Jun 20, 2025
“United States soybean seed protein concentrations – current status, challenges and some potential crop management solutions” with Dr. Anuj Chiluwal.
Soybeans are a crucial crop in the United States for a variety of uses, including for its use as a protein source in animal feed. However, in recent years, high yield varieties have seen a steady decline in seed protein concentration. In this episode, Anuj joins me to discuss the sources of this decline and some potential strategies to combat it.
Tune in to learn:
· Why soybean seed protein is declining in US soybean
· How the US may be a template for other countries with similar problems
· What temporary solutions may be available for this problem
· Which future research paths may bring about more sustainable solutions
If you would like more information about this topic, this episode’s paper is available here: https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.21731
This paper is always freely available.
Contact us at podcast@sciencesocieties.org or on Twitter @FieldLabEarth if you have comments, questions, or suggestions for show topics, and if you want more content like this don’t forget to subscribe. If you’d like to see old episodes or sign up for our newsletter, you can do so here: https://fieldlabearth.libsyn.com/.
If you would like to reach out to Anuj, you
can find him here:
anuj.chiluwal@kysu.edu
https://www.kysu.edu/directory/faculty-staff/anuj-chiluwal.php
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anuj-chiluwal/
Resources
Transcripts: https://www.rev.com/app/captions/Njg1MWI0MjE2MDAzODViYzNhZjVkNjYzWE4wOEZYc1pLNHNQ/o/Q1AwMTA4NTk3MzE4
“Soybean management for seed composition: The perspective of U.S. farmers” paper: https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.21082
“Exploring Nitrogen Limitation for Historical and Modern Soybean Genotypes” paper: https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj2018.04.0271
“Quantification of Soybean Leaf Senescence and Maturation as Impacted by Soil- and Foliar-Applied Nitrogen” paper: https://doi.org/10.2134/cftm2018.07.0051
“Probability of Yield Response to Inoculants in Fields with a History of Soybean” paper: https://doi.org/10.2135/cropsci2009.04.0185
“Late-Season Nitrogen Applications Increase Soybean Yield and Seed Protein Concentration” paper: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2021.715940
“Is soybean yield limited by nitrogen supply?” paper: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2017.08.009
“Assessing Variation in US Soybean Seed Composition (Protein and Oil)” paper: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2019.00298
“Regional analysis of planting date and cultivar maturity recommendations that improve soybean oil yield and meal protein concentration” paper: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2022.954111
Extension fact sheet: https://www.kysu.edu/documents/college-of-agriculture-communities-the-sciences/2025-Fact%20Sheet%20Soybean%20Seed%20Quality.pdf
University of Minnesota annual soybean quality reports: https://extension.umn.edu/soybean/soybean-seed-quality
Thank you to our volunteer Om Prakash Ghimire for help with the shownotes and other assets. Thank you to Cole Shalk from 12twelve Media for the Audio Processing on today's episode.
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