There was continued commercial production in 2007 of ISU soybean varieties with low saturated fatty acids to reduce saturated fat in human diets and varieties with 1% linolenic acid to eliminate the need for hydrogenation and the undesirable trans-fatty acids produced by the chemical process.  Performance data for the varieties in the ISU field tests can be found at the left side of this page under Varieties Performance.  Included in the tests were the newest 1%-linolenic variety IA3041 and experimental lines that are available for release to any grower interested in their production through the Iowa State University Research Foundation.

The research on modified oil varieties will continue in 2008 with the development and testing of thousands of experimental lines.  Through the ISU breeding program, soybean farmers can look forward to improved varieties for the production of healthy oils for consumers.

Soybean producers who are interested in growing any of the varieties should contact the Iowa State University Research Foundation, 310 Lab of Mechanics, Ames, IA 50011-2131, phone (515) 294-9442, fax (515) 294-0778, e-mail Julie Minot.