This project will focus on several priorities that were identified by the SD Soybean Research and Promotion council. These include increasing yields through unbiased on-farm testing of different products, precision agriculture, and sustainability. All three activities will be conducted in on-farm studies. In the on-farm testing of different products what farmers test varies from year to year and often includes the testing seeding rates, the use of fungicides, biological products, and fertilizer rates. In the precision agriculture research, we will use state-of-the-art remote sensing techniques and calculation approaches to develop precision techniques and prescriptions for identifying and reducing yield limiting factors. Additional support for this the precision research is provided by the National Science Foundation. In the sustainability research we will use on-farm testing to determine to identify the benefits and the barriers to the adoption of sustainable practices. The primary treatments in the sustainability research are reductions in the tillage intensity, adoption of the nutrient 4R stewardship, and cover crops. Additional support for these activities are provided by NRCS.

The activities for 2022-2023 include:
1) Continue the on-farm research program, In these projects the farmer collaborators pick treatments that they wish to test. SDSU helps them set up and analyze the experiment. SDSU undergraduate students are using the on-farm studies for their capstone class. In 2022, sixty-three experiments were conducted.
2) Precision experiments: Expand the testing of using remote sensing to better define the yield limiting factors,
a. In 2021, we purchased a hyperspectral remote sensing scanner that we will be used ion 2022.
3) Sustainability. In this research we will test the impact of adoption sustainable practices, reduced tillage intensity, enhanced nutrient management, and cover crops on soil and plant health. In these on-farm studies, extensive soil and plant health sampling will be conducted.

Data will be shared with producers through multiple mechanism. First, individualized project reports will be prepared and distributed to the farmer collaborators. Second, reports will be placed on the on-farm web-site. In addition, this year hard copies of these reports will be prepared and distributed through multiple mechanisms including farmer meetings, Soy100, training sessions, summer field tours, and IPM School. In addition, articles will be placed on extension.sdstate.edu, and in newspapers. Most of the study will take place in farmer fields where we work one on one with individual farmers. The findings will provide unbiased data for SD crop growers. In addition, SDSU students are using data collected in the on-farm studies in several classes.
a. Graduate students are using Artificial Intelligence techniques to predict yields based on reflectance information.
b. College seniors are using the on-farm studies for their final project in the Agronomy Capstone class (PS475)
c. Students enrolled in the use of sensors in precision farming are using data from the on-farm studies in their term papers.
d. The goal of these projects are to help students match solutions to problems and create locally based, flexible, high profit roadmaps, which will be validated in research conducted in producer’s fields when appropriate.

Updated October 28, 2022:
On-farm studies provide information that producers use to reduce the economic risks associated with new products, test the efficiency of components within their current operation, and test innovative new ideas and concepts. In the project, a producer chooses his/her treatments based on their interest or desire prior to implementation. SDSU agronomists assist in experimental design, treatment application, scouting, and analysis. At the completion of the project, reports are distributed to the farmer collaborator, and they are posted SD Soybean Research and Promotion on-farm web site. Farmers use results from the study to identify treatments that might be success on their farm and reduce the economic risks associated with new products. To date, over 450 experiments have been conducted by SD farmers. SDSU undergraduate students are using the on-farm studies for their capstone class and planning for SOY100 2022 has started. We just received word that the American Ethanol Coalition and SDSU were funded in a UDSA-RCPP project focused on soil health. This project is centered around Madison, and it will provide funding for the adoption and quantification of BMP on soil health. We are in the process of identifying collaborators for this this on-farm study. This new project will help expand our on-farm research on soybeans and soil health. Soy100 planning is being conducted. The project report is provided in the attachment.

View uploaded report

Information will be shared with producers, farmers will test new technologies, and we will organize the soy100 meeting

none