2015 annual report

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MISSISSIPPI SOYBEAN PROMOTION BOARD

2015 ANNUAL REPORT

MSPB-FUNDED RESEARCH: BY THE NUMBERS MSPB invested more than $2.3 million in production research in 2015, including projects studying insect management, disease-resistance breeding, weed control, irrigation timing and scheduling and more. This funding was broken down by the following percentages:

Soil Irrigation

19%

3% Production systems

17%

Weed management Insect and disease management

30%

13%

Miscellaneous

18%

2015 MISSISSIPPI SOYBEAN BOARD FINANCIAL REVIEW INCOME Collections

$5,959,725

Transferred to USB 50%

$2,955,549

Interest Income

$23,734

Miscellaneous Income

$32

EXPENSES Research and Education

$1,631,844

Farmer Communications

$443,394

Administration

$143,455

Collection Fees

$72,750

TOTAL EXPENDITURES

$2,291,443

Unallocated FY 2014 Collections

$736,499

MISSISSIPPI SOYBEA N PR OMOTION BOA R D

Tim Clements Greenville, Mississippi MSPB Chairman

WELCOME TO THE MISSISSIPPI SOYBEAN BOARD ANNUAL REPORT On behalf of the soybean farmers who represent you by investing your soy checkoff dollars, I encourage you to take time to read this report. MSPB strives to invest in timely soybean research and outreach projects to improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of your operation and all soybean operations across the state. In this report, you will read about a number of research highlights and learn how you can find out even more about MSPB and the results of the short- and long-term research supported with soy checkoff funding. MSPB sees opportunities to drive efficiency and a greater return on checkoff investments through collaborative and coordinated university, agency and company partnerships. By using soy checkoff money, MSPB is able to invest in ongoing soybean production research programs, sustainable irrigation practices and the adoption of best management practices (BMPs) to mitigate disease, insects and other yield- and profit-robbing pests. Your state soy checkoff volunteer farmer-leaders continuously invest your dollars in research projects that can lead to better quantity and quality of your soybean crop. The 2015 Annual Report details the result of these investments. We wish you success in your growing season. Sincerely, Tim Clements

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MANAGE FOR EVERY SEASON WITH MSPB MSPB drives the adoption of soybean BMPs that address Mississippi production challenges. MSPB’s website, mssoy.org, accommodates your needs. It contains information and links to the best information available for growing soybeans in Mississippi. In 2015, MSPB unveiled a new look for mssoy.org. The website is now more user-friendly and is a one-stop shop for all things soybean production in Mississippi. All of the information previously available is still on the site but organized in an easier-to-use manner.

Larry Heatherly, Ph.D., MSPB research and technology transfer coordinator, posts pertinent, timely information on a variety of subjects in the blog section of the website. The blogs, resources and videos available on the website summarize important points about various soybean-production topics, such as weed control, irrigation efficiency, soil fertility, insects, diseases and variety selection.

Whether you’re looking for information about herbicide resistance or a guide on irrigation efficiency, mssoy.org has all the information you need in one centralized location.

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MISSISSIPPI SOYBEA N PR OMOTION BOA R D

TUNE INTO DISEASES MSPB invests in ongoing soybean production research programs to mitigate disease and yield-robbing pests. You have another resource to help stay on top of soybean disease issues throughout the growing season. MSU Extension Plant Pathologist Tom Allen, Ph.D., provides soybean disease reports on Mississippi AgriNews Network throughout the growing season. The reports provide pertinent, timely information regarding economically important disease issues throughout the state’s soybean crop as part of his MSPB-funded disease-monitoring project. “The reports are a great avenue for soybean farmers to receive timely updates on the current disease situations in the soybean crop around the state,” says Allen. “The MSU Extension plant pathology team provides this program to help soybean farmers make informed decisions for their fields. Most of the information stems from the sentinel plot system. With more than 20 sentinel plots planted in the state we have a good feel for the ongoing disease situation throughout the state on a week-by-week basis.”

