(Photo: Iowa Soybean Association / File Photo)
Northwood farmer named Innovator in Production Research
March 3, 2025 | Kriss Nelson
Seeking efficiency and profitability on the farm has led Chad Krull to invest time into on-farm trials, both on his own and working with the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA).
His dedication to on-farm research has earned Krull the recognition of ISA’s Innovator of Production Research award.
Sponsored by John Deere, this award recognizes an individual or organization leading the way in using precision agriculture technology and working to discover, validate and manage practices to improve soybean profitability.
“I am naturally skeptical,” says Krull. “During my first year of farming, at 22 and fresh out of college with no money, a fertilizer trial showed no yield advantage and I didn’t see the purpose of spending more money if I did not need to. That initial trial snowballed into testing almost every single thing I do.”
Dedicating his acres to no-till and strip-till and fighting conditions in northern Iowa to make cover crops work on his farm, Krull acknowledges those challenges and relies on research for the results to make management decisions.
“There are challenges,” he says. “I think anything can be done as long as you do it the right way, and I can learn the right way through trials.”
Successfully executing 18 trials in just the past five years, the Northwood area farmer has demonstrated his leadership and support of ISA’s Research Center for Farming Innovation.
“Chad is always willing to learn and try new things on his farm,” says Shane Beck, ISA research agronomist. “He shares his research data, helping to advance the soybean industry.”
These trials have included nitrogen rates on corn, soybean population trials, soybean cyst nematode treatments and planting date studies.
Krull has participated in the Iowa Nitrogen Initiative trials to improve nitrogen recommendations, testing five rates to develop a site-specific recommendation tool. Not only does he look at yield results at the end of the year, but he took advantage of those sites within the trial for deciding to make an in-season nitrogen application on the rest of his acres.
“The early-season rainfall caused poor crop growth apparently from a nitrogen deficiency,” he says. “I checked the plots and compared how they appeared to the amount of applied nitrogen. All signs pointed to the deficiency disappearing in the plots with 30 extra pounds of nitrogen than my usual rate.”
Verifying the necessity of applying supplemental nitrogen, Krull decided to Y-drop nitrogen on at tasseling time. It was a decision that proved profitable.
“That $30 an acre investment returned a huge profit, and I found that just by having those checks in the field,” he says. “I never expected to use that trial for making in-season decisions.”
Krull has also taken part in the soybean cyst nematode (SCN) trials.
This trial compares three treatments: Illevo seed treatment by BASF, Biotrinsic Z15 by Indigo (a biological treatment) and seed with no SCN control. This study looks at how each product performs on SCN counts and prevents an increase in eggs during the growing season.
He has also researched different soybean seeding rates using four different rates, comparing the best ROI between 80,000, 110,000, 140,000 and 170,000 seeds per acre.
Krull has taken the seeding rate trial one step further by running two of these trials side by side, with a planting date difference of four weeks “This sort of commitment not only helps to increase his knowledge further, but also for ISA and Iowa soybean farmers,” Beck says.
Results from last year’s trial were eye-opening for Krull.
“In the 80,000 seeds per acre strip, the final stand ended up only being 55,000 plants per acre,” he says. “Normally, you think a 55,000 soybean stand is bad and you need to replant. Results showed only a few bushel yield drag. It was amazing how that stand yielded with the rest of it. These trials really help you understand what is possible.”
He has also conducted several trials of his own.
“He comes up with new ideas to try and implement on his farm to see if he can improve his yields and crop quality every year,” says Beck. “He has trials in every field, whether they are projects associated with the Iowa Soybean Association or not. I enjoy working with Chad because he challenges me as an agronomist to think about things differently and to try new things.”
For 2025, Krull is planning trials, continuing focus on soybean population research and comparing strip-till versus no-till soybeans. He encourages other farmers to begin their own trials, either independently or through ISA.
“The whole concept behind trials is to be as efficient and profitable as you can on your farm,” he says. Trials are easier than ever to conduct now; it’s usually just a flip of a switch to apply a certain rate or not to apply a product in one pass. Gathering data using precision systems is convenient.”
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