Soybean Research Principal Investigator Profile – Bob Kemerait

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Bob Kemerait, Professor and Extension Specialist, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Georgia

Why did you decide to pursue a career that includes soybean research?
I am fascinated by plant diseases, and I enjoy plant pathology work. I focused on other crops, but Asian soybean rust brought me into soybeans. Prior to its appearance in the U.S., soybean diseases weren’t a focus for our farmers. Now, I count the many connections I’ve made within soybean disease research as good friends, and I have the opportunity to help soybean farmers protect their yield 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?
In addition to studying and monitoring Asian soybean rust, I am participating in work to re-evaluate the challenge of soybean cyst nematode with The SCN Coalition. Research to understand and manage these threats helps farmers improve soybean production.

How has the soybean checkoff enhanced your ability to find answers to production problems for farmers?
Without funding, it isn’t possible to do this work. Georgia farmers fund my work with between a nickel and a dime per acre. In a year with a low threat of Asian soybean rust, they can save $10 to $15 per acre by not spraying a fungicide. When the disease is prevalent, a timely spray can save 25 to 40 bushels per acre in yield. Funding the sentinel plot system either saves them money on spraying or protects yield, and both support their profitability.

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

  • Soybean farmers need to recognize potential nematode problems and use resistant genetics and nematicides to manage them.
  • Most soybeans in our region benefit from timely fungicide applications, so plan for that application to help them get to their yield potential and to protect profitability.

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 need to invest in fungicide resistance research to be ahead of the curve in resistant management for diseases. 
  • We’ve made tremendous progress in breeding efforts for disease and nematode resistance, but more research and progress will be needed. 
  • Integrated pest management research helps farmers learn to use soybean varieties, cultural practices and fungicides for disease and nematode management. 

Soybean Research Principal Investigator Profile – David Langston

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David Langston, Professor and Extension Plant Pathologist, Virginia Tech

Why did you decide to pursue a career that includes soybean research?
I like to answer questions, so I am drawn to areas where there are many questions to answer. During my career as a plant pathologist, I have found nematodes very interesting, and I have worked with them in vegetables. As my extension role shifted in 2020 to include soybean diseases, I naturally gravitated toward nematodes, because there are few answers to nematode problems in soybeans, especially in Virginia.

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?
Nematodes reduce soybean yield significantly. I am evaluating nematode-resistant soybean varieties, as well as the costs and benefits of resistant varieties compared to nematicides. I want to study effectiveness and economics of nematode control for the Mid-Atlantic region to help farmers manage nematodes.

How has the soybean checkoff enhanced your ability to find answers to production problems for farmers?
It takes a lot of manpower to do nematode work. I am compelled to put out trials when I find problem fields so we can learn more. Those trials generate many samples. The sampling and evaluation process is cumbersome, and funding from the checkoff makes it possible to fund the people needed to do this work.

Within your area of expertise, what are the top two or three general recommendations you would offer farmers to improve their management practices?
To manage soybean problems like nematodes and sudden death syndrome, farmers need to evaluate all available tools. Planting resistant varieties should be the starting point, but do the homework to be sure varieties have strong yield potential. Then, they should consider other factors, like effectiveness of seed treatments, soil conditions and planting date to make decisions most likely to protect that yield potential.

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?
To better help farmers control nematodes, I see the need for research to streamline and provide greater efficiency in nematode soil sampling. We also should explore the potential for precision applications of nematicides to use them just where they are needed, in hotspots where nematode pressure is economically damaging in fields. 

Soybean Research Principal Investigator Profile – Andy Kness

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Andy Kness, Agricultural Science Agent, Harford County, University of Maryland

Why did you decide to pursue a career that includes soybean research?
I like helping people and solving problems, and I am doing that as an extension agent in the county where I grew up. Soybeans are the number one or two crop every year in Maryland, so they are an important crop for the area. I am able to explore answers to questions from growers and generate research and information to help 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?
I believe providing an unbiased review of fungicide efficacy supports farmers as they make decisions. Chemical companies continue producing new products. Though my academic research moves more slowly than industry, the trials offer objective data under real-world conditions.

