Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers (MPSG) has been working with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) in recent years to evaluate early maturing soybeans and whether or not they're suitable for production in Manitoba.

AAFC Research Scientist Dr. Anfu Hou says they're trying to develop soybeans with early maturity, high yield and high quality.

A field tour was held Wednesday at AAFC's Morden Research Station.

"One of the major concerns we have, both for researchers and growers is protein content," said Dr. Hou. "People generally know that our beans from Western Canada usually contain less protein content. They may be marketed with discounts, so we try to look into the mechanisms behind it. It's probably both genetics and the environment."

He notes they've been comparing data from soybeans grown in Morden and Ottawa to help improve protein content in Western Canada.

Dr. Hou adds the lack of moisture this year at Morden has affected the later maturing varieties, as many have been terminated earlier than normal. He says this could lead to possible yield loss, however that will only be known at the end of the season.

A field tour was held Wednesday at the AAFC research station in Morden