Seed Today - Q4 2008 - (Page 16)

Case Study Searching for Tofu-Quality Soybean Seed advantage,” Rhodes says. “We reduce the size of the next cycle by well over 90 percent.” New Niche Seed Brand Schillinger Seed has created a new seed brand to market its non-GMO varieties including high protein soybean varieties. eMerge Genetics™ was launched in early November. The first phase of eMerge Genetics distribution is through Schillinger’s dealer network in the geographies where the end users and shippers provide a market for specialty soybeans. “Our role is to bring together growers and end-users of our seed products,” Schillinger says. “This is a premium niche product that requires close contact all along the production pipeline.” The second phase of marketing eMerge Genetics products will be through co-branding programs with regional seed companies to complement some territories and help to fill in the gaps not serviced by Schillinger’s dealer network. Zeltex ZX-50SRT portable whole grain with small sample wells. From the inception of Schillinger Seed in 1999, owner John Schillinger’s mission has been to develop and deliver specialty soybeans. “Years ago we thought that to develop a high yield, high protein soybean plant was nearly impossible because those two phenotypes were physiologically incompatible,” says Dr. Schillinger. “Through our research we had determined it is difficult—but possible—to have both high yield and elevated protein in the same soybean plant.” Schillinger’s research has grown to locations in 10 countries and 18 states with a research budget of over $1.6 million. The program has produced two patented food varieties with protein levels elevated 15 to 20 percent above conventional varieties. Immediate Harvest Evaluation Soybeans with higher protein content are favored by Japanese tofu makers and other specialty food manufacturers. “Each year we evaluate thousands of potential varieties at our main research farm in Queenstown, MD and field locations throughout the United States,” says Billy Rhodes, vice president of research. “It is a numbers game, looking for that one in a thousand plants that has the desired trait combination.” As plants are harvested and threshed, the seeds are analyzed for protein and oil content with a Zeltex ZX-50SRT portable whole grain NIR seed analyzer from Zeltex, Inc., Hagerstown, MD (800-7321950/www.zeltex.com). “The ZX-50 provides a fast, reliable quantitative protein and oil measurement. This allows us to immediately determine whether to keep or discard a sample without having to send it to a lab for analysis,” Rhodes says. “An extremely useful feature of the analyzer is its ability to accurately analyze a sample as small as 50 seeds.” The small sample size eliminates the need for an additional growout cycle to determine whether or not the variety has the desired protein content. “Being able to make a determination after only one cycle is a tremendous Schillinger Seed, Inc. West Des Moines, IA 515-225-1166 www.schillingerseed.com Key Personnel • John Schillinger, Ph.D., President • Billy Rhodes, Vice President, Research Company Features • Development and marketing of new soybean varieties. • High-protein and low linolenic acid oil, non-GM soybean varieties. • Research locations in 10 countries and 18 states. 16 Fourth Quarter 2008 http://www.schillingerseed.com http://www.schillingerseed.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Seed Today - Q4 2008

Seed Today - Q4 2008 Contents Editor’s Notes Syngenta Cornelius Seed Moews Seed Co. Gustafson Equipment DuPont Pioneer Hi-Bred AOSCA Richard Payne, Ph.D. Lou Buice According to ASTA AOSA/SCST New Products Seed Shorts Corporate Notes ANEX Mfg Berg Equipment Popp Engineering New PVP Certificates Ad Index

Seed Today - Q4 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.