This article was originally published in Illinois Field & Bean magazine.
Making on-the-fly soybean management decisions has never been more important. That’s why Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) is proud to unveil the newly updated online Field Advisor platform. It brings the latest on-farm research together with weekly agronomic insights and news to help your operation improve yield and profitability. Click here to view.
This newly named platform and expanded information offering better aligns with ISA’s brand and better reflects our goals. That includes serving as a trusted adviser to you as a farmer throughout the calendar year. It’s also the hub where you’ll find the latest insights on the fiscal year 2025 crop of farmer-funded research made possible via your investment in ISA.
“It’s refreshing to see how ISA is going about its daily business these days,” says Dr. Aaron Hager, Professor and Extension Weed Scientist, University of Illinois. “Everyone realizes that the more we collaborate, the more we can accomplish. The funding they’re providing is critical because we can’t get funding for these types of applied research projects from national competitive sources—it just doesn’t exist. We feel this is applied work that yields applicable results for Illinois farmers.”
In this article, I’ll share an exclusive first look at the Field Advisor platform, which takes everything you’ve come to value and boosts your access to the best research-based insights around. Then, I’ll provide a look at how your farm will benefit from just a few of the 22 funded research projects for 2025. (I’m pleased to report that number is up from 16 projects a year ago in spite of reduced budgets amid the down ag economy.)
Farmer Feedback Informs Research
Funded research projects spanning Sept. 1 through Aug. 31, 2025, will encompass three areas: in-season agronomy, pest management and conservation practices. Those priorities might adjust in the future, as research projects frequently span several Illinois farmer needs.
To identify the right projects to fund, Dr. Stacy Zuber, ISA’s Research Data Scientist, and I organized the annual Soybean Production Concerns Survey for farmers around the state to complete.
This year marked the first time we’ve kept the survey live and available year-round for farmers to take, compared to asking for feedback only during winter events. Also for the first time, we shared preliminary survey insights with scientists, primarily at universities and Extension, to help guide their research activities.
Weed management—especially for herbicide-resistant species—along with conservation practices and pest management rose to the top of farmers’ research wish lists.
Field Advisor Platform Accelerates Learning
So how does all of this translate to the new Field Advisor platform? The first thing to know is that the website will continue to carry the information you’ve come to appreciate as a farmer. This includes:
- Details on in-person farmer learning and networking events (winter and summer)
- Regionally specific crop reports (growing season)
- Information on checkoff-funded research projects
- Blogs, podcasts, webinars and videos
The Agronomy Team at ISA is passionate about the whole system farmers work with here in Illinois, so you’ll often read articles or hear experts talking in videos, podcasts and webinars about corn and wheat in addition to soybeans.
2025 Research Snapshots
Although I don’t have space to share details of every ISA research project funded for 2025, I’ve pulled together some examples to illustrate the breadth and depth of insights you can expect. ISA is proud to partner with leading researchers who, with their teams, are expanding the toolbox for Illinois soybean farmers.
Enhancing the Profitability of Wheat-Soybean Double Cropping
The opportunity to identify elite wheat varieties that can be harvested earlier ahead of double-crop soybeans drives Dr. Jessica Rutkoski of the University of Illinois. Photo Credit: ISA
Researcher: Dr. Jessica Rutkoski, assistant professor of small grains breeding, University of Illinois
Investigating ways to “better identify new elite early wheat varieties” is at the center of this project, explains Dr. Jessica Rutkoski, assistant professor, University of Illinois. Specifically, her research team is evaluating jointing times of different varieties to identify early varieties that can tolerate late-spring freezes. In addition, her team is evaluating how quickly different wheat varieties dry down after grain filling has ended. “If we detect variation in this trait, we could select for faster dry-down to make wheat harvest a few days earlier without sacrificing yield.”
For soybean farmers, this means improved economic outcomes and better agronomic conditions. Too often, early maturing wheat varieties yield less compared to other varieties or suffer from spring freeze damage, Rutkoski says.
Identifying more resilient wheat varieties would enable farmers to capture the full value of the wheat crop and then get double-crop soybeans planted early enough in the summer for strong yields.
“Last year, we found an eight-day range in maturity dates between the earliest wheat variety and the latest variety,” Rutkoski says. “This indicates that considering maturity date information could potentially help growers plant their double-crop soybeans up to one week earlier.”
