根据美国农业部发布的 2006 年作物产量摘要，美国在 2006 年迎来了有记录以来最好的大豆生产季节 US Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service （美国农业部-NASS）。
大豆收成 31.9 亿蒲式耳，比 2004 年创下的纪录高出 2%，比 2005 年高出 4%。在全国范围内，收获面积比 2005 年增加 5%，达到 7460 万英亩。
那么，为什么美国农民今年要取消大豆种植面积呢？答案是：乙醇。美国的乙醇生产厂比去年的大豆产量增长得更快，好价的承诺对许多美国种植者来说太诱人了，无法抗拒。目前，与 2006 年相比，玉米种植面积估计增加 600 万至 900 万英亩，其中许多来自大豆作物。
玉米种子公司已经感受到了影响。采访者 FCI的 姊妹杂志， CropLife, Doug Gloystein, 总经理 NC+ 混合动力公司., said, “We are expecting customer demand for triple-trait seed corn to increase by more than five-fold in 2007.” And Carl Casale, executive vice president for 孟山都的 North America commercial business, added that “The early order activity for our triple-stack products is unprecedented.”
All that corn area is going to come from somewhere, meaning that soybeans are likely to be reined in this year. While some growers will change their crop rotations, possibly growing corn for a second straight year, Barry Ward, an Extension economist from The Ohio State University, US, said, “Most growers are not taking the big plunge from soybeans straight into corn. Many are just rolling a small percentage of their soybean acreage, 5% to 25%, into corn production.”
对于作物保护产品和肥料，从大豆到玉米的任何转变都将创造额外价值。
连锁反应
If US cutbacks on soybeans are significant, there could be several outcomes. The most optimistic of these would be an increase in the international price for soybeans as supplies shrink, which would be welcomed by growers and distributors alike – especially considering the current low levels of soybean stocks.
在欧盟 25 国，由于种植面积扩大和单产高于预期，大豆产量略有增加。大豆在欧盟不是非常重要的作物；大豆种植面积仅为油菜种植面积的6%左右，向日葵种植面积的15%左右。
欧盟的亮点可能是生产生物柴油的地区。多年来，豆油在意大利一直被用来制造生物柴油，在西班牙、葡萄牙、斯洛文尼亚和希腊以及法国和德国也越来越多地被使用。这解释了自 4 月以来北欧豆油价格的强劲上涨。
随着大豆价格的任何改善，南美主要大豆生产商都将获得重大收益。虽然南美洲的绝大多数作物都具有抗草甘膦性，但杀菌剂仍然存在巨大的机会，特别是如果价格足够坚挺，种植者可以证明多次喷洒的成本是合理的。巴西农业经济的改善可能有助于该国从经济低迷中复苏，从而提高产量，尽管部分大豆种植地已转移至其他作物。
甲板上的技术
大豆方面正在出现几项新技术，包括有益特性和具有多种作用模式以帮助减少杂草抗性的新产品。
- 杜邦 和 邦吉 have completed the US regulatory submission for their high oleic soybean trait, keeping the product on track for commercialization by 2009. The “next generation” healthy oil, low trans fat trait developed by DuPont through its subsidiary Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. in a partnership with Bunge will provide benefits to food processors and industrial customers better than other low linolenic soybean oils on the market, according to DuPont.
- 孟山都公司和 发散公司 宣布延长他们在开发抗线虫大豆方面的合作协议。两家公司于 2004 年开始合作，最近扩大了合作范围，利用两家公司的技术研究和开发大豆的种子内线虫保护。
- FMC Corp.’s 新型双模式 Authority 第一种 DF 大豆除草剂可通过 FMC 的甲磺草胺和来自 FMC 的氯磺草胺的双重作用模式控制抗性杂草 陶氏农业科学. Authority First 可用于出苗前的干性流动配方中，用于控制范围广泛的问题杂草，包括抗草甘膦阔叶杂草。
- 在硬币的另一面， 陶氏’s Sonic, also a premix of Dow’s cloransulam-methyl and FMC’s sulfentrazone, is available for use on soybeans, including as a preemerge treatment in Roundup Ready systems.
- 杜邦’s Optimum GAT trait completed US regulatory submissions and could be available by 2009, according to the company. The trait will offer growers opportunities to improve crop safety and yield potential, among other benefits.