The Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) Soybean Production Committee has several priorities to keep in mind when selecting project proposals for checkoff funding. These priorities include strengthening agronomic research and education programs by building partnerships, establishing research that addresses regional production opportunities and challenges, continuing the expansion of ISA’s agronomic network with ongoing outreach, as well as demonstrating soybean system agronomics focused on soil and water quality, resource resiliency and land stewardship. Projects range in scope but tend to focus in on one thing – supporting Illinois soybean farmers.

One project that aims to work directly with Illinois soybean farmers is the On-Farm Trial Network (OFTN). The OFTN is managed by the Soybean Production department at ISA and is a checkoff-funded program that coordinates field-scale trial opportunities with Illinois farmers. These on-farm trials provide farmers with an avenue to directly generate practical results while participating in the research process. Farmers can evaluate new products, practices or management strategies in their own fields while contributing to regional and statewide results.

This program strives to provide valuable results from across the network to all Illinois farmers, aiming to inform future management decisions and recommendations. The OFTN team at ISA has been working with researchers, agronomists and farmers to develop protocols that address significant production concerns. Illinois farmers are invited to help guide future research by sharing their concerns through the Growing Concerns Survey found on FieldAdvisor.org by navigating to the Discover tab and selecting Research. By contributing to the survey, you have the chance to put Illinois at an advantage when it comes to production improvements. Responses will be reviewed and taken into consideration as we plan future checkoff-funded research. Survey responses also contribute beyond the checkoff by enabling university researchers to better understand emerging production challenges and prioritize research needs.

An example of how farmer responses can influence today’s research can be found in the OFTN protocols. Many are curious to learn what rates, sources and timing of sulfur fertilization on soybeans might be beneficial to yield. This was interesting to discuss with farmers across the state and was implemented into one of the first OFTN Action Trial protocols. Data analysis for the 2025 OFTN trials is being finalized and will be shared soon. Look for reports summarizing yield responses and additional results from the 2025 Sulfur Fertilization in Soybeans, ROI of Soybean Insecticides and Legacy Soil Health trials. Results will be posted on FieldAdvisor. org and presented at ISA Agronomy events. We look forward to another year of the OFTN.

In 2026, OFTN trials are planned to be implemented on over 30 fields across Illinois, providing a diverse set of research sites that reflect the state’s different soils, climates and management systems. These trials are designed to generate practical, locally relevant data that farmers can use with confidence when making management decisions on their own operations. Most protocols are available to farmers statewide. However, we are specifically targeting southern Illinois farmers for the 2026 double-crop soybean population study. Results will help guide future double-crop management research.

OFTN trial protocols address a range of timely and high-impact topics, including soil health improvement strategies, weed suppression practices, double-crop planting population optimization, and integrated pest and nutrient management. Each protocol is developed to be compatible with normal field operations, producing practical results.

We are seeking to enroll farmers in both OFTN Action and Legacy Trials, in which farmers will have the opportunity to contribute valuable data, gain firsthand insights and help strengthen farmer-driven research that supports more productive, profitable and sustainable agriculture across Illinois.

Action Trials allow farmers to test specific practices or products in a single season and quickly evaluate outcomes. Last year, the OFTN coordinated two types of Action Trials, one looking at sulfur rates and the other insecticide application on soybeans. Similar protocols will be offered this growing season, plus more! 2026 Action Trials will consist of the following protocols:

• Cover-Crop Biomass & Weed Suppression
• Double-Crop Soybean Management – Planting Population
• Insecticide Seed Treatments in Conservation Systems
• ROI of Soybean Foliar Insecticides
• Sulfur 2.0

Legacy trials are longer-term strip trials designed to evaluate the soil health impacts of cover crops and tillage over multiple years. Find more information on trial opportunities at https://fieldadvisor.org/on-farm-trial-network/.

Illinois farmers considering hosting a trial in partnership with the OFTN can expect one-on-one engagement with ISA agronomists and administrators to support the implementation and execution of every trial. Plot maps tailored to each field are provided to the farmer through the program. Scouting visits, soil testing and other sampling needs will be coordinated by the OFTN team. All sampling results are shared with the farmer. The focus on data quality within OFTN trials requires the use of a calibrated yield monitor and field management collection throughout the season. All trial opportunities require a minimum field size of 40 acres, and additional requirements vary by protocol.

Illinois farmers considering partnership with the OFTN to host a trial can expect one-on-one engagement with ISA, which helps producers with the implementation and execution of every trial.

Farmer enrollment for 2026 Action Trials will wrap up soon. If you would like to find out more information about hosting a trial on your farm, complete the OFTN Interest Form by clicking “Learn More” at https://fieldadvisor.org/on-farm-trial-network/ or contact Deanna Burkhart, ISA Agronomic Services Manager, at deanna.burkhart@ilsoy.org or 309-307-9366.

Additionally, ISA manages two demonstration field sites as part of the OFTN. One is the ISA Agronomy Farm, located south of Heyworth, and the second is located at the Farm Progress Show site in Decatur. These locations are home to in-field demonstrations of various trials across soybean, corn, wheat and cover-crop plots. Part of this year’s plot rotation at the ISA Agronomy Farm includes mini-demonstrations of some OFTN Action Trials. Winter Barley and cereal rye were planted Nov. 7, 2025, as a demonstration of the Cover-Crop Biomass and Weed Suppression protocol. The establishment and growth of the cover crops will be documented and biomass sampled before soybeans are planted this spring. Wheat was planted on Oct. 22, 2025, and double-crop soybeans will follow. This plot will be a smaller version of the Double-Crop Soybean Management – Planting Population study. The ISA Agronomy Farm will continue to be rotated to new trials, providing visual demonstrations of how management practices can affect crop production, both positively and negatively. ISA will host spring and summer events at our demonstration sites. Stay informed about upcoming events on FieldAdvisor.org. If you are interested in a tour of the farm or have questions, contact the ISA office for more information.

We hope you decide to join us in the effort to support Illinois crop management decisions by sharing your production concerns, attending an ISA Agronomy event, visiting the ISA Agronomy Farm, finding information on FieldAdvisor.org or hosting an on-farm trial with ISA’s OFTN.