Soybean Research Principal Investigator Profile – Wesley Everman

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Wesley Everman, Assistant Professor and Extension Weed Scientist Specialist, Iowa State University

Why did you decide to pursue a career that includes soybean research?
I have always been driven to find viable answers to keep growers thriving on the farm. They have a lot of real challenges, and I want to do what I can to ease those I can help with.

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 think the many studies I have done looking at overall systems have been very impactful. For example, after characterizing types of resistance in Palmer amaranth in North Carolina, my team made a heat map of where specific populations of resistance could be found to help growers make decisions about control options. Weed resistance matters most when they know it is close. I’ve also worked on systems to use imaging to detect Palmer amaranth and other weeds, as well as sensors to identify weed resistance.

How has the soybean checkoff enhanced your ability to find answers to production problems for farmers?
The Soy Checkoff has been really great. It keeps me focused on what growers really want. I always suggest multiple research proposals so I can adapt and change my research program to farmers’ current needs. Emerging issues in the field need to be addressed quickly, and checkoff dollars can be granted within the season to address those challenges, helping farmers get answers as quickly as possible. 

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

  • With any system change, start small. There is not a single weed management recommendation that fits every acre of every farm. Try things that look promising, and then expand what works. For example, with cover crops, farmers should figure out how to do it on their farm in a small area, rather than expecting one method to be the solution for every acre.
  • The socio-economic impact of weed management is underappreciated, especially by the general public. As farmers see the impacts, they need to address them to take pressures off specific chemistries and practices.
  • Artificial intelligence has many benefits, and if farmers are smart about using it, they can be more productive. We are entering a new era of what we are able to do, and farmers can take advantage of that.

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 believe we need to be researching application technology and how new platforms will impact quality of application and efficacy. With technologies like aerial mapping, selective sprays and more, there are lots of pieces to consider. Research will help us figure out what tools can become the most valuable, and which are just cool toys.

Soybean Research Principal Investigator Profile – Gunvant Patil

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Gunvant Patil, Assistant Professor, Institute of Genomics for Crop Abiotic Stress Tolerance, Texas Tech University

Why did you decide to pursue a career that includes soybean research?
I have always been familiar with legumes, and I did my doctorate research on chickpea and other legumes. I wanted to work on crops, though I trained and did basic research as a molecular biologist and plant tissue culture scientist. When I had the opportunity to get back to research on crops, I took it. Now I focus on soybeans, because the crop has incredible potential for countless uses. After working on soybeans for years, I understand the plant fairly well and realize soybeans are a good model for plant biology.

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 on identifying new alleles and genetic resources for soybean cyst nematode resistance has the most potential to help farmers. In addition, my lab is actively advancing research to engineer soybeans through gene editing in ways that both enhance associations with beneficial microbes and also exhibit robust resistance to SCN and other diseases.

How has the soybean checkoff enhanced your ability to find answers to production problems for farmers?
The soy checkoff helps my research in big ways. We had basic ideas of valuable germplasm to explore, and the checkoff believed in us and provided the initial funding to identify important information for soybean breeders. Support from the checkoff is integral to our success, even though I am based at Texas Tech University, which isn’t a soybean production area. Thanks to this support, we are now making significant progress in both discovering novel traits and engineering soybeans with enhanced agronomic performance.

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 follow scientific recommendations for the maturity groups, soil profiles and overall genetic packages they choose to plant.
  • Beneficial microbes have huge potential to reduce the use of synthetic fertilizer. Specific soybeans connect with specific microbes to improve nutrient use efficiency. Beneficial microbes, combined with the right genetic source, have potential to improve nutrient use efficiency and reduce overall chemical fertilizer use.

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?
We have focused on engineering soybeans, but we should start thinking about engineering microbes to enhance their capacity to be even more beneficial to plants. With research, we can learn to engineer both plant genetics and microbes, like a lock and key model, to improve production.

SRIN articles:

Selecting Soybeans for Mineral Nutrient Uptake

Soybean Research Principal Investigator Profile – Andre de Borja Reis

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Andre de Borja Reis, assistant professor, soybean farming systems, University of Missouri; State Extension Specialist on soybean agronomy

Why did you decide to pursue a career that includes soybean research?
Since I was a child, I’ve been intrigued by nature relations. I like to observe nature and try to understand the natural process. As I grew older and became more educated, I realized that agronomy would be where I could understand the environmental processes and help improve how we manage and use environmental resources for food, fiber and shelter. Studying agronomy, I began to understand that in order to produce food, we have to change the environment and that may imply altering our environmental footprint. I learned about soybean’s ability to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere, a process that otherwise would be energy-demanding in the industrial form. I thought that soybean was a wonderful crop. With soybeans, I could develop a career around this agricultural product with a lower environmental footprint.

