Hot News

2.05.2008

Last year’s drought made coats brittle, lowered germination

By STEPHANIE JORDAN
Associate Editor

Farmers in the Mid-Atlantic region could have problems getting their desired amount of soybean seed this year, making it difficult to cash in on high commodity prices for the crop.
The cause of the soybean shortage is a combination of factors — farmers want to put some of their corn acreage back into soybeans (soybeans are more drought-tolerant, have fewer input costs and are getting top dollar from the Chicago Board of Trade), and the drought last year caused soybeans to mature early, making seed coats brittle and lowering germination.
Tim Bishop, a Campbell seed dealer on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, said that companies want their seed to have at least a 90-percent germination rate to be sold commercially, and Group 4.1 maturity beans have dropped to an 82-percent rate. Those seeds will be sold at a lower price, with an information label telling farmers to plant at a higher population.
“Seed coats are brittle,” he said. “Every time you handle seed, there’s more potential for damage. If the seed coat is damaged, there’s more of a chance to lower the germination of the seed. Soybeans matured faster than normal (last year), so the seed coat is more susceptible to damage.”
Bishop said companies have tried applying seed treatments to try to enhance germination and protect the seedlings in cold soils, which “is normally a plus.” But the seed coats were cracked when some treatments were applied, so the treatments actually proved detrimental to the seeds in some cases.
“Basically, companies are out of soybean seed,” Bishop said. “There will be a lot of farmers who won’t get the seed they desire.”
Campbell Seed sent out a letter to its dealers, letting them know that seed treatments will be limited to seed that has not been processed yet.
“We’ve also decided not to break apart packaging to shift supply from bag to bulk and vice versa,” the letter stated. “We feel that shipped soybeans should be fine, but we strongly encourage you to take the remainder of your unshipped product untreated.”
Bill Simmons, a local field adviser for Monsanto, said his company faces a similar situation.
“There’s an increase in U.S. soybean acres,” he said. “Commodity prices are at record highs. Farmers are responding to the market.”
There were less than favorable growing conditions last year where a number of companies produce soybean seeds, Simmons added, so there’s not enough supply to meet demand.
“It’s kind of a double whammy,” he said.
Most growers in the Mid-Atlantic region typically purchase Group 4 (G4) soybeans, said Henry Covington, a seed dealer for Pioneer. Shortly before Thanksgiving, dealers were made aware that not as many G4 seeds would be available as was first thought, so dealers have been trying to get Group 3 (G3) seeds to growers.
“We’ll have beans,” Covington said. “Will we have all of what we normally have? No.”
He said growers in Maryland’s Upper and Mid Shore areas have some experience growing G3 beans, but he said it could pose a problem for those farmers on the Lower Shore who don’t have as much experience with them.
“I think most of us kind of knew it was going to be one of those kind of years,” Covington said. “It’s not the end of the world.”
He added that so far, he’s been able to take care of all his customers, and that he was able to anticipate what they would want for this year.
“If you wait for them to tell you, it will always be too late,” Covington said.
Bishop and Simmons both said that Vistive seed is available in adequate supply for farmers. Vistive beans are low in linolenic acid, which decreases the amount of trans fats in processed food. But other than Vistive beans, “Group 3 maturity might have to do,” Bishop added, especially since a lot of customers have pre-paid for their orders.
“Right now, I’m scrambling to find seed,” said Bishop, who flew to Indiana last week to do just that. “I’m trying to find enough of other maturity beans to satisfy orders. I’m concerned about … farmers around who aren’t aware of the situation.”
He also anticipates that because of the seed shortage, there might be more acres in corn than originally thought, and there is the possibility that soybean prices could go up even higher if fewer are available.
Simmons said that in 2008, most companies will plant adequate acres for seed production, so seed “should revert back to normal availability.”
“I think all seed companies will expand production this coming season,” he said.