Reading updates and comprehending insights from soybean checkoff-funded research may feel like a daunting task for laypersons.

“To a lot of growers, it can be a lot of information to read sometimes,” said Cate Newberg, former marketing director with Iowa Soybean.

Several years ago, the United Soybean Board (USB) approached Newberg to ask for her help in overseeing a database that gathers information from across the Qualified State Soybean Board (QSSB) spectrum, while also cutting down on overlapping research projects. A similar website already existed, but USB wanted to modernize the site and make it more accessible to the farming community.

About seven years ago, with support from USB and the North Central Soybean Research Program, the Soybean Research Information Network (SRIN) launched to simplify how farmers and QSSB staff distribute checkoff-funded research.

“This site cuts down on redundancy and repetition,” said Newberg, SRIN’s program manager. “We started SRIN because we wanted to make that research easy to digest. It just makes sense.”

SRIN’s content is dedicated to all matters related to soybean research: agronomy, soybean diseases, pests, aquaculture, timely resources and more. Checkoff-funded research from across the country is posted on the website each week.

“We work with every state so they can all add their own research,” Newberg said. “We wanted a glimpse of what every state is doing.”

The Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council (MSR&PC) has posted dozens of research projects on SRIN from throughout the years, including content related to variety trials, managing white mold and fertilizer recommendations. Checkoff-funded researchers also participate in blogs and interviews on SRIN.

“We are always looking to get our research into the hands of our farmers any way we can,” said Council Director Kris Folland, who serves on a committee that gives first approval to MSR&PC-funded projects.

“SRIN is a great place to host all this research under one site.” Newberg said every research project should always be answerable by a critical question: How will this help soybean farmers and improve profitability?

“If the principal investigator can’t explain how this benefits a farmer, then I’d question the project because that should be the focus,” she said. “Farmers want to know, because they’re going to take this info and put it into their farming practices.”

Visit soybeanresearchinfo.com to learn the latest in soybean checkoff investments from across the country.

“We’re trying to get as much research into farmers’ hands as possible,” Newberg said.