Calling Illinois Soybean Growers – Again
DR. EMERSON NAFZIGER
URBANA, ILL.
In January I posted about the large project we are part of, funded by the North Central Soybean Research using soybean checkoff funds, to gather information on some 500 soybean fields in Illinois for each crop year from 2014 through 2017. The response has not been as enthusiastic as I had hoped, so I’m again calling for help on this. With 10 million acres of soybean in Illinois, 500 fields is less than a quarter of a percent of fields. And since we’re requesting information on up to 4 fields per grower, having only 2 or 3 producers in each soybean-growing county do this would get it done.
The most useful way I’ve heard this project described is as a “search to find what we should work on next” with regard to soybean research. The goal is to have thousands of fields in a large database, then to see how soil, weather, and management interact to produce yield.
To help, download the forms and other information at http://go.illinois.edu/soy-survey – if you want the fillable (PDF) forms please email me or email soyncsrp@illinois.edu The forms can be emailed back or printed and returned by mail.
We will provide a $50 gift card as an incentive for people to fill out forms. The gift card request form is included in the group of forms, and can be returned with them. It would be great if FFA and college students (maybe those on spring break) could get experience taking part in a scientific study and also earn a reward for their efforts.
If you have questions about this, or if you’d like forms mailed instead of downloading them, please contact soyncsrp@illinois.edu or me by email.
Thanks in advance for your help. ∆
DR. EMERSON NAFZIGER: Research Education Center Coordinator, Professor, University of Illinois