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More Illinois growers needed for soybean study

More Illinois growers are being asked to share field information for a multi-state project of the North Central Soybean Research Program. University of Illinois professor Emerson Nafziger, says they have fewer farmers participating than needed. Producers are asked for information on up to four soybean fields per crop year, including location, planting date, variety and seeding rate, “Then using the computer power and things that we have available today, we can identify soil types, and even have the weather on different fields in different years and sort of making a grand model, I guess, of what it takes to make high soybean yields.”

He tells Brownfield they’re offering an incentive to get more Illinois growers involved, “We’ll make a gift card, a $50 gift card available to those who request it.”

Nafziger says the information gathered from soybean growers in Illinois and eight other states* will help make the decision about what to work on next.

There’s one form per crop year, going back to 2014. The last form will be filled out a year from now, for 2017.

*Other states involved in the project are Nebraska, Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio, Iowa, Wisconsin – also, Kansas and North Dakota.