Jenny Carleo – Soybean Research Profile

Jenny Carleo, Area Specialized Agent, Agriculture – Grain Crops, North Carolina State Extension

Why did you decide to pursue a career that includes soybean research?
I always wanted to work on grain crops because they have a huge impact on global food production. Soybeans are an important component of the system and also play a unique role in crop rotation with other grains. 

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?
Economic research on balancing inputs and yields with profitability provides practical support to farmers. I have also helped facilitate activities of the Science for Success team, which coordinates soybean research efforts across the country to answer practical questions for all U.S. soybean producers.

How has the soybean checkoff enhanced your ability to find answers to production problems for farmers?
The Soy Checkoff is instrumental for our research and extension programming. It puts the power of selecting and funding research projects into the hands of the farmers. This guides us in focusing our efforts on what farmers really need and want from land-grant institutions.

Within your area of expertise, what are the top two or three general recommendations you would offer farmers to improve their management practices?
I like to see farmers focusing on the big moves and basics that always bring a return on investment — things like soil fertility, variety selection and timely management. For experimental practices that may be more costly than they end up being worth, allow the land-grants and university experiment stations to burden the cost of testing and evaluating new practices and products first. We are well set-up to do that for them, so that they don’t have to spend time and money doing initial testing themselves.

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 breeding research focused on modern production will help soybeans adapt to current systems and environmental changes. I also think research on modifying future production practices to keep pace with ag engineering technology will support farmer profitability.

SRIN articles:

Managing Double-Crop Soybean Inputs for Profitability