Soy Fact
One acre of soybeans=82,368 crayons
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National Soybean Research Laboratory
News Archives
In case you missed some soy news when it was first posted on the site, we've archived the postings below. They are bookmarked by NSRL area |
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General
April is Soy Foods Month-Join in the Twitter Chat April 10(April 2013)The Soyfoods Association of North America (@SocialSANA) is hosting a 
Twitter Chat with retail dietitians on Wednesday, April 10 at 1 p.m.
EST, hosted by Rebecca Scritchfield, MA, RD (@ScritchfieldRD). The chat will focus on the role of soyfoods in a healthy diet and easy ways to incorporate them into everyday meals. Rebecca and SANA will provide helpful tips and recipe ideas, and answer your questions. Log on to
Twitter and join the conversation using the hashtag #SoyChat. Then take time in April to add some soy to your weekly menus. Some of our favorites are found HERE.
Left to Right: Melinda Anderson, NSRL; Dr. Nury Bauzan de Senses, Consul General of Uruguay; Sergio Ceretta, Principal Investigator, National Agricultural Research Institute Uruguay:;
Dr. Brian Diers, Univ. of IL Crop Sciences; Dr. Randy Nelson, Univ. of IL Crop Sciences; Victoria Bonnecarrere, Adjunct Investigator, National Agricultural Research Institute Uruguay;
Dr. Karl Weingartner, NSRL and Veronica Musselli Zanotta, National Agricultural Research Institute.
A delegation of representatives from the National Agricultural Research Institute in Uruguay visited the National Soybean Research Laboratory in December to discuss soybean production and potential opportunities for collaboration. While here the delegation signed an official Memorandum of Understanding with the College of ACES at the University of Illinois. Topics of discussion included NSRL’s mission, vision and domestic and international programs. The visitors from Uruguay talked in depth with NSRL professionals and soybean experts about soybean varieties, production techniques, diseases, insects, weeds and yield enhancing activities. The visitors also had an opportunity to find out more about soybean processing and utilization.
NSRL Welcomes New Staff(December 2012)
NSRL is pleased to welcome Steve Maas, Project Management Coordinator
and Jill Rannebarger, Office Support Specialist to our team.
Steve Maas,
Project Management Coordinator Steve handles financial management, planning, and control for NSRL projects.
He fiscally manages federal and state grants along with Illinois check-off funding
of research projects and managed research areas. Maas handles personnel
procedures and coordinates project proposal submissions. He can be reached at 300-3677 or smaas@illinois.edu 
Jill Rannebarger,
Office Support Specialist Rannebarger oversees the daily activities in the NSRL office. She organizes and
coordinates office operations and procedures in order to ensure organizational
effectiveness and efficiency. Rannebarger manages the work of undergraduate
student workers, maintains office equipment, determines inventory levels of
supplies and serves as NSRC building liaison. Jill can be reached at 244-1706 or rannbrgr@illinois.edu
We look forward to Steve and Jill’s contributions to the growth and success of NSRL.
We know their experiences here will be challenging, enjoyable and rewarding!
College of ACES Illinois Processing Open House (December 2012)
Food, fiber, and fuel were recurrent themes at the College of ACES Illinois Processing
Open House held on December 3, 2012. In addition to the NSRL Pilot Plant and Test Kitchen,
participants in the Open House had a chance to tour: AESB Food Science and
Human Nutrition Pilot Plant, ABL Center for 
Advanced BioEnergy Research Laboratory
and the Meat Science Laboratory. NSRL showcased soymilk production using SoyCow and VitaGoat equipment.
The biodiesel curriculum and laboratory kit for high school classrooms was also featured.
Guests toured the pilot plant and test kitchen facilities and enjoyed soy cookies and soy
beverages during their visit. For additional information about this event, and NSRL's facilities,
click HERE.
Update: NSRL's Work in Haiti(November 2012)
NSRL worked with Haiti’s National School Lunch Program of Haiti, Programme National des Cantines Scolaires, or PNCS, in successful partnerships and training efforts providinge 1,300 bags of textured soy protein for use in Haiti’s school lunch program. As a result, approximately 70,000 beneficiaries of PNCS will consume additional protein each school day.
