The Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council (MSR&PC) knows that it takes a village – especially when it comes to investing soy resources into agronomic research.

That’s why valuable Minnesota soybean checkoff dollars are invested in the North Central Soybean Research Program (NCSRP). Comprising 13 state checkoff boards, NCSRP funds university research and extension programs to better understand and manage plant stressors that reduce soybean yield and farmer profitability.

Representing MSR&PC, Director Gene Stoel is a member of the program and joined his NCSRP colleagues for a meeting Aug. 7-9 in Madison, Wisc. MSR&PC Director David Kee also participated in the tour.

“This was a difficult meeting because we were dealing with some serious budget cuts, just like everyone else in the soybean industry,” said Stoel, who farms in southwestern Minnesota. “We went from a $4.5 million budget to a $3 million budget in this funding cycle, so that really impacts the amount of research we can do.”

Despite budget cuts, Stoel believes the program will continue to play a vital role in the industry.

“We are still funding research in genetic breeding technologies, soil science and, of course, in the test management area,” he said. “We have always funded those programs.”

Stoel says the group finds strength in diversity, with research funneling in from different states, each of which is facing its own challenges.

“The power of this program is that there are 13 states that pull together to do this research. It really gives a broader perspective of what is happening across the region,” Stoel said.

The group has spent time this summer visiting states of its program leaders, which Stoel says has been an eye-opening experience. 

“We’ve been as far out as Pennsylvania and down to Kansas,” Stoel said.  “What we’ve found is that every region really has its own problems and specific research in mind. In Nebraska, their main concern is drought. You go out east, and they’ve got different diseases, weeds and pests they’re dealing with.”

Passing by a roadblock of funding challenges, Stoel says optimism is the main road ahead for NCSRP.

“It’s very important that we continue to do this research and plan ahead for what challenges may come in the industry,” Stoel said.