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 group is heavily focused on closing the gap between yield potential and actual yield. Missouri’s state soybean average is lower than some neighboring states due to weather and distinct soil attributes, but there are also opportunities to improve cropping practices. I want to help farmers choose better planting dates and varieties, adjusting populations and row spacing for improved yields.

How has the soybean checkoff enhanced your ability to find answers to production problems for farmers?
The soybean checkoff is critical. It is the only group interested in trying to solve problems that the farmer has today. Other agencies or groups look at the farmer in different ways; many are trying to solve future issues or problems that society perceives because of agricultural production. The soybean checkoff is paying attention to those pressing issues and they are invested in solving current, day-to-day problems. 

That’s what I’m trying to do as well. If we don’t have robust farming operations, we can’t expect the environmental services from crop production. And that means better use of current resources, helping farmers to make informed decisions, and decreasing the use of inputs. I greatly depend on the checkoff to help me with my projects.


Within your area of expertise, what are top two or three recommendations you’d offer farmers to improve their management practices?
From an agronomy perspective, planting and the decisions made around planting, are the most important in the whole cropping season or farming operation. Weed, fungicide, nematode, and insecticide management are all important, but they don’t change the yield potential. Planting is the only thing that really defines yield potential.

After that, it’s a battle of managing losses. So selecting the right variety or cultivar, adjusting the population, adjusting row spacing and planting date — those are what farmers should be considering. Today, farmers are dealing with so many other things that these decisions could get overlooked. There is no yield increase, or no yield potential increase, by applying crop protection measures, or biologicals or foliar fertilizers. The only thing they can do is protect the yield set by planting. 

Within your area of expertise, what do you consider to be critical research needs that can impact farmers in the future?
We need to decrease the uncertainty of farmer decisions. When a farmer decides to plant a particular cultivar in a field under certain conditions, the decision is often based on the performance of that cultivar in trials conducted under environmental conditions similar to their farm. However, the assumption of similarity is rarely met, and it is hard to predict whether the cultivar of choice will be able to provide maximum yield.

We need more information in order to make a better decisions. And that means developing more powerful models that can account for a large number of variables. We need to apply or develop tools that can help farmers decrease uncertainties around their decisions to protect yield.

SRIN articles:

Soybean Growth Monitoring Model Offers Additional Farmer Support

Soybean Research Principal Investigator Profile – Liang Dong

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Liang Dong, Vikram L. Dalal Professor, Director of Microelectronics Research Center, Iowa State University

Why did you decide to pursue a career that includes soybean research?
As an engineer, my research has been focused on developing sensors primarily for use in corn. However, to expand that work, I am exploring how that work can be used in other crops. Soybeans have very different features and characteristics than corn that challenge adaptation. Figuring out how to engineer sensors useful to both major crops is a fun challenge to tackle.

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?
Adapting an array of plant sensors for use in soybeans is the first project I have worked on for this crop. However, in the past, I have developed nitrogen sensors for corn plants and soil, and the process of adapting that concept to develop phosphorus and potassium sensors in soybeans will benefit farmers and soybean researchers.

How has the soybean checkoff enhanced your ability to find answers to production problems for farmers?
Soybeans have different characteristics than other plants, and farmers include the crop in their rotation for different reasons. Soy checkoff funding makes it possible to discover adaptations of sensors for use in the crop that will help find solutions to production challenges.

Within your area of expertise, what are the top two or three general recommendations you would offer farmers to improve their management practices?
As an engineer, I recommend farmers to try out new technologies that potentially make field sensing and data collection easier and more efficient. Even more importantly, sharing feedback on how these tools work in real-world conditions helps engineers like me improve their sensor design and functionality to support smart farm management. 

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?
Developing better tools to gather crop information will help look beyond symptoms to the root cause of problems. Research should also foster collaboration across disciplines, bringing together agronomists, engineers and other experts to tackle challenges from different perspectives. This kind of integrated approach is key to developing practical, effective solutions that can boost long-term profitability for farmers.