NSRL also hosted a Health & Nutrition fair in collaboration with PNCS and a local girls’ secondary school in Port-au-Prince. The Health & Nutrition fairs, a new concept piloted by NSRL, engages students, parents, teachers and school staff in topics related to nutrition. They showcase the power of soy protein in meeting the daily protein needs of schoolchildren and provide a unique opportunity for students to learn about the importance of protein in a balanced diet. Approximately 300 parents, teachers and the community engaged in the event where local foods produced with soy protein were showcased, and songs, dances and poems were created by the students to highlight the importance of nutrition, protein & the role of soy in a healthy diet.In addition, NSRL has been working to bolster the bakery industry’s use of soy products in their production in Haiti. NSRL met with a number of Haitian local food manufacturers interested in incorporating soy protein in their products. There has been a large increase in the number of companies using soy protein in their production. Local distribution of defatted soy flour has increased and the local knowledge and understanding of the benefits of soy inclusion is becoming more widespread throughout the country.
Ilinois Soybean Association Sustainability Symposium Connects Farm Practices to Global Marketplace Challenges(June 2012)
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Union League Club, Chicago, Illinois
Join others like you and find out how sustainability benefits farmers’ bottom line, while protecting the environment and market access. Spend the day connecting farm-level decisions with global marketplace challenges. Explore what sustainability means to agriculture, producers and the world. Register today at www.ilsoy.org/symposium
Successful INTSOY 2012 Course Concludes.
Plans have already begun for INTSOY 2013: June 3-7, 2013 (June 2012)
The first week of June found over fifty INTSOY 2012 attendees immersed in new soy products and innovative technologies, and they left after a busy week armed with information and headed toward a brighter future that incorporates soy.
The course provided information about extrusion, texturizing and dairy analogs. The intense days included over 70 soy professionals learning, interacting, networking, talking shop, and just having fun. INTSOY is the internationally recognized short course for processing and marketing soybeans for meat, dairy, baking, and snack applications, and plans are already in the works for INTSOY 2013 It’s more than a conference. It’s an experience. Check back with the INTSOY coursesite in coming months for details about how you can participate in next year's course.
Production
Excellence in Production Research Award to Brian Diers
University of Illinois Crop Sciences professor, Brian Diers, Ph.D., recently won the prestigious Excellence in Production Research Award from the United Soybean Board. Diers has devoted much of his career to soybean breeding and genetics research and to developing new soybean varieties that U.S. soybean farmers are using in their fields today. He is professor of plant breeding and associate head of the Crop Sciences Department at the University of Illinois. Diers received a Ph.D. and M.S. in plant breeding and cytogenetics from Iowa State University and a B.S. in agronomy from the University of Minnesota.
The United Soybean Board through checkoff proudly recognizes individuals, organizations or companies, like Diers, whose achievements make positive impacts on the U.S. soybean industry or the soybean checkoff. The 69 farmer-directors of USB oversee the investments of the soy checkoff to maximize profit opportunities for all U.S. soybean farmers. The full article is available HERE.VIPS Variety Nominations for 2013(December 2012)
With harvest results fresh in farmers’ minds, soybean farmers will want to nominate their most successful varieties of 2012 for the Varietal Information Program for Soybeans (VIPS) and look at 2012 results and compare and contrast their varieties to the University of Illinois trials. VIPS is an excellent tool that helps farmers compare data from hundreds of soybean varieties on agronomic and yield characteristics, protein and oil content, and disease and pest resistance levels.
Farmers will want to visit www.VIPSoybeans.org by January 31 to nominate varieties for 2013. Farmers can nominate up to three soybean varieties in each of two maturity groups, which researchers from the National Soybean Research Lab (NSRL), the University of Illinois and Southern Illinois University Carbondale will test throughout five regions and 13 plots across the state in 2013.
Data from the 2012 trials is available now. While verifying seed selections for next year, farmers can check out the website’s new, user-friendly functions such as a top 10 list of varieties and more focused data groupings, rather than one spreadsheet organized by region, according to Linda Lee Drozt, NSRL project coordinator of VIPS.
“Data from the trials will be easier for farmers to digest with the website redesign,” says Drozt. “Farmers will be able to see at a glance which varieties were most successful and then further customize what information they want to see relevant to their operations and management needs.”
For more information about VIPS, contact the NSRL office: 217-333-7236 or nsrl@illinois.edu
2012 Illinois Commodity Conference(November 2012)
NSRL participated in the 2012 Illinois Commodity Conference on Tuesday, Nov. 20, at the DoubleTree Hotel & Conference Center in Bloomington, Ill. The annual one-day event brought together crop growers and livestock producers from all over the state to discuss the triumphs and challenges the agricultural industry faces. “Working Together Everyone Achieves More,” was the theme for the conference. NSRL had an exhibit highlighting international soy nutrition projects in Africa and Haiti. The display provided details about:
- Soy for Chefs: Integration, Innovation and Information
- Meat Processors Maximization of Soy for Economic Advantages
- Nutrition Fairs in Haiti
- Mamba Lespri: Soy Enhanced School Snacks for the Children of Haiti
Speakers for the day included Jody Lawrence, Marketing Plans for a Difficult Year; Nic Anderson, Why a Growing Livestock Industry is Important to Illinois; Jean Payne, Embracing Good Stewardship and Water Quality Practices; Kevin Daughtery, Telling the Story of Illinois Agriculture; Mike and Lynn Martz, Watch Us Grow: Mom Tested. Mom Approved. The keynote speaker was Coach Boone, the inspiration for the movie “Remember the Titans”. He emphasized the importance of teamwork. The conference is sponsored by the Illinois Soybean Association, Illinois Beef Association, Illinois Corn Growers Association, Illinois Milk Producers Association, Ilinois Pork Producers Association and the Illinois Wheat Association.
