As soybean harvest continues across Illinois, reports are emerging of loads containing off-color beans. Some terminals are applying discounts, while others are rejecting loads altogether. Yet many questions remain about the scope of the issue and its impact on soybean marketing.

To help farmers navigate this situation, the United Soybean Board (USB) has released a new harvest resource, Soybeans of Other Colors (SBOC): 2026 Harvest Brief, which outlines what to look for, how discoloration may affect grading and marketability and steps growers can take before delivery.
​
What are Farmers Seeing?
Several different conditions can contribute to soybean discoloration this season, including:
You can’t tell the cause from color alone. Pinning it down means looking at the variety, how the field was managed and the weather that season. The Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) is working with industry partners to learn how widespread the problem is across Illinois and what’s causing it. Most soybean discoloration in the U.S. is cosmetic and doesn’t affect oil or protein. U.S. soybean quality has not been compromised, and the U.S. remains a reliable supplier of soybeans to the world. While discoloration often raises concerns, not all off-color beans affect quality in the same way.

What Does SBOC Mean for Grade and Value?
Dockage for most discoloration is a contract matter between exporters and destination buyers. It is not a grain quality issue.


USDA removed Soybeans of Other Colors (SBOC) from the U.S. grain grading standards (DTN, July 2023). However, if a sample has more than 10% black, brown, bicolored or green soybeans, it is classed as Mixed Soybeans instead of Yellow Soybeans. A Mixed Soybeans load can be docked or rejected, and its marketability and processing value can drop. Soybeans of other colors (SBOC) are individual beans with off-color seed coats; Mixed Soybeans is the class a whole load falls into when more than 10% of it is SBOC.

Will I Be Docked?
It varies by company and location. Elevators are more likely to dock when:
Before you deliver, the brief encourages growers to:
  1. Obtain the current discount schedule from their elevator in writing.
  2. Submit a representative sample prior to delivery to better understand potential discounts.
  3. Explore multiple marketing options, as acceptance standards can vary between buyers and end-use markets.
Help Us Understand the Issue Across Illinois
At this point, the extent of soybean discoloration issues and their impact on Illinois growers remain unclear. That’s why ISA is asking farmers to participate in the Illinois Soybean Delivery & Quality Survey 2026.

Whether you are experiencing quality issues or not, your response is valuable. Survey results will help the industry better understand soybean quality conditions, delivery experiences and potential market impacts across the state.

If you are seeing elevated levels of discolored soybeans, please take a few moments to complete the survey or contact Abigail Peterson, ISA Director of Agronomy, at 815-973-2478 or abigail.peterson@ilsoy.org.

Take the Illinois Soybean Delivery & Quality Survey 2026 and help us track soybean quality across Illinois.

For additional information, review the Soybeans of Other Colors (SBOC): 2026 Harvest Brief.​

Images courtesy of the Illinois Soybean Association

Share This Story

About the Author: Abigail Peterson

Abigail Peterson

Abigail Peterson is the Director of Agronomy and a Certified Crop Adviser for the Illinois Soybean Association (ISA). She earned a Bachelor of Science in Agronomy from Iowa State University in Ames, IA, where she also participated in a College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Ambassador Program, Soil and Water Conservation Club, and an Agriculture Study Abroad Program.

In her former role as Field Manager for the Soil Health Partnership, funded by the National Corn Growers Association, Peterson developed soil health transition plans, guided agronomic decision-making with cover crop applications to conventional systems, enrolled participants in field trials, and coordinated with multiple state organizations. She has experience conducting field scouting, coordinating soil sampling processes, collecting economic information, and providing outreach to farmer and non-farmer audiences.

Peterson helps guide ISA’s conservation efforts, and aids in the development and implementation of conservation agricultural research and outreach programs. She also helps lead the demonstration and adoption of conservation agriculture practices to Illinois’ 43,000 soybean farmers.