Based on what they’ve already learned, Rutkoski advises farmers who double crop to take several measures. First, select “more than one top wheat variety, including one early wheat variety to get wheat harvest started in a timely manner. We also recommend considering scab resistance to avoid varieties that are susceptible,” she says. More data from wheat variety tests are available online from the university at varietytesting.web.illinois.edu/wheat/.
Farmers can leverage this data to remain strong participants in the global ag economy.
“More and more, we compete on a world stage,” Rutkoski says. “Illinois is at the forefront of agricultural research and technology, and if we don’t put it to good use, other states and countries will beat us at our own game.”
Research assistant Logan Miller (left) and Dr. Aaron Hager of the University of Illinois evaluate early planted soybeans as part of a study exploring whether various soil residual herbicides and active ingredients can damage crops. Photo Credit: ISA
Researcher: Dr. Aaron Hager, professor and Extension weed scientist, University of Illinois
Although baby soybeans often prove to be incredibly resilient, many Illinois farmers have expressed concerns about potential damage from residual herbicides and active ingredients, explains Dr. Aaron Hager, professor and Extension weed scientist, University of Illinois. This study represents Year Two of his current phase of research to address this potential risk.
“Beans may lay there for three weeks before they emerge,” Hager points out. “We thought it would be a good idea to try to screen the premix ingredients or active ingredients and see how soybeans responded to them in that environment.”
The researchers will study about a dozen unique active ingredients spanning most of the options available to Illinois farmers. Although it’s important to study individual ingredients, Hager says, this research takes it a step further by analyzing the unique impact of a three-way mix on plant health “because different actions are at play.”
Hager continues, “If we see specific active ingredients or groups of herbicides more likely to cause injury, that’s something soybean growers need to be aware of. The choice is theirs, but we can better inform them that certain herbicides may be more likely to cause injury.”
Documenting the Extent of Resistance to Group 15 Herbicides in Illinois Waterhemp Populations
Researcher: Dr. Aaron Hager, professor and Extension weed scientist, University of Illinois
Herbicide resistance in prolific Illinois weeds is a growing concern for farmers. Hager’s lab is intimately familiar with this challenge. Years ago, it became the first program in the world to document resistance to Group 15 herbicides in a broadleaf species, specifically waterhemp.
It turns out when a weed is resistant to a Group 15 herbicide, it’s resistant to any Group 15 product. Thus, Hager’s lab continues to investigate how widespread such resistance is—and to sound the alarm so farmers can creatively and proactively manage this yield threat.
“We actually hope to find more of these resistant populations,” Hager says of the 2025 project. “If we confirm more populations resistant to Group 15, we can share them with my colleague, a molecular weed scientist. He can identify which genes are responsible for the resistance. Right now, we have no idea which genes are responsible.”
The goal isn’t to burden farmers with this harrowing news but rather to see if the same gene emerges as the root cause again and again. “That takes us closer to developing a diagnostic tool,” Hager explains.
The need for this type of research is especially acute because farmers are running out of options for effective chemical controls, and no new products are in the pipeline, Hager says.
“Unfortunately, when resistance to Group 15 herbicides occurs, the length of residual control gets shorter and shorter,” he says. “This is evolution in action.”
Evaluation and Commercialization of SOYLEIC™ Varieties in Illinois
SOYLEIC™ soybeans are harvested at University of Illinois test plots. Photo Credit: Dr. Eliana Monteverde
Researcher: Dr. Eliana Monteverde, assistant professor and soybean plant breeder, University of Illinois
Boosting farm profitability through enhanced soybean varieties that meet market demand is the focus of this study, explains Dr. Eliana Monteverde, assistant professor and soybean plant breeder, University of Illinois. It’s also a priority amid changing federal regulations on trans fats, which have reduced the value of commodity soybean oil.
“Illinois farmers must reclaim the market share lost to competing oils,” Monteverde says. SOYLEIC™ has high potential because it can be used not only in food but also in motor oils, marine oils, hydraulic fluids, asphalt binding agents and jet fuel.
The new Field Advisor platform will enable her and other researchers to surface these kinds of opportunities, translating science into accessible insights for farmers and the public.
