Soybean checkoff-funded research is finding ways to help farmers use new technologies to ultimately improve productivity. United Soybean Board Director and North Dakota Farmer Matt Gast says research on drones helps farmers be more productive in the field.
“That’s become the new big thing with the technology. There’s different projects, one is at Iowa State University. They are using high resolution aerial imaging to help map soybean protein, the oil content, yield. It’s a unique way of measuring field variability compared to what we’ve seen in the past, but it can really help the farmers better understand how to grow things more profitable and to market their grain a little better by knowing what their yields may be early on in the season.”
Another study seeks to help farmers create tailored fertilizer application plans.
“Got a study at Clemson University, they’re using it to help recognize poorly nodulated soybeans. The goal is to be able to convert those maps into customized fertilization plans to help protect the farmer’s yield. There’s another one at Louisiana State University to determine how farmers can see crop variants with lower cost drones. The data showing equal results or pretty similar to the more expensive drones with the lower cost drones that they have out now. Ohio State University has a combination of focusing drone scouting and analytical tools to help show weed detection and control a lot earlier, and this really helps to reduce the amount of herbicide used on some of these fields.”
He says the research fits into the overall goals of the soybean checkoff.
“The main goal is profitability for farmers, obviously, and we want to find new uses, expand the markets that we currently have and find just more uses for soybeans at the end of the day.”
Learn more about soy checkoff-funded research at www.soybeanresearchinfo.com.
Source: NAFB News Service