Asela Wijeratne – Soybean Research Profile

Posted on by SoyResearchInforadmin

Asela Wijeratne, Associate Professor of Bioinformatics, Arkansas State University

Why did you decide to pursue a career that includes soybean research?
Soybeans are a major crop in the U.S., with many benefits. Working with this crop can have an incredible impact. Pathogens are among the biggest challenges to soybean production, so finding solutions protects yield and makes a difference in people’s lives. 

What research topic have you completed in the past or are working on now that could have or has had the most significant impact on soybean production?
Research looking at additional genes that provide resistance to major diseases like sudden death syndrome and Phytophthora stem and root rots have potential to have the most impact on soybean production.

How has the Soy Checkoff enhanced your ability to find answers to production problems for farmers?
The Soy Checkoff helps a lot. Without support from the Mid-South Soybean Board, I wouldn’t be able to start much of the work I do. That start positions my program to request additional funding from other sources. 

Within your area of expertise, what are the top two or three general recommendations you would offer farmers to improve their management practices?

  • Use a combination of methods to manage pathogens, because they evolve faster than solutions get developed. Don’t rely on just one method, like genetics or fungicide, but use multiple tools to protect against diseases.
  • Look at newer methods and technologies that can reduce the carbon footprint and chemical pollution of soybean production. New technologies are developing some cool ways to improve.

Within your area of expertise, what do you consider to be critical soybean research needs that can impact the profitability of famers in the future?
Research on precision farming is critical for farmers. Every field is different, and the distribution of diseases like sudden death syndrome isn’t even. Deeper understanding of precision farming would allow farmers to make more localized solutions for each field. Lots of technology and data integration would help them make precise decisions. However, to make progress, research efforts need to be integrated. In addition, I believe we need to upgrade education for farmers and agronomists so they are aware of new methods and technologies. 

SRIN articles:

Building a Microbial Team to Fight Sudden Death Syndrome

Giovani Preza Fontes – Soybean Research Profile

Posted on by SoyResearchInforadmin

Assistant Professor and Extension Agronomist, Crop Sciences, University of Illinois

Why did you decide to pursue a career that includes soybean research?
I grew up in Mato Grosso, Brazil, where agriculture is the key economy driver and soybean is the main crop grown. Mato Grosso is the leading state in soybean production in Brazil. When I decided to become an agronomist, soybean research was necessary for my undergraduate studies. I am still researching soybeans among other crops including corn and wheat.

What research topic have you completed in the past, or are working on now, that could have or has had the most significant impact on soybean production?
The projects we’re looking at are ways we can increase the adoption of conservation practices such as cover crops and reduced tillage in Illinois systems. These involve looking at better ways to manage soil, crops and fertilizer. We’re also doing a lot of applied research, looking at planting date, maturity group selection, row spacing and other management practices to keep the University of Illinois Extension recommendations up-to-date.

How has the Soy Checkoff enhanced your ability to find answers to production problems for farmers?
The Illinois Soybean Association has been very supportive of our research. They have a strong commitment to increasing the sustainability of soybean systems in Illinois. We’ve been working together to find ways to achieve that. The Soy Checkoff money is good to have because some of the applied research we do isn’t funded through federal sources. So having the Illinois Soy Checkoff to support this is important. 

Within your area of expertise, what are the top two or three general recommendations you would offer farmers to improve their management practices?
With the lower soybean prices and higher input costs we’ve seen in the past few years, I try to encourage farmers to reflect on the basics and make sure they are covered. 

  • Maintain adequate soil pH and fertility levels
  • Select high yielding varieties adapted to their region
  • Plant on time and with adequate seeding rates.

I usually tell farmers to be a high-profit farmer rather than a high-yielding farmer. These are not always the same.

Within your area of expertise, what do you consider to be critical soybean research needs that can impact the profitability of farmers in the future?
Agriculture is facing a big challenge in terms of sustainability. Consumers are more interested in the way their food is being produced and the environmental outcomes from that. We need to look at the agriculture system and develop best management practices for soybeans to thrive in conservation systems. 

