Research HighlightsNew Collaboration Between Three Soybean Research Groups Results in New E-Newsletter
In this article, you’ll find details on:
- A new e-newsletter shares information for farmers on the latest soybean research, providing ways to help improve productivity and management.
- Collaboration between SRIN, Science for Success and Crop Protection Network enables farmers to learn from several research groups in one newsletter.
- The Crop Research Alliance e-newsletter is available for free by subscription: https://soybeanresearchinfo.com/check-in-on-checkoff-research/.
The Soybean Research and Information Network (SRIN) is excited to announce a new collaboration with Science for Success and Crop Protection Network (CPN) to launch a monthly e-newsletter, “Crop Research Alliance.” This initiative aims to provide farmers, extension specialists, and research colleagues with consolidated news on soybean checkoff-funded research.
Supported by the North Central Soybean Research Program (NCSRP) and the United Soybean Board, which funds applied research projects through state and regional soybean boards, SRIN CPN and Science for Success are dedicated to share research advancements in the soybean industry. The CPN comprises university and extension specialists from more than 40 states and Canadian provinces, contributing research results on corn, soybean, cotton, and small grains. Science for Success is a group of extension specialists at more than 25 land-grant universities who collaboratively deliver soybean best management practices through applied research and subsequent diversified outreach.
“In this newly created e-newsletter, farmers can learn firsthand about the latest findings in soybean research. They can find resources on diseases, pests, and weed management, including fact sheets and videos, and pick up tips for improving their farm management to increase productivity and profitability,” says Cate Newberg, who oversees the SRIN website, a platform dedicated to sharing research advancements and resources to inform and support farmers and other stakeholders.
The articles are written for the farmer audience so they can extract information that will help in farm-level decision making. Articles on the SRIN range in topics from:
- weed control (Electrocution May Be a Viable Method to Control Weed Escapes),
- disease identification and mitigation (Blowing in the Wind: Monitoring and Identifying Fungal Spores),
- pest management (Can Aggressive Pest Management Protect Seed Quality?),
- agronomic practices such as cover crops (Soybeans and Cover Crops Can Work Together for Soil Health and Good Yields) and
- news of advancements in breeding and genetics (Researchers Continue to Strengthen and Refine Soybean SCN Resistance), and so much more.
Also on the SRIN, there is a CPN resource library and information from Science for Success including webinars that offer recommendations from soybean scientists during every stage of soybean development.
“Soybean research from public and private sectors is vital to farmer profitability,” says David Wessel, a farmer from Chandlerville, Illinois, and an Illinois Soybean Association and USB board member. “Advancements in agronomic technologies need to be tried and tested to keep up with changing environmental and regulatory conditions. Farmers need this cutting-edge research to make the best decisions for their operations.”
Since its inception in 2019, Science for Success has worked with SRIN to amplify the impact of its work.
“This newsletter is result of taking the high-quality content that’s been developed and maximizing its impact through these partnerships,” says Rachel Vann, Science For Success Principal Investigator and North Carolina State University Extension soybean specialist.
The newsletter is also a direct outcome from a meeting held this spring, where representatives from various soybean research groups, including SFS, CPN, The SCN Coalition, GROW, Take Action, and others, brainstormed how to work more effectively for increased impact. While these organizations have been informing their colleagues of research results, the newsletter aims to directly benefit farmers.
“We value this partnership with SRIN to be able to reach the farmer audience, which is where our information ultimately needs to go,” says Daren Mueller, CPN director and professor of plant pathology at Iowa State University. “Our outreach includes extension specialists across the country, which is important, but working with SRIN enables our work to reach much farther. This newsletter will help all of our organizations accomplish this.”
Wessel agrees and believes this collaboration has the potential to reach nearly every farmer in the United States.
“Getting the proper information to the farmgate level is one of the toughest things about research,” Wessel says. “This collaboration will help to improve outreach. Some of the best results come from research projects, but if that information isn’t available for farmers to use, it is wasted work.”
Farmers can receive the free Crop Research Alliance monthly e-newsletter by signing up on the SRIN website: https://soybeanresearchinfo.com/check-in-on-checkoff-research/.
Funded by the soybean checkoff
Published: Jun 10, 2024
