On the eve of the Wisconsin Corn•Soy Expo, the Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board (WSMB) convened to discuss research projects for the upcoming growing season.

A common theme guided the board’s decision making: weighing scientific merit against practical value for Wisconsin farmers operating in a tight economic environment.

“We had a number of proposals submitted by our University of Wisconsin-Extension researchers that we went through and graded,” said WSMB President Jonathan Gibbs.

Gibbs said the board invested a little more than $700,000 in UW research across production research, insect control and weed control, among others.

“We find all of the UW-Extension researchers we work with to be very valuable and respected by their peers,” he said. “As a board, it’s important to communicate with farmers and industry leaders. Dr. Shawn Conley’s team has the ability to bring that information to a farmer-level that we can understand and implement on our farms.”

Several projects centered on improving in-season decision tools and understanding how modern soybean genetics interact with nutrient management. Researchers discussed how today’s soybean varieties are bred for stronger branching at lower populations and a higher nitrogen harvest index, with nearly 90 percent of plant nitrogen now leaving the field as harvested protein. That shift has prompted renewed interest in biological inputs and potassium management, particularly identifying critical tissue thresholds and determining whether deficiencies can be corrected through broadcast or foliar applications at key growth stages.

“We like to fund projects that might take a number of years to realize some outcomes,” Gibbs said. “We’re also funding things that really go directly to the farmer whether it’s the soybean cyst nematode or white mold prediction models that we can use day in and day out.”

WSMB Executive Director Adam Kask said several projects received approval, including soybean systems demonstrations, optimizing no-till soybean planting into cereal rye, soybean biological applications and continuation of the soybean yield contest.

“I thought there were a lot of thoughtful discussions amongst the board,” Kask said. “Much like farmers in their operations, there were some difficult decisions this year in terms of research funding. The board did a good job vetting each project and staying focused with its investments into Wisconsin soybean farmers.”