University Profile: https://cropsciences.illinois.edu/directory/giovani3

Website: https://ilagronomy.info/

SRIN articles:

Conservation Tillage Protects Soil and Nutrients for Long-Term Productivity

Mike Mulvaney – Soybean Research Profile

Posted on by SoyResearchInforadmin

Mike Mulvaney, Hartwig Endowed Chair for Soybean Agronomy, Mississippi State University

Why did you decide to pursue a career that includes soybean research?
After years of working with peanuts and cotton, I took this position at Mississippi State that is dedicated to soybean agronomy in November 2021. Focusing on soybean allows me to tackle issues with a broader reach. The Science for Success team has been instrumental, sharing knowledge and experience.

What research topic have you completed in the past or are working on now that could have or has had the most significant impact on soybean production?
Much of the research I am leading will directly impact farmers, influencing recommendations for best practices. For example, work on high-speed planting will help farmers plant more soybeans on time despite the narrow planting window, after which soybeans experience a 0.4 bushel-per-acre-per-day yield loss. At the other end of the season, my research shows that delaying desiccation until growth stage R7, about a week later than average, protects yield in this region. I also believe my research on nitrogen credits, as well as nitrous oxide emissions during the soybean phase of crop rotation will impact the ability to market soybeans as a sustainable commodity.

How has the soybean checkoff enhanced your ability to find answers to production problems for farmers?
I couldn’t do this research without the support of the Soy Checkoff. In fact, the Mississippi Soybean Promotion Board contributed to the endowment that supports my position. The Soy Checkoff is very important to improving recommendations to soybean farmers.

Within your area of expertise, what are the top two or three general recommendations you would offer farmers to improve their management practices?
A few areas offer low-hanging fruit for farmers to improve yields or profitability without additional investments.

  • Maximize planting soybeans during the optimal planting window. After that, the crop suffers a 0.4 bushel-per-acre-per day yield loss. Do what you can to plant on time.
  • Hold off on desiccation until the R7 growth stage or later, if possible. Though the recommendation has been to desiccate at R6.5, more recent research shows there’s a higher probability of a yield hit at that time.
  • Choose varieties that fit fields well, and scout regularly to catch potential challenges early.
  • In times like these, it is important to use resources — including labor — efficiently.

Within your area of expertise, what do you consider to be critical soybean research needs that can impact the profitability of famers in the future?
I am bent on improving efficiency. I think we can use resources and labor more efficiently, and research can help us find those efficiencies. For example, I think we should look at inputs used, and study how to get the same yields with fewer inputs or more efficient labor. This would improve the bottom line. As inputs get more expensive and labor gets harder to find, farmers need to maximize efficiency. I would also like to see research to improve double-cropped soybeans. It pains me to see land unused during the winter months, but our challenge is to make double-cropping profitable.

SRIN articles:

Scrutinizing Soybean Nitrogen Credits

Daniela Carrijo – Soybean Research Profile

Posted on by SoyResearchInforadmin

Daniela Carrijo, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist, Grain Crop Production, College of Agricultural Sciences, Penn State University

Why did you decide to pursue a career that includes soybean research?
Soybeans are my favorite crop. I grew up in a region of Brazil that grows lots of soybeans, and my dad continues to farm soybeans and corn in Brazil. I enjoy the crop, because soybeans are resilient compared to other crops and easier to work with than crops like rice and sugarcane, which I have also studied.

What research topic have you completed in the past or are working on now that could have or has had the most significant impact on soybean production?
I developed a paper on the effect of cover crop termination timing on soybeans. The research showed that when cover crop termination is managed well, that can reduce drought stress and support soybean yield.

