IP Soys Checklist!

Markets continue to move towards quality assurance through IP production whether for IP soybeans or other crops. There is no standard contract for IP or non-GMO production. Each contract reflects the requirements of the end user. Premiums vary with level of management, cost or production risk. Just as "no one shoe fits all", producing for any one market may or may not fit into your farming operation.

1. Field Selection:
   • Previous crop restrictions eg. Bt corn, RR soys?
   • Can GMO crops be grown elsewhere on farm?
   • Tillage - conventional / no-till
   • Problem weeds, eg. Pokeweed, nightshade, ragweed
   • Beans after beans - grow specialty types first

   • Isolation strip

2. Variety Selection:
   
• Maturity - allows timely harvest in fall for quality, or to plant wheat
• Yield potential
• Lodging score
• Disease resistance
• Soil type suitability

• Hilum colour - soybean varieties rates as having Imperfect Yellow hilum are not true clear hilum and may 'bleed' or go off colour with delayed harvest or cold/wet weather at harvest.

3. Crop Insurance:

   • Yield adjustment factor is avialable on some food grade soybean types

4. During The Growing Season:
   • Planting equipment clean, eg. planter used for specialty beans, drill for conventional
   • Weed control - problem weeds. Tolerance to corn is zero!
   • Seeding rate - adjust for seed size, vigour, tolerance to white mold
   • Field walks - required? cost
• 1st walk
  • check stand
  • weed control/volunteer corn
• 2nd walk
  • weed escapes
  • insects/disease
  • metal & glass!
  • pre-harvest spray required to maintain quality?

  • off type

5. Harvesting:
   • Combines, gravity wagons, trucks clean. If custom combine, inspect equipment yourself. Combine outside round as separate load to be sure
   • No staining - no dirt tag
   • Mechanical damage - adjust combine to crop conditions throughout day. Use 'quick soak' test to check level of damaged seed in the field
   • Large seeded bean types - gentle handling, belts, brush augers preferred. Minimize seed drop

   • Run augers slow and full to minimize damage

6. Quality Standards: "Bright & Clean"
   • free of stain and adhered soil
   • Purity
     • off types (eg. 1 bean in 1,000 - 0.1%)
     • other crops (no corn?)
   • Marketing alternatives - grade standard not met, what alternative market is there
   • Moisture standard (up to 14.5% but no artificial drying?)
   • Sizing
   • Dockage
     • maximum allowed

     • deducted from final weight

7. Marketing:
   • Price = premium + basics and futures price or + forward contract price
   • Crop to be priced by ________
   • Delivery point

   • Storage requirement

8. Liability
   • What liability do you assume for contamination through the system.