The Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council (MSR&PC) and the University of Minnesota welcomed soybean farmers and researchers from 13 different states as the North Central Soybean Research Program (NCSRP) brought its annual summer meeting to the Twin Cities Aug 4-6. As part of that meeting, various state research staff and NCSRP representatives took part in a field day where they learned about the UMN’s latest checkoff-supported soybean research projects. 

 “This meeting is really important for research in the Upper Midwest and for other states to come in and see what our university professors have been doing for decades and decades,” said Tom Slunecka, CEO for MSR&PC. “It’s really a great opportunity to showcase Minnesota’s investment in soybean production today and well into the future.” 

 Representing roughly 335,000 soybean farmers, NCSRP is a multi-state collaborative effort of research and outreach with a mission of supporting soybean farmers and driving the soybean industry forward. They invest soybean checkoff funds in university research and Extension programs to better understand and manage plant stressors that reduce soybean yield and farmer profitability. Along with Minnesota, other states included in the collaboration include North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania.  

 “Research is always a collaborative effort; there’s nothing in research you can do on your own,” said Sergio Cabello Leiva, MSR&PC’s new director of research. “In this instance with NCSRP, there are 13 states putting their minds together to improve yields and increase disease resistance, so it’s an incredible option to multiply our efforts and reach our goals, network and share our ideas to make soybean research stronger at a national level. 

UMN Professors Aaron Lorenz and Seth Naeve, who also lead the UMN Soybean Research Center, led NCSRP staff and directors on a tour of the UMN Ag Experiment Station and gave brief overviews of their current research projects, including research on soybean stress, breeding and genetics, weed management, unique new cropping systems that can be integrated into soybean rotations, advancements into soybean genomics and biotechnology and more.  

 For Lorenz, whose expertise is in soybean breeding and genetics, he notes that the interactions with the other researchers and farmers during the field day helped provide excellent feedback on their research work and new ideas for future projects.  

 “A lot of questions that they ask are sometimes questions we didn’t think about, and that really helps us stay grounded in terms of what matters to their everyday production and their bottom line,” said Lorenz, who works on projects supported by NCSRP. “That feedback is very valuable and there always needs to be a strong conversation between researchers, farmers and industry,” he added.  

 NCSRP’s summer meeting was also the first meeting for Minnesota’s new farmer leader representative Bob Lindemann. Lindemann is the McLeod County director for the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association (MSGA) but also serves on Minnesota Soybean’s research action team and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) Agriculture Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC), making him a natural fit for their board of directors.  

 “I enjoy research, and I don’t mind making the tough decisions or providing input on future research projects,” said Lindemann, who farms near Brownton. “There’s been a lot of new names to try to remember with the NCSRP group, but I’ve enjoyed meeting new people, and I look forward to learning and contributing what I can to support soybean research.” 

 Lindemann replaces Gene Stoel on the NCSRP board of directors. Also attending the summer meeting on behalf of MSR&PC were Directors Corey Hanson and Rochelle Krusemark.