Soybean South February 2024 by One Grower Publishing

FEBRUARY 2024

ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC

The Importance of the Check-off A Look at Current and Future Soybean Research Across Two States in the South

A Supplement to Cotton Farming and Rice Farming Magazines

The Importance of the Check-off A Look at Current and Future Soybean Research Across Two States in the South ARKANSAS Shaping the Future of Agriculture: Innovations in Soybean Research

ive University of Arkansas scholars are making significant strides in soybean research to spur innovation in traditional farming practices. The Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board, in conjunction with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, provides fellowships to master’s and doctoral students pursuing agricultural degrees. Eligible candidates’ educational focus must be anchored in soybean production, including animals, plants, soils, pest management, food and feed sciences, or engineering. Each scholar utilizes their unique areas of expertise to advance soybean cultivation, address challenges, advance the future of farming, and foster a more sustainable and efficient agricultural industry. TRISTAN AVENT utilizes John Deere See and Spray Ultimate, a technology using advanced computer vision, artificial intelligence, and high-speed sprayer technology to combat weeds among row crops. His work contributes to the development of soybean cultivars that can withstand changing climates, ensuring stable yields, and securing Tristan food production during climate change. By Avent conducting unbiased studies and analyzing the impact on soybean fields, Tristan provides essential data to producers, showcasing the impact of See and Spray in offering an effective solution without hindering crop growth. SAVANNAH WELLS CRAFTON explores innovative approaches to improve poultry nutrition, poultry production efficiency, and sustainable feed alternatives. She also contributes to meeting the growing demand for poultry in a resource-constrained world. Crafton conducts research trials to Savannah establish energy and lysine requirements in Wells Crafton broilers. One of her experiments compared soybeans bred for enhanced nutritional content to conventional soybeans, observing improved feed conversion efficiency in birds fed the improved soybeans. Through her research, she aims to redefine precision poultry nutrition and tackle the challenges of nourishing an expanding world. CARRIE ORTEL aims to provide Arkansas soybean producers with crucial knowledge to maximize both yield and profit by addressing hidden potassium deficiencies. Ortel optimizes soybean production by assessing leaf potassium concentrations and recommending site-specific fertilizer rates. Her findings underscore the importance of proactive sampling and water availabilON THE COVER: Photo by Donnie Rosie/unsplash.com

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ity in mitigating deficiencies. Moreover, Ortel develops precise fertilizer recommendations to correct potassium deficiencies effectively. Doing this ensures optimal crop nutrition while considering the cost-effectiveness of applications, aligning farmers’ interests with profitable outcomes. Ortel’s research paves the way for enhanced agricultural productivity and prosperity in Arkansas and beyond.

Carrie Ortel

NOAH REED investigates the use of fall residuals for Italian ryegrass control before planting soybeans, which offers an alternative to traditional spring burn-down options. Additionally, he studies nozzle coverage, examining different types of nozzles and addressing challenges faced by farmers in the field. Noah This helps optimize herbicide application and Reed enhance weed control efficacy. Lastly, he explores crop rotations between rice and soybeans, particularly evaluating drill row width spacing effects to facilitate easier transitions between the two crops for effective weed control. This research offers a new approach that can potentially reduce herbicide resistance and improve soybean crop yields, thus improving the Arkansas soybean industry. COLE WOOLARD focuses on integrating soybean-based feed formulations, precision feeding techniques, and livestock monitoring technologies to improve feed efficiency, animal welfare, and overall farm profitability. He modifies specific genes in soybean plants to enhance desired traits, increasing the likelihood to accelerate the development Cole of superior soybean varieties with improved Woolard agronomic characteristics and nutritional profiles. Woolard’s work furthers the sustainability and productivity of livestock operations associated with soybean farming by optimizing soybean feed composition and monitoring livestock health and performance. The fellowship program provided by the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board and the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture is a catalyst for agricultural innovation and breakthroughs in soybean research. Each fellow reshapes the future of farming by harnessing their unique expertise. Their contributions advance soybean production and utilization and foster a sustainable and efficient agricultural industry. This program is a driving force behind a brighter and more prosperous future for the world of farming. Learn more about the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board’s fellowship program by visiting TheMiracleBean.com. This information is provided by the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board. SOYBEANSOUTH.COM

NORTH CAROLINA A Q&A with Jeff Chandler, research coordinator for the North Carolina Soybean Producers Association