“It’s exciting to bridge the gap between academic research and field application,” she says.
Diversifying the Genetic Resistance to Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN) in Illinois
Researcher: Dr. Eliana Monteverde, assistant professor and soybean plant breeder, University of Illinois
Pesky soybean cyst nematodes (SCNs) are finding ways to work around the single resistance gene found in soybeans from a variety called PI88788, Monteverde says. “The goal of this research is to create and test new soybean lines that use different sources of resistance to SCN.”
New soybean lines will enable farmers to manage this disease through rotation of different resistant varieties, she explains. In turn, nematode populations in the soil would be expected to shrink, preventing SCN from becoming more virulent.
Unfortunately, breeding for disease resistance sometimes has the unintended consequence of sacrificing yield or seed quality. Monteverde wants to explore ways to mitigate that risk.
That will “help ensure that farmers get high-performing varieties that don’t sacrifice productivity,” she explains.
Dr. Andrew Margenot of the University of Illinois profiles soil to establish a baseline on farm soil types. Photo Credit: Devon Barker
Researcher: Dr. Andrew Margenot, associate professor of soil science, University of Illinois
Now in Year Three, this project continues to assess Illinois soybean production outcomes for soil health, water quality and climate. Specifically, it’s focused on assessing the effects of three management practices— crop rotation, tillage and cover cropping—in the three different regions of southern, central and northwestern Illinois.
“This work will deliver practice-based recommendations for soybean producers interested in soil health improvement and seeking potential carbon credits,” says Dr. Andrew Margenot, associate professor of soil science, University of Illinois, “and enable marketing of Illinois soybeans with tangible metrics of soil health, water quality and climate footprints to increase competitiveness of this commodity.”
Benefits for farmers will include access to customized sustainability benchmarks for specific Illinois cropping regions. This will encompass insights on soil sampling, including timing and details on which tests best capture soil health response to conservation practices. Additionally, it will help farmers navigate carbon credit markets by assessing the cost of implementing conservation practices per ton of carbon sold.
“Increasing scrutiny on water quality goals, specifically nutrient losses, means that considering potential synergies but also tradeoffs in conservation practices (e.g. cover crops) for profitability versus water quality versus soil health is needed,” Margenot explains.
Residue Management and Nutrient Value for Soybean Production
Researcher: Dr. Andrew Margenot, associate professor of soil science, University of Illinois
It’s possible that Illinois soybean farmers could unlock valuable nutrients for upcoming soybean crops with deeper understanding of the residue left behind after corn, soybean and wheat harvests, Margenot shares. Using state-of-the-art technology, he and his team will track nitrogen (N), sulfur (S) and potassium (K) from “fertilizers through the soil and into the crop of the same-season and next-season via release from residues under six major soybean management practices.” Practices will include different types of tillage, fertilizer application timing, soybean planting date, biologicals for residue breakdown, and cover cropping and double cropping.
This effort will produce several resources for farmers. Among them will be a residue nutrient tool with guidelines on how to estimate residue levels per bushel of grain yield, Margenot says. It will also enable farmers to calculate total and seasonally available pounds of N, K and S per acre that can be credited toward soybean uptake in the next growing season. Similar guidelines will be published for corn and wheat.
Recommendations for both residue management and fertilization will be included. “Our results will provide direct insight to soybean use efficiency of S but also the N from starter fertilization (AMS) and K from potash,” Margenot says.
He’s grateful for these research opportunities and the Field Advisor platform, both unique to the state of Illinois.
“ISA support is unique in providing the necessary support for fundamental science research that has immediate applications for producers,” Margenot says. “Not all states have a soybean board such as Illinois that invests in the fundamentals to make big advances in how soybeans can be better managed in the field.”
Put ISA Research To Work
Although you now have a glimpse at the diverse research underway for Illinois soybean farmers in 2025, this is just the beginning.
You can keep tabs on the latest findings from the field by visiting the Field Advisor platform’s Research Hub at FieldAdvisor.org/Research. There, researchers will share quarterly updates on their studies. At the end of the fiscal year, you’ll get farmer-focused reports with recommended actions you can implement on your farm.
To learn more, sign up for the weekly e-newsletter on FieldAdvisor.org.
About the Author: Jennifer Jones
