Update:
The following is a progress update for the Iowa Soybean Research Center (ISRC) from fall 2017 through December 2017.
The ISRC hosted the Industry Advisory Council (IAC) meeting in Ankeny, Iowa at the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) offices September 8. Guests from AgSolver, DuPont-Pioneer, and Beck’s Hybrids joined the existing council members from Cornelius Seed, Bayer CropScience, and Monsanto. Two postdocs working on the center-funded root phenotype-microbiome research project provided an update on their progress and three new research proposals were discussed, seeking input from council members. The Center’s Management Team met in October to follow up on the proposal discussion the IAC started. With much discussion, the management team decided to table the proposals and not fund any new research at this time.

The ISRC’s website, www.iowasoybeancenter.org, is now live. The center initiated a soft launch this fall to select faculty, staff, and Iowa farmers asking for feedback. This winter a full launch of the site is planned, once the suggested changes have been addressed. Please feel free to send us your comments, isrc@iastate.edu.
Clarke was busy this growing season by coordinating efforts with ISU Extension Field Agronomists to collect soil samples around Iowa in support of larger efforts conducted by Scott Nelson and the ISA research team to survey Iowa for SCN. Clarke also collaborated on a corn-root worm survey count, a tryptophan trial, and pyrethroid spray trial for soybean aphids.

Jill collected data for Ed Anderson, ISA, from ISU principal investigators (PI’s) who received checkoff support through ISA and/or the NCSRP. The information includes the number of peer-reviewed publications, licensing agreements, extension publications, presentations given at field days and professional conferences, and any webcasts, videos, and interviews benefitting farmer training. Ed wants these figures on hand to share when asked by board members and others interested in such numbers.

Steve May, ISA’s industry liaison, officially started October 1 providing assistance with identifying new industry partners for the ISRC. Greg and Steve talked with a group from John Deere in Johnston, Iowa in early November about a potential partnership. Steve also had a meeting with personnel from Winfield United in December about becoming a partner with the Center. Steve continues to make connections with industry including a possible meeting with Valent.
The ISRC was featured in an article on the ISA Newsroom site this fall reiterating the Center’s continued focus on its mission to align all soybean-related activities at ISU with the needs of Iowa soybean farmers and the industry that supports soybean production. The article summed up the Center’s activities over the past four years.
The Midwest Soybean Centers and state checkoff associations met in St. Louis early December to give activity updates happening at each state soybean center and discuss possible collaboration efforts. A joint proposal of the Centers will be sent to USB addressing opportunities to support broader, and more coordinated communication efforts promoting checkoff-funded research results to farmers and the public. Tom Fontana, Ohio Soybean Council, volunteered to lead the proposal initiative.

Drs. Gwyn Beattie and Danny Singh, ISU faculty working on the center-supported root-phenotyping and microbiome project, have been invited to submit a full proposal to the USDA Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR).
More ISRC activities this fall:
• Greg provided Center updates to the ISU Extension Crops Team during their fall in-service meeting, the North Central Soybean Research Program (NCSRP) Board Meeting members in St. Louis, and the Midwest Soybean Research Centers’ Directors and Staff Meeting in St. Louis.
• Sponsorship was provided by the Center to Focus on Soybeans educational webcasts through the Plant Management Network.
• The Center supplied a donation of ISA-branded items to the College of Ag and Life Sciences online auction to raise funds in support of the United Way of Story County.
• The ISRC moved to a temporary office in Agronomy Hall, room 1563. The date and final destination in Agronomy Hall is yet to be determined for the Center.
• The Center is working to expand future ISU faculty and staff farm tours to include visits three times a year, beginning this spring, summer and fall 2018.
• On behalf of the ISRC, Jill Cornelis and Clarke McGrath volunteered to help at the ICM Conference in Ames, Iowa late November.
• In the discussion stage, is an idea for the ISRC to collaborate with the ISU Agronomy Club in developing an event (tentatively call Soy Fest) centered on students when fall classes begin in 2018. The focus is soybean awareness and the various uses of soybeans.

Looking ahead:
1) An event for ISA Board Directors, January 31, featuring ISU soybean research faculty sharing their research with the farmer-board directors.
2) ISA’s Farmer Research Conference, February 6-7, 2018 - the ISRC will again cover all registration fees and arrange for transportation to and from the conference for all ISU participants (faculty, students, and staff). The center sponsored 52 ISU attendees for the 2017 conference.
3) A meeting is set mid-January for an On-Farm coordination discussion between ISU research farms and ISA’s On-Farm programs.