The hot, dry summer we have experienced this year has caused concern with quality in the soybean crop. The weather has caused the bean plant itself to mature prematurely before the bean seed has as chance to mature, resulting in a green bean. The green colour comes from chlorophyll remaining in the soybean seed, this chlorophyll normally breaks down as the seed matures, but this year it didn’t have time to break down.

These beans also result in down grading of the sample. There are two types of grading. When there is a tinge of green on the outside of the bean, but yellow on the inside, the bean is considered ‘Standard of Quality’ and given a grade of 2. If the bean is green all the way through, it is considered damaged and the sample is down graded depending on the percentage of green soybeans in the sample.

Harvest has begun on the early maturing varieties, with grades ranging from 2 to sample. With any luck the later maturing varieties will see less green beans.

Kara Lammers