How has the soybean checkoff enhanced your ability to find answers to production problems for farmers?
The soy checkoff is a great source of funds and support for the type of projects I do. The checkoff is designed to address local problems. I appreciate that the Maryland Soybean Board has supported my crazy ideas and provided really good feedback. It’s a collaborative effort. 

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

  • Choose good genetics with good resistance or tolerance to key pests when available. Genetics are the top tool in the toolbox to manage pests, and other tools complement them.
  • Think about cultural practices like planting date and planting conditions. While planting soybeans early often pays, planting conditions still need to be conducive to germination and emergence. Focus on getting a good soybean stand.
  • Make sure equipment is functioning well, adjusting settings as needed, from planting through harvest.

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 need research to monitor both pests of all types and modes of action to see resistance trends and address potential problems. Most products today use variations of existing modes of action. It’s important to rotate modes of action to avoid resistance development with any key pests, especially because discoveries of new modes of action are rare. We must preserve the tools we have, or we could potentially lose them all. 

Soybean Research Principal Investigator – Kate Brown

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Kate Brown, Program Associate—Commercial Agriculture, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Burlington County

Why did you decide to pursue a career that includes soybean research?
I was very active in my local FFA chapter growing up, and I went to college to study agricultural education. While in college, I learned about extension and met many farmers. I liked the diversity of combining education, research and helping those farmers, so I decided to pursue a career in extension. I focused on horticultural crops, but New Jersey vegetable farmers are very diverse, often relying on soybeans as a rotational crop. As I have worked with them, I have developed an interest in field crops. Including soybeans in research ultimately serves our farmers better. I have observed that field crop growers are way ahead of the curve in implementing conservation practices like cover crops and no-till, so I am learning from them to better serve diversified 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?
The New Jersey agriculture industry is facing a crisis in farm viability. That is the top concern for our farmers, so any work we do that can improve soybean efficiency and keep them viable, like evaluating the economics of soybean planting populations, will have an impact.

How has the soybean checkoff enhanced your ability to find answers to production problems for farmers?
The New Jersey Soybean Board and the soy checkoff have been critical. We have so few agronomists in New Jersey, and many of them have broad roles. We need the support of the New Jersey Soybean Board to conduct research projects. Their initial seed money is vital to local soybean research.

Within your area of expertise, what are the top two or three general recommendations you would offer farmers to improve their management practices?
Focus on what you can control, because there are so many factors that can’t be controlled. Optimizing planting populations, diversifying operations and crop rotations, and similar practices all help farmers improve risk management.

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?
Soil health and fertility play a major role in the availability of nutrients, which impacts input needs. I think research on practices like planting green into cover crops and understanding how cover crops work will help farmers show the value they can bring for issues like carbon sequestration, air quality and climate.

Soybean Research Principal Investigator Profile – David Owens

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David Owens, Extension Entomology Specialist, University of Delaware Carvel Research and Education Center

Why did you decide to pursue a career that includes soybean research?
I was always fascinated by insects, but I didn’t know what to do with that interest until I started working at an experiment station at Virginia Tech. I love working with farmers, troubleshooting for them and working in their fields. My position, which is 100% extension, is a good fit for me. Soybeans are a big part of that because they are an important crop. I also love working with soybeans because they support so many different insect species — not just pests. Some reports say up to 500 insect species live in soybeans, and just six to 12 of them are pests. But those pests can show up throughout the growing season.

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?
Many of my studies focus on pesticide management, including spray trials for various pests and products. Those trials feed directly into management recommendations. I have found that it is most important to get out into fields across the state, surveying them throughout the growing season to know what pests appear. That allows me to see the most common issues for growers.

How has the soybean checkoff enhanced your ability to find answers to production problems for farmers?
I am grateful to the soy checkoff for the support. Funding and feedback from Delaware Soybean Board members helps focus my activities. The work I do requires seasonal technical support and students in the lab. The soy checkoff helps fund those positions so we can generate data that gets fed back into grower recommendations. 

