Soybean Research Principal Investigator Profile – Seth Naeve

Seth Naeve, Extension soybean agronomist, University of Minnesota

Why did you decide to pursue a career that includes soybean research?
The only professor at Iowa State University (ISU) who would take me on in grad school happened to be a soybean physiologist. Also, a little-known fact is that my father was active in soybean organizations many years ago.

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?
We are currently doing some great work while looking at the interactions between drainage, tillage and residue levels. My labs at ISU and at the University of Minnesota discovered the tradeoffs between soybean protein quantity and quality. 

How has the soybean checkoff enhanced your ability to find answers to production problems for farmers?
By design, soybean checkoff projects are evaluated by producers themselves. Projects are funded for many reasons, but at the core is the value each project provides back to famer profitability.

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

• Choose the best soybean varieties available for each farm.
• Plant early.
• Reduce tillage while maximizing residue and soil cover.

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 research that will support U.S. Soy as a high-value crop to the end user. We are currently a low-cost producer for the world. Brazil will continue to make more, lower-cost soybeans. We need to know what the world wants and figure out how to produce it for them, not ask them what they are willing to pay for what we have.