: What are some of your current and main research studies? A: The North Carolina Soybean Producers Association invests checkoff assessment funds in soybean research through a diverse set of disciplines that impact soybean production from agronomics to pest management and climate resiliency. • Insect pest damage thresholds need to be Jeff updated in North Carolina and one research Chandler project is looking to quantify the impact of different defoliation treatments on final yield, particularly in early planted situations and current varieties. This work will be used to update treatment thresholds for foliar feeding insect pests in soybeans. • Evaluating the impact of tillage treatments and cover crops on soybean yield is a current research project of particular imTWITTER: @SOYBEANSOUTH

Stand count algorithms were most accurate when UAV imagery was collected 20 to 30 days after planting. The timing and altitude of the flights were the most significant factors influencing the accuracy of the UAV-based stand counts. Plants should be fully emerged so that individual plants are clearly visible in the UAV imagery. portance with managing herbicide resistant weeds and soil hard pan issues. • There have been exciting discoveries through our research with the use of UAV imagery to estimate soybean maturity and stand counts. • A dynamic tool was developed this year to catalog problems observed in the field through a website that can be accessed by agents, consultants, and growers to see what new and FEBRUARY 2024

SOYBEAN SOUTH

Beans Gone Wild is an NCSU application developed to catalog issues seen in the soybean fields across the state. emerging problems are occurring in their local area at any given time during the season. • Saltwater intrusion is a concern to growers near the coast. Recent research has investigated the impact on yield under elevated soil saltwater content. • Biologicals are all the rage, and we are supporting research to evaluate biological and alternative products to manage sting and root-knot nematodes. • Surveys of growing regions around the state are being done to determine the quantity and species of stink bugs present as well as natural enemies to these pests. • Research screening of soybean varieties for performance under drought stress, ideal soil moisture, and excessive water stress has demonstrated that genotypes and maturity groups respond differently to these climate conditions. The results will be used to advise growers on variety selection on drought or flood prone soils.

A: Most of our checkoff research investments are made with faculty at NC State University. Research proposals are solicited in the fall for the following season’s research work. Proposals are then reviewed and selected for funding in a competitive process by our farmer led board of directors. Projects having the greatest potential to positively impact soybean profitability in North Carolina and address current research priorities are most likely to be successful. We also accept proposals from institutions other than NC State. On-farm research is an important component of the soybean research enterprise in North Carolina. One strategy for this is working in collaboration with county Extension agents and grower cooperators to conduct larger scale field trials that complement the more intensive, small-plot research typically done by university faculty but at “field scale” and in local communities throughout the state. In 2023, we had 30 on-farm trials in 20 counties evaluating biological products and foliar fungicides. I especially appreciate the opportunity to work with farmers through this program to engage them in current research priorities and get their feedback on what issues are important to their farm. Farmer cooperators are identified through the county Extension agents who work with the farmer to implement, monitor, and collect data from these projects. Sometimes, there are gaps in our research program that are not addressed through university faculty research or our onfarm program. In these instances, we have contracted with private consultants to conduct third-party research trials to address these knowledge gaps in our program.

: What do you hope to learn from these research efforts, and how do you plan to implement your findings in the future? A: What we hope to learn are innovative production practices that enhance soybean profitability. Another key attribute of these research projects is building the knowledge base that Extension utilizes to advise growers on research-based decision making in selecting their production practices. Research outcomes are shared with soybean producers through our annual research report, newsletters, and social media posts. These research discoveries are also shared through Extension at grower meetings.

: What are some future projects you are looking forward to? A: One potential project we have been in discussion about is use of robotics to quantify and mitigate deer damage to soybeans. In this project, a visual monitoring system would incorporate thermal cameras in the field to detect deer in real time and relay that data through wireless communications to a robotic dog that would autonomously chase deer out of the field.

Mixed nature of soybean response to three treatment exposures in 2022. Solid dots are the average yield for Group IV, V, and VI varieties (n=18). Soybean yield potential in different environments may be explained by varietal growth characteristics and the timing and duration of stress. • Physiological traits such as heat tolerance are associated with specific genes and current research is designed to identify the target genes that can improve heat tolerance through breeding.

: What groups/individuals do you work with the most? How do you go about selecting them as partners in research efforts?

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:What has been the most impactful study you’ve conducted thus far? Why? A: One major research effort for us over the past several years has been a comprehensive evaluation of planting date x maturity group interactions in diverse environments across the state. North Carolina has the blessing and the challenge of many different production regions in the state, each responding differently to planting date and maturity group selection. One of the goals of this project is to produce a robust data set of yields based on multiple planting dates and maturity groups in multiple environments around the state in each of the past five years. The outcome of this work will be an interactive tool, launched in early 2024, that a grower could use to select the planting date and maturity group expected to perform best in their region of the state based on this research. — Cassidy Nemec SOYBEANSOUTH.COM