Teamwork makes the dream work. 

That’s why the Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board (WSMB) invests Wisconsin soybean checkoff dollars in the North Central Soybean Research Program (NCSRP). 

“With NCSRP, you’re getting so much more bang for your buck,” said WSMB Director Matt Wagenson, who has been an NCSRP board member since 2019. “You’re getting 12 other states and their researchers working on agronomic problems.” 

Comprising 13 state soybean checkoff boards and representing more than 355,000 soybean farmers, NCSRP invests soybean checkoff funds in university research and extension programs with an emphasis on enhancing and protecting soybean yield through genetics and agronomic practices.  

“It’s a good way to leverage state checkoff dollars into answering larger questions that influence not only Wisconsin farmers but also impacts the entire north central region,” said Shawn Conley, a soybean and small grains specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

With the end of its fiscal year – Sept. 30 – looming, NCSRP’s annual meeting on Aug. 7-9 in Madison, Wisc., was chock full of critical funding decisions. The board carefully reviewed 18 research project proposals, settling on six projects based on its FY25 budget. 

“NCSRP represents around 85% of all U.S. soybean production,” Conley said. “It’s a big chunk of the overall production of U.S. soybeans so the board is generally looking for larger proposals that help satisfy the needs of the 13-state region and that are collaborative in nature.” 

Since 1992, NCSRP has funded $56 million in soybean research, including projects led by Conley. In FY25, Conley’s project, “Boots on the ground 2: AI driven tools for maximizing soybean yield and profitability,” will receive NCSRP funding, continuing the multi-year project. 

“Our initial work was collecting farmer data and now we have a huge database of farmer data,” Conley said. “With that data, we built a platform where farmers can upload scouting data and provide information. Then, we can actually send them alerts to areas in their fields to go out and physically scout.” 

Moving forward, Conley will continue exploring ways that soybean producers can leverage AI technology.  

“We’re using new machine learning AI tools to take this huge amount of data to develop precision management recommendations for farmers,” he said. 

Because NCSRP encompasses a large territory, its meeting location rotates. This year was Wisconsin’s turn to show what America’s Dairyland is all about. 

“It was really fun to have the 12 other states come and see what Wisconsin has to offer,” Wagenson said. “We went to the Crave Dairy outside of Waterloo, and they pump milk right across the street to a cheese factory, which was pretty interesting. We also went to Arlington, where Shawn and his team got to showcase some of the research that they’re doing with cover crops and weed management.” 

In addition, the group toured the J. Henry & Sons Distillery, which uses Wisconsin grains to produce its bourbon, and embarked on a Betty Lou Cruise.  

As the NCSRP board wrapped up making its decisions on FY25 projects, it was clear that WSMB’s investment in NCSRP is a prime example of its dedication to maximizing Wisconsin soybean checkoff dollars. 

“It’s a fantastic organization that really doubles down on checkoff dollars,” Wagenson said.