The Soybean Research Information Network provides valuable data for farmers. It was developed to be the communications arm of the National Soybean Checkoff Research Database. (Joseph L. Murphy/Iowa Soybean Association)
Checkoff-led, production research results just a click away
December 3, 2020
For U.S. soybean farmers, data is as vital as yield. The United Soybean Board (USB) and North Central Soybean Research Program (NCSRP) work together to make production research reports more accessible and applicable via the Soybean Research & Information Network (SRIN) website.
From double-crop soybeans in Oklahoma, battling charcoal rot through cover crop utilization in Kansas and documenting the arrival of soybean gall midge in Midwest soybean fields, SRIN (www.soybeanresearchinfo.com) provides timely topics and recent research results farmers can use as they make decisions on their own farms.
Farmer-focused data
Aimee Bissell farms with her family in Bedford and is active with the Iowa Soybean Association’s (ISA) Research Advisory Council. Research has always been a key reason why she’s involved with the association.
“For us, on our farm, we feel that the research the soybean associations and national groups do prove to be extremely valuable tools to help increase our returns on investment and strengthen profitability,” she said. “I crave that information and data.”
The SRIN site was developed to be the communications arm of the National Soybean Checkoff Research Database – www.soybeanresearchdata.com – a database carefully cultivated during the last several years. The site contains state and national research funded by various checkoff programs. It is accessible to all soybean organization staff, farmers, university and company researchers, agronomists and others interested in study results.
The collaborative effort is focused on serving U.S. soybean farmers, offering information through stories, summaries, and researcher blogs and connecting to project summaries, funding levels, and more.
“The research database is essentially a warehouse of all the production research nationwide dating back to 2008,” said Cate Newberg, USB/NCSRP program manager. “There is a lot of data for researchers to compare and contrast, see what has been done on various topics and find collaboration. It’s highly technical.”
Checkoff investments provide clear ROI
Complementing the database with the new SRIN site provides the opportunity to present research in a digestible fashion. Users can mine the site for projects of interest by entering the state and/or subject area. The research articles on the SRIN site link to original research in the database and related research from other states and regions.
Tom Oswald, who farms near Cleghorn, serves as a USB director and is often asked how farmer checkoff dollars are invested. He’s quick to point to SRIN and the research database as solid returns on those investments.
“The SRIN site allows farmers to easily and intuitively look up information regarding checkoff-funded soybean research like they never have been able to before,” said Oswald.
As the site continues to be populated, Newberg said farmers can expect more pest and disease information, production-related resources, and links to publications and annual reports. Information regarding soybean meal in aquaculture feed rations is a recent addition.
“The site will continue to grow and farmers will be able to see the benefits of their investments,” said Newberg.
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