Raman update (November 2012):Next Generation Grain Analysis Technology—Transmission Raman Spectroscopy. Raman spectroscopy is a reliable measure of economically important soybean grain components that are important to the soybean industry. Raman spectroscopy can accurately and non-destructively measure not only protein and oil, but also fatty acids and amino acids. Research is supported by the United Soybean Board.
"Variety Selection and Composition: Two Tools for Farmers" presented at Illinois Soybean Association Workshops (November 2012)
Linda Lee represented the National Soybean Research Laboratory at three Illinois Soybean Association workshops offering a new perspective on the value of soybeans.
Linda's presentation, "Variety Selection and Composition: Two Tools for Farmers"providedinformation on Varietal Information Program for Soybeans: VIPsoybeans.org Illinois which provides farmers information on 520 varieties of soybeans to assist in their selection process regarding yield, protein and oil content and insect and disease resistance.
A pdf form of her presentation is available HERE.
“What’s in a bean? What’s in it for me?” (November 2012)
Linda Lee represented the National Soybean Research Laboratory at three Illinois Soybean Association workshops offering a new perspective on the value of soybeans. The soybean checkoff-funded “What’s in a bean? What’s in it for me?” workshops were held in Bloomington, Cairo and Decatur Illinois. The producer workshops provided expert presentations aimed to identify the true value of soybeans in today’s marketplace and encouraged dialogue about finding ways for Illinois soybean farmers to capture more value.
Soybean meal and oil determine the value of soybeans once they leave the elevator. But today, Brazilian beans offer about 13 pounds of oil and 24 pounds of protein per bushel, compared with about 21 pounds of protein and 11 pounds of oil for U.S. beans.
Linda presented information on Varietal Information Program for Soybeans: VIPsoybeans.org Illinois which provides farmers information on 520 varieties of soybeans to assist in their selection process regarding yield, protein and oil content and insect and disease resistance.
(August 2012)
Drought Resources and Updates:
Seared millions of acres of cropland and pastures. Illinois is one of
the states facing the greatest crop-yield losses.
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-08-02/news/ct-met-drought-disaster-0802-20120802_1_disaster-area-low-interest-emergency-loans-illinois-counties
pod abortion and further reduction in yields due to extremely dry soils.
More information is available at: tp://www.agweb.com/pro_farmer_midwest_crop_tour_multimedia.aspx?channelId= c483a981415b408fbc5033d1b48aa933&channelListId&mediaId= d2bf41b9de4449f490ebb29d71fda9f6
Nutrition
NSRL’s recipe for Italian Stovetop Casserole debuts at the University of Illinois Community and Campus Day of Service(April 2013)
50 million Americans don’t have enough food according to the USDA. Almost 2 million of the food insecure Americans live in Illinois and over 77,000 people who don’t have enough to eat live in East Central Illinois. On April 20, 2013, the University of Illinois and community volunteers will be joining forces to pack 146,000 meals of Italian Stovetop Casserole, a recipe developed at NSRL. The Italian Stovetop Casserole includes donated ingredients as well as $5,000 worth of Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP), donated by Archer Daniels Midland Company, Decatur, Illinois.
Click HERE for the full press release and additional information.
For more information about the event or to volunteer visit the Day of Service wesite HERE.
Soy is Safe for Breast Cancer Survivors: New Review of the Research(November 2012)
Breast cancer patients and survivors need no longer worry about eating moderate amounts of soy foods, finds a new review of the research published today on the web site of the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR).
The latest update of the online tool AICR's Foods That Fight Cancer <http://www.aicr.org/foods-that-fight-cancer/> answers one of the most frequently asked questions relating to how diet may affect breast cancer risk.
"Determining whether it is safe for breast cancer survivors to eat soy has been one of the big research questions under study and now we know it is safe - the evidence is so consistent," said AICR Nutrition Advisor Karen Collins, MS, RD, CDN, an expert on diet and cancer prevention who worked with AICR to examine the research and develop the materials.
