Sampling soybeans for analysis

Conclusion Under the conditions of this study, 30-gram samplings of mixtures of soybeans were found to differ significantly in oil and nitrogen content indicating the desirability of larger samples. The use of 120 to 240-gram aliquots from mixtures of soybeans which vary widely in chemical composition should tend to reduce differences due to sampling to a reasonable minimum. Differences among 30-gram samplings of highly uniform soybean seed of a single variety seem to be of slight significance. The limitations of present sampling methods should be recognized in any comparison or interpretation of chemical analyses of soybean seed. The U. S. Regional Soybean Laboratory is a cooperative organization participated in by the Bureau of Plant Industry, Soils, and Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural Research Administration, U. S. Department of Agriculture and the Agricultural Experiment Stations of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Assistant Chemists and Assistant Scientific Aide, respectively, U. S. Regional Soybean Laboratory, Urbana, Illinois.