Working with growers, elevators and processors, NC+ Hybrids, Inc. reports strong interest in and sales of the new Vistive™ low-linolenic soybeans for 2007.

“We are already at double the number of growers who are signed up to grow Vistive soybeans in 2007 and I look for that to triple in the next few weeks,” says Jeff Erwin of Norfolk, Nebraska district sales manager for NC+.

Erwin and NC+ have been working with producers, elevators and processors in Nebraska and other Corn Belt states in explaining potential yields, contracts and premiums for NC+’s six Vistive™ soybean products.  The company is also working with area Nebraska elevators, including Pierce Elevator Inc. and Dixon Elevator Company, to serve as collection points for Vistive soybeans grown in 2007.

“It will be nice when we can just deliver the Vistive soybeans to our local elevator,” says Roger Kvols of Laurel, Neb., who raised 400 acres of NC+ Vistive soybeans this year and plans to increase that number substantially in 2007.

Erwin has worked closely with the Pierce and Dixon elevators to serve as drop off points for the Vistive soybeans which makes it easier for growers since the soybeans must be segregated and eventually delivered to the Cargill soybean processing facility in Sioux City, Iowa.

“This allows growers of all sizes and those who may not live close to a processing plant to market their Vistive soybeans locally and at the same time capture the premium,” Erwin says.  “The elevators are doing it as a service to their customers.”

Mike Calhoon, NC+ sales development manager, says NC+ offered one Vistive soybean product in 2006 and is now offering six for 2007.  The new Vistive low-linolenic soybeans are attractive to food companies because they reduce the need for partial hydrogenation of soybean oil, lowering or eliminating unhealthy trans fats from foods.

Calhoon says processors typically pay a premium for low-linolenic soybeans.

“There is a lot of interest and we are seeing sales of the NC+ Vistive soybeans take off,” Calhoon says.  “NC+ has helped organize hundreds of field days this summer to explain the concept to farmers and let them see for themselves the product growing in the field.”

Vistive Yields

NC+ general manager Doug Gloystein says yield of the Vistive soybeans is a key factor growers take into account in deciding whether or not to grow the low-linolenic soybeans.

Gloystein says NC+ and its parent company, Channel Bio Corp., have nearly 100 replicated field trials across the Corn Belt that will be used to evaluate NC+ Vistive products this year, in addition to hundreds of farm trials.

“We have one of the largest Vistive yield collection points in the industry,” Gloystein says.  “The second generation Vistive soybeans are yielding in the top 15 percent of all soybean products tested in replicated research and on farm trials.”

Nebraska grower Kvols says his 2006 Vistive soybeans appear to be yielding as good as his other soybeans.  Plus, he says, Vistive soybeans are a way for growers to help meet the emerging needs of food processors.

“The food companies are demanding oils that are low in trans fats.  It’s important that we as growers try to fill this demand, or they will look to other oils as a source for low trans fat foods.”

Growers should contact their local NC+ dealer for a list of processors in their area.

With access to leading genetics and technology traits, NC+ Hybrids, Inc. independently markets the NC+ brand of seed corn, soybeans, grain sorghum, forage sorghum, sudangrass and alfalfa as an operating subsidiary of Channel Bio Corp.