Iowa Soybean Association’s On-Farm Network®/On-farm research;
Tracy Blackmer ( Iowa Soybean Association) ($1032756). The Project Manager's email is tbackmer@iasoybeans.com.
Key Words: Soybean Educational Activities, Soybean On-farm Research, Soybean Research Websites
This project involves coordinating the On-Farm Network®, which works with more than 1000 soybean and corn growers in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, who conduct a wide variety of on-farm research studies. The focus is on using precision ag technologies, including GPS, aerial imagery, and combine yield monitors, to determine the economic potential of specific crop production practices, such as using fertilizers, fungicides, insecticides, pest resistant hybrids or varieties, tillage or other soil management practices, etc. To do this, growers use guided stalk nitrate testing and alternating replicated strips across their field(s) to compare current practices and products with new alternative products and practices. Strips are marked with GPS, so they can be monitored using aerial imagery and so data can be collected with yield monitors at harvest. Aerial imagery and replicated strips are used to help evaluate crop production practices and inputs, such as nitrogen management in corn, other nutrient management in corn and soybeans, herbicide and fungicide efficacy, etc.
This project relies on an infrastructure of growers and service providers that has been developed over time to support collection of data that can be used by growers to improve management and performance, and by legislators and others involved in monitoring the progress of agriculture at self-regulation and in administering current regulatory programs, such as nutrient management. The project involves working with researchers and agronomists from state universities, commercial companies, crop consultants and farm cooperatives to collect production data, aerial imagery photos, highly accurate elevation data, soil conductivity information and other field information that helps improve crop management decisions. The project provides for an annual conference for Iowa On-Farm Network® participants, technical presentations at national scientific conferences, local crop fairs, field days, county annual meetings, and other grower meetings with the goal of improving profits for Iowa’s soybean growers.
This project is funded by Indiana Soybean Alliance
Website is funded by the soybean checkoff