SRIN articles:

Deep Sensing to Monitor Soybean Health

Soybean Research Principal Investigator Profile – Carrie Ortel

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Carrie Ortel, Assistant Professor and Extension Soybean Agronomist, Virginia Tech

Why did you decide to pursue a career that includes soybean research?
I love applied, practical research. I enjoy interacting with growers and conducting research that provides meaningful information to help them. And, soybeans are my favorite crop, because they are grown almost everywhere, and they are resilient, interesting plants. It’s a great fit for me to be working in my home state, focused on conducting and sharing practical research on my favorite crop with 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?
A project on in-season potassium management, which was the focus of my doctorate research has the most potential to impact soybean production as the research continues. The research encompasses how potassium interacts with drought stress, tissue sampling protocol, calibrating in-season potash applications based on tissue tests, and the profitability of in-season potassium management.

How has the soybean checkoff enhanced your ability to find answers to production problems for farmers?
The soy checkoff is fantastic to work with, and extremely helpful. For example, it funded my doctoral research, allowing me to follow my curiosity to improve soybean management. Now, the soy checkoff is allowing me to integrate that work into Virginia soybean production. The soy checkoff also supported a needs assessment that directs research investment to focus on planting recommendations, nutrient management, cover crops and soil health, weed control and variety selection. In addition to funding research, the checkoff also helps researchers like me connect with farmers.

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

  • Variety selection is the most important decision soybean farmers make. They should choose high-yielding, stable varieties for strong yield potential. 
  • Farmers should take soil samples and adjust fertility programs based on the results to ensure the crop will start strong.

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?
Soybean research should grow to be as technologically advanced as farmers. They have an incredible amount of technology at their fingertips, and the research they rely on should account for that. Research is needed to help us all understand field variability and how to maximize the value of input investments in each field.

SRIN articles:

Finding and Feeding Hidden Hunger for Potassium

Soybean Research Principal Investigator Profile – Caio Vieira

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Caio Vieira, Arkansas Soybean Breeding team lead and crop, soil and environmental sciences professor, Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station System – Division of Agriculture

Why did you decide to pursue a career that includes soybean research?
The fact that soybeans have the highest seed protein content among any other crop, and the ability to manipulate soybean response to stressors through genetics fascinated me. This led me to pursue a career in soybean breeding and genetics. I see tremendous potential in this field, especially as soybean protein gains broader adoption in the food and feed industries.

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?
One of our major research goals is to understand the genetics regulating soybean response to various biotic and abiotic stressors. Specifically, the genetics behind soybean resistance to southern root-knot nematode and tolerance to flooding have been the most interesting and rewarding projects, given the complexity and the severe impact those have on soybean production in the Mid-South.

How has the soybean checkoff enhanced your ability to find answers to production problems for farmers?
The soybean checkoff is absolutely essential for advancing soybean research in the United States. With its support, we can investigate both regional production challenges and collaborate with researchers across disciplines and institutions to address broader, more complex issues in 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?
Choosing the right soybean variety is crucial for aligning with management practices. Understanding how specific genetics perform in a given environment, particularly their resilience to biotic and abiotic stressors, can significantly impact profitability. Additionally, selecting varieties that fit well with existing management strategies, such as irrigation, fertility management and planting timing, can further optimize yield potential and risk mitigation.

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?
Soybean breeding plays a key role in simultaneously increasing yield potential and sustaining yield under stress conditions, both critical for long-term sustainability of the soybean industry. However, these objectives require distinct research approaches. Improving yield potential requires extensive population development, rigorous testing and a focus on physiological traits like light interception, energy conversion efficiency and harvest index. On the other hand, improving stress resilience requires identifying new genetic sources, understanding the genetic architecture of key traits and integrating multiple breeding strategies to balance stress tolerance with high yield.

Photo courtesy: University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture

SRIN Articles:

How Flooding Soybeans in Early Reproductive Stages Impacts Yield, Seed Composition

Soybean Research Principal Investigator Profile – William Schapaugh

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William Schapaugh, Professor and Soybean Breeder, Department of Agronomy, Kansas State University

Why did you decide to pursue a career that includes soybean research?
Growing up I was surrounded by agriculture. Both my parents came from farm backgrounds and although my dad didn’t farm, he worked in the seed business, which gave me early exposure to the seed industry. In high school, I worked for corn and sorghum breeders in Texas, who encouraged me to pursue a plant breeding career. As a sophomore at Iowa State University, I transferred to Agronomy, where I had the opportunity to work on research programs for various crops. One of the experiences included working for soybean breeder John Schillinger. That experience got me interested in soybeans and inspired me to purse graduate studies focusing on soybean breeding. When I completed my graduate studies, there was a high demand for plant breeders. I was fortunate to obtain a faculty position at KSU focusing on soybean breeding.