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

  • Actively scout fields, whether you do that yourself or have someone else do it. Farmers need knowledge of what is going on in their fields.
  • Don’t apply insecticide when it isn’t needed. Though it is common to tank mix insecticides with other inputs, we typically don’t see any benefits from including it unless pest populations have reached thresholds.
  • Seek out and consider recommendations from local experts. For example, I include updates on soybean insect populations in our Delaware Weekly Crop Update. This helps farmers anticipate potential issues.
  • For fields with a history of slug pressure, don’t plant soybeans until after Memorial Day. They don’t like hot weather. Vigorous germination and early growth are key to managing early season pests. For example, once soybeans have their first true leaves out, it is much harder for slugs to completely destroy them.

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 need localized research on cultural practices to make fields more resilient to slug pressure. There is nothing in the chemical pipeline to manage slugs, which have become one of the top pests in soybeans in our region. We need to understand how different management practices and weather impact slugs so that we can better manage them.

Soybean Research Principal Investigator Profile – Scott Shearer

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Scott Shearer, Professor and Chair, Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Ohio State University

Why did you decide to pursue a career that includes soybean research?
My professional interests have always revolved around Midwestern production agriculture. I’ve always been interested in the iron that drives crop production and technologies to automate tractors, sprayers and combines.

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?
Without question, artificial intelligence, or AI. I’m an end user, and I respect what the computer scientist brings to the table. However, I understand production agriculture. The magic occurs when we bring together the engineering, computer sciences and agricultural science disciplines.

How has the soybean checkoff enhanced your ability to find answers to production problems for farmers?
Funding from the Ohio Soybean Council has enabled us to do “proof of concept” at scale. These resources have made it possible for us to take the computing environment to the field, versus taking data from the field to the computing environment.

Within your area of expertise, what are the top two or three general recommendations you would offer farmers to improve their management practices?
Ag technology will continue to change and evolve. Unfortunately, not all ag tech delivers the same for every farmer. When selecting ag tech, start first with the low-hanging fruit. We know the payback period for technologies like section control, making this a “no-brainer.” Chemical, seed and fertilizer savings easily exceed the cost of section control in a short period of time. For other technology adoption, consider your pain points. Is planting capacity a problem? If so, consider a high-speed planting upgrade. Is stand establishment problematic? If so, consider planter downforce control. Do your homework and solve problems of importance to your operation!

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 on the AI bandwagon. We are beginning to see multiple AI-driven products enter the marketplace, such as spot spraying for weeds. With a little imagination, farmers will discover and demand alternative product configurations along with expanded access to trained AI classifiers.

Soybean Research Principal Investigator – Mike Daniels

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Mike Daniels, Professor and Extension Soil and Water Conservation Scientist, University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service

Why did you decide to pursue a career that includes soybean research?
My love for the people in agriculture and the desire to help them led me to my career. I wanted to serve these people, and that’s why I am in extension. I developed my passion for soils, water and more while interacting with the people in the ag industry.

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?
Our work found that row crops are losing more potassium than we realized. Understanding what is happening in these fields may help farmers improve nutrient retention and save on fertilizer costs. Our work on irrigation water management also makes soybean production more cost-efficient.

How has the soybean checkoff enhanced your ability to find answers to production problems for farmers?
The work done on Arkansas Discovery Farms can’t be done by one person. We need a team. The United Soybean Board helped get the program started, and the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board has consistently helped fund a technician who collects on-farm samples and helps troubleshoot data collection. The technician is a vital member of the team, and our partnership with the soy checkoff makes that possible. The data from those samples provides information we rely on to secure additional grants and private funding. 

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

  • Test soils to continually improve nutrient management. This information allows farmers to add nutrients as needed and adjust agronomic practices to keep those nutrients for their crops.
  • Manage irrigation water carefully, relying on information from fields and recommendations from research to optimize water use.
  • Don’t be afraid of sustainability initiatives. Take advantage of opportunities to learn how to benefit from specific programs and practices that can improve soil physical and microbiological properties to support fertility.

