Soybean Research Principal Investigator Profile – David Moseley

David Moseley, Assistant Professor and Soybean Specialist, Louisiana State University AgCenter

Why did you decide to pursue a career that includes soybean research?
I started my career as an extension agent in Arkansas. I decided I wanted to earn a doctorate degree, but I needed a full-time job on campus to support my family while pursuing it. I got a job with the soybean breeding group at the University of Arkansas and ran with it. 

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?
Soybean variety trials provide farmers with unbiased information to help them choose varieties with the best yield and protection against stress. 

How has the soybean checkoff enhanced your ability to find answers to production problems for farmers?
The soy checkoff funds my on-farm demonstrations and best management practice research trials. These research trials and demonstrations help answer questions that farmers ask. 

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 should select adapted soybean varieties with high yield potential that resist the pressures they face, both biotic, like pests, and abiotic, like weather patterns. As they select varieties, they should look for those that demonstrate both yield potential and stability across years and environmental factors. 

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 continue learning what genetic resistance we can find in soybeans to fight the pressures faced in the field. For example, red-banded stink bug is becoming a problem in our region, and genetic resistance would protect soybean yield. This research would help farmers access the right varieties that help them control new and emerging pressures.

SRIN articles:

Weathering Well: Variety Screening to Protect Harvest Quality

Trials Affirm Best Management Practices in Louisiana

Moseley is part of the Science For Success team. For more information, visit the Science For Success SRIN page.

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