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?
One of our most meaningful contributions has been advancing the understanding of the genetic basis of stress tolerance in soybeans, particularly in response to drought and heat. Through long-term collaborations with organizations such as the Kansas Soybean Commission and the United Soybean Board, we have identified soybean germplasm traits associated with stress tolerance and pinpointed genes responsible for those traits. Specifically, we have focused on the slow wilting trait and explored heat tolerance in soybean germplasm. This research will help develop varieties that are more resilient to environmental stress, providing farmers with tools to maintain productivity under challenging growing conditions.

Another rewarding aspect of my career has been the opportunity to train and mentor plant breeders, agronomists and others who have pursued careers in agriculture. Many of the students and postdoctoral fellows who have worked with us have gone on to make their own important agricultural contributions.

How has the soybean checkoff enhanced your ability to find answers to production problems for farmers?
The soybean checkoff is the primary driver of our research. While we’ve received funding from the USDA and private sources, the checkoff has provided consistent support that sustains our program. It allows us to maintain essential resources, including staff and winter nurseries, that ensure the continuity of our activities. Without the soybean checkoff, many of our advancements would not have been possible.

Within your area of expertise, what are the top two or three general recommendations you would offer farmers to improve their management practices?
Prioritize variety selection and diversify planting dates and maturities. Choosing high-performing soybean varieties with an appropriate range of maturities is critical to optimizing yield potential and managing risks. Pairing this with an appropriate range of staggered planting dates helps reduce the impact of environmental variability, pests, and pathogens. This strategy is particularly valuable in regions like Kansas, where conditions can differ significantly across fields and vary unpredictably from year to year. 

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?
Improving tolerance to abiotic stress, enhancing genetic diversity and leveraging advanced breeding technologies will help address the challenges facing agriculture.

SRIN Articles:

A Breeder’s Work is Never Done: Improving Soybeans for Farmer Productivity, Profitability

Breeding Research Lays Foundation to Investigate Links Between Fixing Nitrogen and Protein Concentration

Kansas Researchers Breed Better Soybeans at the Genetic Level

Soybean Research Principal Investigator Profile – Aaron Wilson

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Aaron Wilson, State Climatologist of Ohio and Assistant Professor – Ag Weather and Climate Field Specialist, Ohio State University Extension

Why did you decide to pursue a career that includes soybean research?
I always wanted to be a meteorologist. However, I was also fascinated by plants and crops. The career assessment tests I took growing up all recommended that I pursue ag science. As the state climatologist for Ohio, I do what I love — applying weather research and data — to help farmers and ag researchers. I can help explain changes in weather patterns and provide information that helps agriculture, including soybean production, be more resilient. My role within Ohio State University Extension allows me to reach stakeholders where they are, and I love that.

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?
Improving weather monitoring in Ohio provides weather instrumentation that supports practical applications for soybean production.

  • Pathologists, nematologists and others can use weather data to identify the spread diseases and pests. 
  • Temperature and windspeed monitoring helps manage against drift in herbicide and other pesticide applications.
  • Understanding weather patterns and extremes informs efforts like future irrigation needs and genetic selection for soybeans that can handle variable conditions.
  • Accurate weather predictions helps farmers take advantage of planting and harvest timing windows.

How has the soybean checkoff enhanced your ability to find answers to production problems for farmers?
Working with the soy checkoff provides opportunities to listen to production challenges and problems as described by board members and other farmers. Then, I can link those challenges to weather and climate data that can help find solutions. The magic is in the conversations and sharing of expertise that helps us all. 