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?
Water will be the critical issue for agriculture in the future. We need to figure out how to hold on to water and use it effectively. We need research focused on more efficient use of water, ways to reduce runoff and improve soil drainage. Management practices that improve these factors cause changes that happen very slowly, so we also need to take the time to fully understand their potential value.

Soybean Research Principal Investigator Profile – Adriana Murillo-Williams

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Adriana Murillo-Williams, Agronomy Extension Educator, Penn State Extension

Why did you decide to pursue a career that includes soybean research?
I have loved plants since I was a child in Costa Rica, influenced in part by my grandma and my dad. I chose to study agronomy and found that I really liked plant pathology. While earning master’s and doctorate degrees at Iowa State University, I fell in love with the Midwestern landscape and soybeans. Then, I wanted to gain extension experience, which grew my desire to help 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 know how harmful soybean cyst nematodes are to soybeans, based on what I learned while studying in Iowa. Nationally, SCN is the top yield-robbing pathogen in soybeans. I want to know where SCN is in Pennsylvania and raise awareness so farmers can protect their soybean yields. 

How has the soybean checkoff enhanced your ability to find answers to production problems for farmers?
The checkoff provides funding for some of my work, and I am forever thankful for that funding and trust. This support allows me to find answers to questions important to 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?

  • Find out what is in your fields. Farmers need to know if they have SCN, and soil tests will provide that information. 
  • Rotate fields between soybeans and non-host crops. And with soybeans, rotate sources of genetic SCN resistance.

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?
Once SCN has been identified in a field, we need to show the impact of SCN management practices. Farmers need to learn to use all available tools and understand the value of proactively managing SCN. Research will help farmers see the difference between resistant and susceptible soybean varieties and the usefulness of seed-applied nematicides. We also need to better understand the role of cover crops in SCN management, especially because adoption of cover crops has been so successful in Pennsylvania. Research will help develop SCN and cover crop management recommendations specific to Pennsylvania.

Soybean Research Principal Investigator Profile – Damon Smith

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Damon Smith, professor and extension specialist and director of the Nutrient and Pest Management Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison 

Why did you decide to pursue a career that includes soybean research?
Soybeans are a critical commodity in the U.S. They also have many disease issues, and I am a problem solver and want to help farmers be productive growing this major cash crop.

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 laboratory and field research program developed the Sporecaster white mold prediction tool. This foundational tool put disease management decisions in the hands of farmers and also laid the groundwork for more disease prediction tools to come.

How has the soybean checkoff enhanced your ability to find answers to production problems for farmers?
Without the support and trust of farmers and the soybean checkoff, my program would not exist. We have worked hard to understand the diseases of soybeans and have used what we learned to inform farmers on how to best fight these problems.

Within your area of expertise, what are the top two or three general recommendations you would offer farmers to improve their management practices?
Choose resistant varieties, rotate crops, and know what the weather is bringing in terms of conducive disease environments (the disease triangle at work!).

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 need to increase our work on understanding the epidemiology of more soybean diseases so we can continue to build out new disease prediction tools.

Soybean Research Principal Investigator Profile – Janet Knodel

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Dr. Janet J. Knodel is a professor in the Department of Plant Pathology and an extension entomologist at North Dakota State University in Fargo, North Dakota. For the past 23 years, she has provided statewide program leadership for Extension Entomology, the North Dakota Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program, and the NDSU Crop & Pest Report. Her extension outreach and applied research focuses on IPM and insect pests of field crops including wheat, barley, canola, corn, chickpeas, dry beans, field peas, lentils, soybean and sunflower. She also studies pollinators, bees and butterflies, in gardens and field crops. Knodel has authored/co-authored more than 500 publications in professional, extension, technical and trade journals including over 50 peer-reviewed papers and six book chapters.