How has the soybean checkoff enhanced your ability to find answers to production problems for farmers?
The Soy Checkoff helps greatly, and the support for soybean research is valuable. Feedback from the soybean board provides guidance for my research, and working with these farmers is the most fun part of my job. I can make sure the research I do is useful for farmers. 

On the national Soy Checkoff level, I participate in Science for Success, which supports extension research and professional development. This investment has helped me improve presentation and writing skills, and it provides a group for help and encouragement.

Within your area of expertise, what are the top two or three general recommendations you would offer farmers to improve their management practices?

  • Start with the basics when investing in a crop, like doing soil tests, before exploring “extras” like new treatments or technologies.
  • Aim to get planting date right, depending on equipment and weather conditions. Planting date translates into yield at no extra cost. 
  • Focus on getting a return on investment, rather than just growing the highest-yielding crop. The highest yields don’t always pay off. 

Within your area of expertise, what do you consider to be critical soybean research needs that can impact the profitability of farmers in the future?
We need to research practices and technologies to deal with erratic weather, like drought and heavy rainfall. These issues are becoming more frequent, and they are major factors in rainfed fields. We also need to research options to manage deer and other animal damage.

SRIN Articles:

A Fresh Look at Soybean Maturity Recommendations

Maninder Singh – Soybean Research Profile

Posted on by SoyResearchInforadmin

Maninder Singh, Extension Specialist and Associate Professor of Cropping Systems Agronomy, Michigan State University

Why did you decide to pursue a career that includes soybean research?
I grew up in a small village in India, part of a farming community. My father was an elementary school teacher and farmer. He tried different things on the farm to see what worked. He instilled in me the idea of how we can use science to improve our farming and make it profitable. It’s a global issue — how can we keep farmers profitable while producing enough food for our growing population. 

I love applied research, which is what my father did on the farm. I like research that is driven by the challenges that farmers are facing now or can foresee in the future. I also love extension, which is doing the research and taking the results back to the farmers.

What research topic have you completed in the past, or are working on now, that could have or has had the most significant impact on soybean production?
I have done a lot in this overarching theme of developing a systems-level approach based on a specific field and the end goals of the farmer. Specifically, planting systems and the variables that come with it: planting time, planting sequence, variety selection and seeding rate. All of these are factors of farm management that farmers can change to get all their crops in the ground and see a return on their investment.

How has the soybean checkoff enhanced your ability to find answers to production problems for farmers?
The Soy Checkoff is critical. For someone like me in applied research and extension, I have my own ideas but I need to make sure the research is actionable for farmers. I believe in the farmer board as a feedback mechanism. We try to understand their problems and opinions, then we can develop more research that can go back to these checkoff organizations that are comprised of farmers. And their investment can lead to larger multi-state or national projects and we can leverage the checkoff investment to make a bigger impact.

Within your area of expertise, what are the top two or three general recommendations you would offer farmers to improve their management practices?
Again, planting decisions are key. Timely planting is crucial along with using a systems approach to maximize the benefit of early planting. We can’t control Mother Nature, so if planting is delayed, farmers need to know what they can change to minimize the yield penalty that occurs from late planting. 

In terms of soybean and production prices, farmers need to be aware of the products they are putting on the crop. Maybe they don’t need certain products under their field conditions.

Within your area of expertise, what do you consider to be critical soybean research needs that can impact the profitability of farmers in the future?
As a researcher, I’m conducting one- or two-factor trials, but the farmer has to deal with the entire system. We need more systems-level work to help the farmer improve their productivity, profitability and resilience. Also, if we have more regional research, we can see how results translate across different states.

On-farm research is important, but it’s also important to do it right. We as researchers need to help the farmer conduct on-farm trials so they can learn on their own fields, and we need to take advantage of technology in all aspects. 

