October 26, 2022 – BLOOMINGTON, IL – The Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) is proud to announce the FY23 Checkoff Funded Research Projects which will be conducted in Illinois in partnership with university researchers. From ag technology, conservation, pest management and more, this checkoff funded research work is critical to the success of Illinois soybean farmers in the field.
“I am very excited about our efforts to promote and communicate ISA funded research that is being completed by researchers around the state,” said Jennifer Jones, ISA Ag Research Agronomist. “We have several great projects this year being conducted by excellent researchers.”
Cultivating university relationships is a key priority for ISA as these partnerships provide unbiased trials, clinical research and measurable outcomes which ultimately benefits Illinois farmers.
“Amplifying agronomy research is a new project this year that brings important data back to our farmers in different forms,” said Jones. “Be on the lookout for ILSoyAdvisor field updates from our university researchers and the ISA agronomy team.”
Adds Jones, “It’s important Illinois soybean farmers know about the work their checkoff dollars are funding and how it can benefit their operation.”
The list of funded research projects is as follows:
AG TECHNOLOGY
Project: Using Multispectral Platforms to Manage the Soybean Cyst Nematode (Year 3)
Research Lead: Dr. Jason Bond, Professor of Plant Pathology, Southern Illinois University
Continuing research from the past two years, Bond and team aim to 1) extend greenhouse trials to better understand the relationship between SCN infestation and soybean phenology, and 2) expand image analyses with both supervised and unsupervised classification methods. Resolving these last questions will help them calibrate remote sensing and AI models for a toolkit to help farmers and the industry better understand what SCN populations are doing in fields and improve management practices.
Project: University of Illinois Crop Science Variety Trials – Protein and Oil Testing for HY+Q
Research Lead: Darin Joos, Research Agronomist, University of Illinois
To streamline the harvest data collection process for soybean variety trials, Joos and team will install SCIO CNST NIR technology on the combine to determine the protein and oil content of each tested variety, instead of collecting grain samples. Illinois farmers can use the data to decide to grow varieties with elevated quality characteristics so they can capitalize on premium pricing opportunities.
CONSERVATION PRACTICES
Project: Benchmarking and Integrating Soil Health, Water Quality and Climate-Smart Footprints of Illinois Soybeans
Research Lead: Dr. Andrew Margenot, Assistant Professor, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
This multi-year project (2023-2027) is designed to benefit soybean farmers, policy makers and the carbon credit markets by identifying soil health, water quality and climate footprint best practices and metrics across regions and cropping systems (soy-corn, double-crop wheat-soy with corn rotations). It will help inform practice-based recommendations for farmers interested in implementing soil health and water quality-protective practices, as well as exploring carbon markets.
Project: Adaptive Management for Maximizing Soybean Production Following Cereal Rye Termination
Research Lead: Dr. Shalamar Armstrong, Associate Professor, Purdue University
Cereal rye’s impact as a cover crop on corn production is well understood, but research is inconsistent in how cereal rye influences soybean production. Armstrong and his team aim to implement trials at two locations representative of Illinois soybean production to investigate 1) how cereal rye influences N and S availability and soybean uptake, and 2) how N and S fertilization, alone and in combination, impacts soybean seed yield and seed quality after a cereal rye cover crop.
Project: Understanding the Importance of Cover Crop Planting Date in Illinois Row Crop Production
Research Lead: Nathan Johanning, Extension Educator, University of Illinois Extension
Cover crops are an important tool in preserving and increasing soil productivity, stewarding water resources, suppressing weeds and retaining nutrients. To help Illinois soybean farmers further refine and increase use of cover crops, this project will compare 1) different cereal rye seeding dates and rates before soybean, and 2) different planting dates of two clover species after soybean harvest and ahead of corn. Farmers will gain better insights into cover crop planting and seeding rate recommendations and best management practices.
IN-SEASON AGRONOMY
Project: Evaluation and Commercialization of SOYLEIC Varieties in Illinois (Year 2)
Research Lead: Dr. Brian Diers, Professor of Plant Breeding, University of Illinois
To help re-establish Illinois soybeans as a leader in soybean oil for food and industrial uses, Diers and team will focus on developing high oleic, low linolenic (HOLL) soybean varieties adapted to the state’s diverse growing environments. This project increases testing capacity and improves the likelihood of selecting high-yielding varieties with a value-added trait.
PEST MANAGEMENT
Project: Assessing the Impact of Cover Crops on SCN Populations in Field Conditions
Research Lead: Dr. Jason Bond, Professor of Plant Pathology, Southern Illinois University
As the adoption of cover crops increases across Illinois, it is important to understand how SCN populations respond to different cover crops and varieties. Bond and team will focus research efforts on five established cover crop fields located throughout Illinois. Locations will include different types of cover crops to investigate how different cover crops affect SCN populations to help improve management recommendations for the state’s soybean farmers.
Project: Soybean Stem Pests: Survey, Impact and Education (Year 2)
Research Lead: Dr. Jason Bond, Professor of Plant Pathology, Southern Illinois University
This project, in collaboration with researchers at University of Illinois, will continue work already underway to identify new and emerging stem diseases and insect pests that negatively impact soybean production and yield in Illinois. It will assess management practices and help prioritize future research to determine best management practices.
To learn more about the important work of the ISA Agronomy team, visit www.ilsoyadvisor.com.
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The Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) checkoff and membership programs represent more than 43,000 soybean farmers in Illinois. The checkoff funds market development and utilization efforts while the membership program supports the government relations interests of Illinois soybean farmers at the local, state, and national level, through the Illinois Soybean Growers (ISG). ISA upholds the interests of Illinois soybean producers through promotion, advocacy, and education with the vision of becoming a market leader in sustainable soybean production and profitability. For more information, visit the website www.ilsoy.org and www.ilsoygrowers.com.
