Jefferson City, Missouri, USA
June 6, 2023
Adding to Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council’s (MSMC) growing SOYLEIC® soybean acres, the farmer-invested organization enters an agreement with the innovative agribusiness, ZeaKal.
Backed by decades of global research, ZeaKal’s PhotoSeed™ technology is the first commercial trait to improve crops’ photosynthetic capacity and ability to capture carbon. In soybeans, it improves oil composition and protein density.
“SOYLEIC® soybeans were first developed in Missouri, but they have reached a point where the added value on-farm gives U.S. soybean producers innovative options in the ever-changing market,” said Bryan Stobaugh, Missouri Soybeans director of licensing and commercialization. “The addition of Zeakal will expand the innovation’s reach and bring the most versatile crop to market with an added advantage. Also, as we grow into the future with Zeakal, we will see SOYLEIC+TECH™ bringing more agricultural advancement to farmers coast to coast."
The company expects to enhance overall plant efficiencies with a potential increase in the concentration of oil and protein content, which is positive for the U.S. market.
“ZeaKal’s collaboration with MSMC unlocks access to commercially competitive high oleic varieties, enabling growers to realize additional premiums from healthier oils above and beyond commodity grain,” said Han Chen, co-founder and CEO of ZeaKal. “SOYLEIC® soybeans have tremendous synergy with ZeaKal’s PhotoSeedTM trait technology to further improve soybeans' grain composition and sustainability, resulting in more nutritious food and feed.”
ZeaKal aims to make the high oleic varieties available to growers on the east coast in 2024. For more questions about SOYLEIC® and the HO technology, contact Bryan Stobaugh at bstobaugh@mosoy.org.
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