SRIN articles:

Delving Into Unanswered Questions About Soybean Biologicals

A Systems Approach to Soybean Planting Can Maximize Profitability

Michigan Researcher Focuses on Soybean Yield Potential with Several Management Strategies

Michael Crossley – Soybean Research Profile

Posted on by SoyResearchInforadmin

Michael Crossley, Assistant Professor and Agricultural Entomologist, University of Delaware

Why did you decide to pursue a career that includes soybean research?
I knew I wanted to go into agricultural entomology since my freshman year of college. My master’s degree research covered soybeans, while my doctorate research was in potatoes. My soybean research focused primarily on soybean aphid.

What research topic have you completed in the past or are working on now that could have or has had the most significant impact on soybean production?
My work with soybean aphids found that “biotypes” are already widespread to overcome genetic resistance in new soybean varieties. It also identified migration patterns from buckthorn, where soybean aphid overwinters. This research pointed to the need for continued breeding to avoid losing to widespread soybean aphid biotypes. It also highlighted how much we have to learn about where soybean aphids move from each spring.

How has the soybean checkoff enhanced your ability to find answers to production problems for farmers?
The Delaware Soybean Board provided my very first grant as a new principle investigator. This grant helped revive research on slug parasitic nematodes, which grew into collaborative research supported by other groups and the United Soybean Board. For my lab, the Soy Checkoff funds graduate students, which is how research gets done.

Within your area of expertise, what are the top two or three general recommendations you would offer farmers to improve their management practices?
Realize that nematodes exist in the field that work with you — not just against you. Hundreds of thousands of nematode species exist, and a few of them can actually benefit crops like soybeans.

Within your area of expertise, what do you consider to be critical soybean research needs that can impact the profitability of famers in the future?
I think we should research questions about production practices that could promote beneficial nematodes or help manage slugs. How do practices like fertilizer, cover crops and others impact nematode populations? Are there fall practices that would minimize slug pressure in the spring? What new technologies could impact slug management?

SRIN articles:

Fields Could Hold Slug Management Solutions

Krishna Jagadish – Soybean Research Profile

Posted on by SoyResearchInforadmin

Krishna Jagadish, Professor, Plant and Soil Sciences, Texas Tech University

Why did you decide to pursue a career that includes soybean research?
I like to take complex problems and find solutions by working with many different experts. Soybeans are one of the most important crops for the U.S. and globally, and I appreciate opportunities to address challenges with this crop that haven’t been addressed. My research involves several crops, and I have learned that findings from one crop can benefit another. That has been the case with some complicated issues in soybeans, too.

What research topic have you completed in the past or are working on now that could have or has had the most significant impact on soybean production?
While working at Kansas State University, I helped develop near-infrared, or NIR, curves for protein, oil and linolenic acid content in soybeans. This information supports breeding efforts to improve germplasm and increase soybean composition quality. 

How has the soybean checkoff enhanced your ability to find answers to production problems for farmers?
The Soy Checkoff is instrumental in funding research I’ve done. Breeders at Kansas State still use the quality curves I helped develop, and work on the impact of heat and drought stress on soybean flowering would not move forward without multi-regional Soy Checkoff support. There is no simple way to get preliminary data for work like this to secure research funding. The Soy Checkoff opens the door for additional funding for future work, but without it, we would miss opportunities to improve soybean production.

Within your area of expertise, what are the top two or three general recommendations you would offer farmers to improve their management practices?

  • For soybeans grown under irrigated conditions, choosing cultivars with increased seeding vigor and the ability to cover ground quickly will help increase radiation capture and manage weeds better, reduce herbicide use and increase farm revenue. 
  • Use the flexibility to modulate plant populations based on resource availability. Planting geometry can help lower seed rates, maintain yield and increase farm revenue by exploiting the indeterminate growth of soybeans.

Within your area of expertise, what do you consider to be critical soybean research needs that can impact the profitability of famers in the future?

