The long-term goal of this project is to characterize the impact of local environments on soybean development and performance in Kentucky. Soybean varieties should fulfill agronomic performance defined as yield, stress tolerance, and oil and protein product quality. Crop variety evaluation requires methodological innovations to develop better for better recommendations. Environmental conditions affect soybean performance in term of yield and seed quality outcomes. Here, we propose to monitor environmental conditions, growth and reproductive stages during the soybean growing season at each of the trials test sites. These sets of data will be collected from soybean production farms as well as research experimental farms, with a total of 8 independent locations in all major soybean production areas in Kentucky. The 2022 data will be analyzed with 2021 and 2020 datasets, to compare test sites and evaluate how to optimize data analysis for recommendation to farmers for the selection of the best varieties for their production systems. The data generated will continue to build an open access databases: the KY phenomics database and the Mid-South Soybean database. This database will constitute an unbiased and open access source of information for soybean producers, researchers, and seed breeders. The KY comprehensive database will be used to develop predictive models for soybean yield, seed quality, and will provide inputs for breeders to develop varieties better adapted to Kentucky environments.

1) Provide timely, unbiased and independent information to soybean growers in Kentucky to help in selecting the best varieties for their production systems. The information provided by the trials aids Kentucky soybean producers with selecting varieties that will give the highest total production for their production systems. The trials are conducted to provide an unbiased and objective estimate of the relative performance of soybean varieties commercially available in Kentucky. Performance, defined as yield and seed quality, is evaluated by testing the varieties genetics as whole. Cultivars in the trials are commercially available and entered by commercial seed companies, and state and federal institutions. 2) Monitor environmental conditions affecting directly soybean yield and seed quality Kentucky lies within three major physiographic regions: the Appalachian Plateau, the Interior Lowlands, and the Coastal Plain. Within the state, six smaller regions may be identified, based on their underlying rock structures: Mountain, Knobs, Bluegrass, Pennyrile, Western Coalfield, and Purchase. Geological and drainage differences caused different terrain and soil conditions to develop over millions of years, creating differing capabilities for today’s agriculture. Most of KY soybean production today is centered in western Kentucky, with a gradual expansion toward central and eastern Kentucky. In addition to soil differences, soybean production areas experience different temperatures and rain amounts over the course of each soybean growing season. Collecting detailed environmental data will allow soybean producers to compare the environments of their own agronomic systems to those in which the soybean variety performance trials are conducted. 3) Promote the development of better recommendations to soybean producers in Kentucky The objective is to monitor the environmental conditions under which the trials are conducted to evaluate the effect of the environmental conditions on yield and seed quality at each location, and to integrate this information in the variety performance evaluation to develop better recommendation for farmers. 4) Promote the development of a database to facilitate open data access to soybean producers and scientists investigating soybean performance in Kentucky The objective is to develop tools to provide easy and timely access to information relevant to soybean performance in Kentucky to producers. 5) Improve the long–term sustainability of the Kentucky Soybean Variety Performance Tests program The funds requested in this proposal will support the technician position. This position provides essential support for timely agricultural management of the soybean trials, and data collection.

1. Timely release of the “Soybean Variety Performance Tests” bulletin in November, at a time when soybean producers in Kentucky need resources to help them selecting the best soybean varieties for their production systems. 2. Creation and implementation of a comprehensive database

An important step in profitable soybean production is selecting good quality seed of the best varieties for each management system. The KY soybean variety performance trials are conducted to provide unbiased and objective estimate of the relative performance of soybean varieties grown on Kentucky. The information is released in a progress report, available online or as printed copies at the UK Extension offices, after harvest. The information intends to help soybean producers in selecting the best varieties for their production systems. The KY Soybean Variety Performance Trials program also helps producers stay up-to-date with the newest biotechnology traits as the program accepts all varieties approved for sale in Kentucky. provides information on yield, seed oil and protein composition at harvest, disease traits, seed treatments, maturity dates, plant height and lodging. The report also contains references to KY soybean production guides, including pest and weed management guides.