Within your area of expertise, what are the top two or three general recommendations you would offer farmers to improve their management practices?
Weather patterns impact areas where farmers need to focus management efforts. For example, the trend of warmer, wetter springs and dry summers informs how farmers manage water. They can consider practices like controlled drainage, cover crops and variety selection. Warmer winters and springs also affect weeds, which love warm, wet conditions. Weed management becomes even more critical in those 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?
Soybean production faces challenges of adjusting the type of soybeans grown based on heat and humidity challenges. Climate models continue to indicate that Ohio’s summers may be more like Arkansas’s today by the end of the century. What does soybean production in this region with that climate look like? Research can answer those questions throughout the U.S. and inform genetic work to develop soybeans that can thrive in changing conditions. I also think research needs to focus on interactions between changing weather patterns and disease and pest pressure. Weather conditions could allow new invasive pests to appear, and farmers need research to be prepared to manage them.

SRIN Articles:

Mesonet Enhances Weather Data Collection and Use

Soybean Research Principal Investigator – Heather Darby

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Heather Darby, Extension Professor, Agronomic and Soils Specialist, University of Vermont Extension

Why did you decide to pursue a career that includes soybean research?
I grew up on a Vermont dairy farm, and always loved agriculture. I thought I would be a dairy farmer, but my mom made me go to college. At that point, I thought I knew everything about cows. Because I didn’t know everything about plants and soils, I decided to study agronomy. Now I love that I am helping farmers stay viable and achieve their goals, and soybeans have become an important part of that. I find it exciting to answer new questions from farmers and make a difference for them. 

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 northeast region has traditionally had low soybean production. As soybean acres increase, all my research is impactful because it’s a new crop. Farmers, consultants, seed dealers and others in local agriculture need lots of information to ensure the crop is successful, so all my basic research on varieties and best practices has been valuable. Now we are addressing more advanced questions related to cover crops, nitrogen management and more, and learning what practices make sense here.

How has the soybean checkoff enhanced your ability to find answers to production problems for farmers?
If it wasn’t for these dollars, I don’t know how else I would get soybean research funded. Area farmers need practical information, so the checkoff is critical here. It is very, very much appreciated.

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 need to select the right soybean variety for the environment. Then, they need to manage planting timing, especially because our growing season is relatively short. Pay attention to the basics of planting first, to be sure to get those right. 

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?
A big issue here is climate. Farmers deal with weather variability, and they need to manage soybeans and other crops under more erratic conditions. We need research to find the tools and practices farmers need to adapt. They need answers to the question “What do you do when what’s always worked doesn’t work anymore?” That is the type of research we need to provide.

SRIN Articles:

When Planting Time is Short: Flexible Cover Crop Termination Strategies

When Harvest Time is Short: Interseeding Cover Crops in Short-Season Soybeans

Soybean Research Principal Investigator Profile – Burt Bluhm

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Burt Bluhm, Professor of Plant Pathology, University of Arkansas System – Division of Agriculture

Why did you decide to pursue a career that includes soybean research?
I did my graduate research at Purdue on mycotoxins in corn. During my post-doctoral research, I started working with Cercospora, which is not an important disease in corn in the south. However, it is a huge challenge in soybeans. At the University of Arkansas, I was mentored by a leader in the international soy pathogen community, and now I love working with the plant. I’ve learned the ins and outs of soybean pathology, and it is fascinating.

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 to develop a bioherbicide to control Palmer amaranth could have major impact for soybean production, because it is such a problem weed. I am also involved in research to engineer Cercospora genes. These pathogens, which cause disease like Cercospora leaf blight and frogeye leaf spot, are developing resistance to the major known form of genetic resistance in soybeans. We aim to produce RNA that the fungus would take up, which would then shut off its own genes that cause that tolerance. That would allow the genetic material to maintain effectiveness.

How has the soybean checkoff enhanced your ability to find answers to production problems for farmers?
I wouldn’t be able to do the research I do without soy checkoff support. It provides early funding that can then be leveraged into additional grant funding for more in-depth research. The checkoff is instrumental for carrying out research, and it also helps substantially with networking with other researchers who have similar interests.

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 listen carefully to extension recommendations for thoughtful application of fungicides because disease resistance is an issue that is on the rise. Following recommendations and best practices can help preserve fungicide chemistry.

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 lots of research to stay ahead of changing climate conditions. We need to learn how stress from extremes like heat and drought influences pests and diseases. Through enhanced genetics and research, we can tackle many challenges. A wholistic approach to genetics research, that draws on expertise from multiple disciplines, may be the best approach to develop soybeans to stay ahead of environmental conditions.

SRIN Articles:

Creating a Palmer Amaranth Bioherbicide from Fungal Pathogens