  • Research to understand the carbon capture balance of soybeans would be critical. Soybeans use carbon, but they also lose it during respiration at night. Research that aims to understand and incorporate efficient carbon balance as soybeans develop will help bring in a quantum improvement in soybean productivity. 
  • Soybeans would benefit from significantly enhancing reproductive physiology that tolerates stress better. Increasing the stability of seed set under stressful environments would improve soybean resilience.
  • Research that supports breeding to develop different soybean varieties that serve as sources to manufacture specific amino acids or oils for specific end uses, increasing soybean value.  

SRIN Articles:

Retaining Flowers to Boost Soybean Yield

Multi-Regional Research Collaboration Focuses on Soybean Flower and Pod Retention for Improved Yield

Yucheng Feng – Soybean Research Profile

Posted on by SoyResearchInforadmin

Yucheng Feng, Professor of Soil Microbiology, Auburn University

Why did you decide to pursue a career that includes soybean research?
I began working with soybeans when I came to Auburn, because that is what is needed here. Soybeans are a major crop in Alabama. The symbiotic relationship between legumes, such as soybeans, and rhizobia is crucial not only for soybean production, but also for the success of other crops in the agronomic system. Alabama farmers are interested in rhizobia inoculant. I hope to improve upon the currently available inoculants and help increase farm productivity and profitability.

What research topic have you completed in the past or are working on now that could have or has had the most significant impact on soybean production?
My research looking at the impact of glyphosate herbicide on nitrogen fixation in soybeans has been important for soybean production. In addition, research into the potential for rhizobia inoculant to support drought tolerance in soybeans could impact soybean production in the future.

How has the soybean checkoff enhanced your ability to find answers to production problems for farmers?
The Soy Checkoff has been essential to my research. This funding makes it possible to support graduate students as they conduct research. We need funding for research continuity, and the Soy Checkoff provides that. I am very grateful for this support.

Within your area of expertise, what are the top two or three general recommendations you would offer farmers to improve their management practices?
Farmers should inoculate their soybeans at planting. Alabama recommends inoculant use, especially in fields that haven’t been planted to soybeans before. Inoculant helps soybeans start strong, especially under stressful environmental conditions. The cost is low, and the potential for improving soybean production is great. An inoculant is like insurance for soybean seed.

Within your area of expertise, what do you consider to be critical soybean research needs that can impact the profitability of farmers in the future?
We need research to develop better inoculants for farmers. We eat yogurt to support our gut microbiome. Plants need a healthy microbiome, as well, and there is so much we don’t know about soil microbes. It’s important to have the right bacteria cocktail in inoculant, to support plant growth and increase yield. As we learn more about what plants need for a healthy microbiome, the inoculant market could grow continuously. With research, we can learn to build soil health to support crop production.

SRIN articles:

Inoculating Soybeans for Drought Tolerance

Connor Sible – Soybean Research Profile

Posted on by SoyResearchInforadmin

Connor Sible, research assistant professor, University of Illinois-Champaign

Why did you decide to pursue a career that includes soybean research?
I grew up in a small, northern Illinois town. Although I did not grow up on a farm, I was surrounded by a farming community with many family friends who were farmers. In college, I started studying ag engineering with the goal to someday work for John Deere or Case. I realized early that engineering was not for me, so I switched to the biology side of agriculture. I found research through my college internships, one of which was for a chemical company doing small-plot research and I thought that was a cool and interesting career path. From there, I pursued my graduate studies in agricultural research.

What research topic have you completed in the past or are working on now that could have or has had the most significant impact on soybean production?
When I started graduate school, biologicals/biostimulants were taking off in the industry. My graduate work and my post-doctoral work were in this space, looking at what farmers can add to the field that can increase yield potential. I’ve worked mostly on helping farmers to understand what these crop additives are, with a secondary focus on looking at their effectiveness. I consider myself a ‘yield scientist,’ and I try to influence soybean yields, which has led to looking at yield beyond just inputs, but to see the influence of practices as well.