For all cancers, human studies show soy foods do not increase risk and in some cases may even lower it, the review finds.
Published online, AICR's Foods that Fight Cancer: Soy, http://www.aicr.org/foods-that-fight-ancer/foodsthatfightcancer_soy_1.htm summarizes both current and emerging evidence on soy and cancer risk. The web-based tool highlights AICR/WCRF's reports along with the ongoing laboratory, observational and clinical studies. The resource was reviewed by a review committee of leading soy-cancer experts. For a full copy of the press release is available HERE.
International
World Soybean Research Conference IX, Durban, South Africa(March 2013)
The National Soybean Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois
recently took part in the World Soybean Research Conference
held in Durban, South Africa February 17 – 21, 2013.
The theme of WSRC IX was "From China to Africa – Can research close the gap between soy production and increasing global demand?"
Over 600 participants from every corner of the globe convened for the five day meeting that featured over 1,000 presentations and posters all about soybeans. The aim of the WSRC is to promote the interchange of scientific information on all aspects of soybean research.
Dr. Craig Gundersen, Bridget Owen and Melinda Anderson participated in the weeklong event.
Soy Processing Takes Center Stage in Nigeria(December 2012)
The average Nigerian spends 72.97 percent of his or her earnings on food with little for discretionary spending, so the incorporation of soy by food processing manufacturers in Nigeria was a hot topic when Bridget Owen and Dr. Karl Weingartner from the National Soybean Research Laboratory (NSRL) at the University of Illinois made the trek to Ibadan, Nigeria in November to collaborate with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).
Dialogue between NSRL and Dr. Kenton Dashiell, Deputy Director General, Partnership and Capacity Building for IITA resulted in future plans for Textured Soy Protein projects and soy processing and utilization activities related to African food manufacturers. IITA has a long history of working with soy and other crops throughout Africa.
While in Nigeria, Owen and Weingartner were part of several roundtable discussions about processing and utilization of soybeans. For the full article about the latest work by NSRL in Nigeria, please click HERE.
2012 Illinois Commodity Conference(November 2012)
NSRL participated in the 2012 Illinois Commodity Conference on Tuesday, Nov. 20, at the DoubleTree Hotel & Conference Center in Bloomington, Ill. The annual one-day event brought together crop growers and livestock producers from all over the state to discuss the triumphs and challenges the agricultural industry faces. “Working Together Everyone Achieves More,” was the theme for the conference.
NSRL had an exhibit highlighting international soy nutrition projects in Africa and Haiti. The display provided details about:
- Soy for Chefs: Integration, Innovation and Information
- Meat Processors Maximization of Soy for Economic Advantages
- Nutrition Fairs in Haiti
- Mamba Lespri: Soy Enhanced School Snacks for the Children of Haiti
Speakers for the day included Jody Lawrence, Marketing Plans for a Difficult Year; Nic Anderson, Why a Growing Livestock Industry is Important to Illinois; Jean Payne, Embracing Good Stewardship and Water Quality Practices; Kevin Daughtery, Telling the Story of Illinois Agriculture; Mike and Lynn Martz, Watch Us Grow: Mom Tested. Mom Approved. The keynote speaker was Coach Boone, the inspiration for the movie “Remember the Titans”. He emphasized the importance of teamwork. The conference is sponsored by the Illinois Soybean Association, Illinois Beef Association, Illinois Corn Growers Association, Illinois Milk Producers Association, Ilinois Pork Producers Association and the Illinois Wheat Association.
Soy Makes a Difference in India(November 2012)
NSRL partners with WISHH, ISA, Akshaya Patra, Naandi Foundation and NutriTech
to improve the protein levels of the hungry and malnourished in India. NSRL is involved in school lunch programs, training for chefs, processing and utilization workshops for dairy and soy foods and microenterprise development efforts.
Sixty-three percent of primary school age children in India go to bed hungry. By providing a mid-day meal that integrates soy protein, hunger can be minimized as a barrier to learning. A wholesome meal continues to be the most powerful incentive for many children to come to school in India. That meal also helps them stay in school and perform better academically.
Indian government officials have set forth norms per child allotment including
Protein: 450Kcal; Nutrients: minimum 12 grams; Micronutrients: adequate quantities
of iron, folic acid and Vitamin A. Soy plays an important role in providing a healthy helping of nutrition for school age children in India.
India is ranked 2nd in the world when it comes to the number of children suffering from malnutrition. 2.1 million Indian children die before reaching the age of five annually. By collaborating with partners locally and globally, NSRL is working to improve the overall well being of children in India.
An informational handout highlighting how soy is making a difference in India is available HERE.
A series of presentation slides in pdf form with additional information is available HERE.