How has the soybean checkoff enhanced your ability to find answers to production problems for farmers?
A huge benefit of the checkoff is outreach. It helps me expand my research impact beyond Illinois. Also, research ideas come from the checkoff’s farmer board members, who help decide what research projects are funded. So, when our projects are selected, it’s coming from farmer interest and concern. This ensures the research projects are in line with farmer needs.  Our research must come back to help the farmer in the end. 

Within your area of expertise, what are the top two or three general recommendations you would offer farmers to improve their management practices?
First, farmers should look at their farming history. Have they changed any management with soybeans? If they haven’t, it’s time to think about it. Soybeans have a lot of potential that farmers who haven’t updated their management may be missing.

Second, look for the simplest change to make that won’t require a massive equipment overhaul or large management approach. Soybean breeding and genetics have come a long way. Have they been using the same maturity group for their region for the last 15 years? It costs no more to move up .2 or .3 MG. Also, they should review the variety they’ve been using and whether it is still working well. There could be a new variety to use, which doesn’t cost anything to change beyond the value of the seed.

Third, look at yield levels. Farmers should adjust fertility management for the yield levels of today. This is where tissue testing can be an asset to indicate if nutrient levels are short or not.

Within your area of expertise, what do you consider to be critical soybean research needs that can impact the profitability of farmers in the future?
I believe soybean yield is nitrogen-limited. A big challenge is that we know we can’t pour on nitrogen and at the same time farmers are trying to reduce nitrogen use across their acres. If we can find a way to enhance nitrogen fixation in soybeans, it could solve the nitrogen limitation problem and suddenly 100-bushel soybeans will be more achievable. 

SRIN Articles:

Tissue Testing Reveals Soybean Nutrients for Better Management

Tarek Hewezi – Soybean Research Profile

Posted on by SoyResearchInforadmin

Tarek Hewezi, Professor of Plant Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee

Why did you decide to pursue a career that includes soybean research?
When I came to Tennessee, I found that soybeans are the top crop grown in the state. It’s a major cash crop both for Tennessee and the U.S. I want to work on issues that impact Tennessee farmers and beyond, so focusing on soybeans is a natural fit.

What research topic have you completed in the past or are working on now that could have or has had the most significant impact on soybean production?
My research finding new sources of genetic soybean cyst nematode resistance for soybeans has the potential to have the greatest impact on soybean production. SCN is a major pest almost everywhere soybeans are grown in the U.S., and current types of resistance are no longer as effective as they once were.

How has the soybean checkoff enhanced your ability to find answers to production problems for farmers?
My research wouldn’t have happened without funding support from the Tennessee Soybean Promotion Board. For example, my innovative approach to finding hidden sources of SCN resistance was considered very risky, but the farmers on the board were willing to support this bold concept without any preliminary data. I am very grateful for Soy Checkoff support, and I believe my work can provide them with a real return on that investment.

Within your area of expertise, what are the top two or three general recommendations you would offer farmers to improve their management practices?

  • Farmers should monitor their fields for signs of nematode pressure. Infected plants can often be identified with the naked eye. Uproot one or two plants from different areas and examine their root systems—visible cysts indicate nematode presence. Over time, farmers can assess whether their chosen soybean varieties are effectively suppressing nematode reproduction in the field.
  • To manage SCN more effectively, use soybean varieties with different sources of genetic resistance to reduce SCN virulence.

Within your area of expertise, what do you consider to be critical soybean research needs that can impact the profitability of famers in the future?
Research can lead to the development of next-generation soybeans with improved yield, growth and resistance to pests. Artificial intelligence can help identify the genetic traits that drive these improvements. While we currently understand and work with only a portion of the soybean genome, a significant number of genes remain unexplored. As we uncover the roles of these unknown genes, we can use that insight to further improve soybean traits.

SRIN articles:

Searching for Southern Root Knot Nematode Resistance

Improving Soybean Transportation – Within the Plant – for Higher Protein

Uncovering Hidden Sources of Soybean Cyst Nematode Resistance