Tune in every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday between 5:05 a.m. and 6:05 a.m. to hear Allen’s Soybean Disease Report. Not sure which station to tune in to? Visit telesouth.com/networks/news-mississippi/ news-ms-affiliates to find a radio station near you. Or visit msagrinews.com to listen online.

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IRRIGATION EFFICIENCY ON THE RISER

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MISSISSIPPI SOYBEA N PR OMOTION BOA R D

One of MSPB’s main objectives is to ensure Mississippi soybean farmers’ sustainability by protecting water resources. According to Jason Krutz, Mississippi State

Adoption of irrigation water management on

University (MSU) irrigation specialist, increas-

soil textures ranging from very fine sandy

ing irrigation efficiency is a no-brainer.

loam to clay will have no adverse effect on

“The water level of the Mississippi alluvial aquifer should be important to all Mississippi farmers,” he says. “Water conservation related to irrigation does not have to mean deficit irrigation. Smarter irrigation might be all it takes.”

furrow-irrigated soybean yield or irrigation costs. However, irrigation water management will reduce the amount of irrigation water used and improve water-use efficiency. These practices can be adopted without adversely affecting on-farm profitability and will reduce the demand on depleted groundwater resources.

RISER, or Row-crop Irrigation Science and Extension Research, is a multifaceted approach to water conservation. RISER uses a number of methods to increase irrigation efficiency, such as scheduling tools, soil- moisture sensors and the Pipe Planner program. This program helps promote good management practices for soybean irrigation. In 2015, MSPB evaluated the use of the RISER program and the savings that can be realized from using it. In many cases, farmers can use various tools to improve their irrigation while seeing the same or, in some cases, improved yields. Increasing irrigation efficiency can mean a decrease in water use, fuel and labor costs.

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MSPB’S SMART PROGRAM

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MISSISSIPPI SOYBEA N PR OMOTION BOA R D

MSPB drives the adoption of soybean best-management practices that address Mississippi production challenges. MSPB funds the Soybean Management by Application of Research and Technology (SMART) program, which is designed to assist with implementing BMPs and technologies on the farm. Coordinated by the MSU Extension Service, SMART demonstrates the latest research-proven practices to maximize soybean yields on the farm.

During the 2015 growing season, numerous demonstrations were conducted around Mississippi. These locations included variety, nematicide seed treatment, and fungicide demonstrations. Below are some key practices to consider for fungicide application at the R3/R4 growth stage: • Determine disease package of the variety planted

The major objectives of the program are to identify and apply key management practices to increase profitability and provide first-hand knowledge of what these new practices can mean in a farmer’s field. The resulting information from the SMART sites are designed to demonstrate the impact of using the newest technology and proven BMPs to improve your profitability.

• Use stand-alone strobilurin fungicide product only where soybean varieties are resistant to frogeye leaf spot

Not only does the data gathered from the test sites allow you to see the impact BMPs have on your yield, but the data can also help answer any questions you may have through those demonstrations.

• Greater yields were found following fungicide applications in both early and late-planted soybeans in 2015, when compared to no fungicide application.

• Use tank- or pre-mix fungicide products with multiple modes of action on varieties that are susceptible to frogeye leaf spot

Visit mssoy.org to see the on-farm results.

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REFINING INSECT DEFOLIATION THRESHOLDS

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MISSISSIPPI SOYBEA N PR OMOTION BOA R D

MSPB invests in ongoing soybean production research programs to mitigate disease and yield-robbing pests. Mississippi soybean farmers lost more than $40 million to defoliating insects in 2015, making it the most economically damaging soybean yield robber in the state. Under MSPB’s Ed Hester Soybean Doctoral Fellowship at MSU, Benjamin Thrash will be working to refine economic threshold recommendations for insect defoliation over the next three years. “Hopefully my research will help farmers have a better idea of when insecticides are necessary and when they aren’t, so they aren’t unnecessarily spending money to control pests,” says Thrash, who completed his first year of research in 2015. Even though current threshold recommendations exist for soybean pests, Thrash says those thresholds can be refined even further. Below are the preliminary results from Thrash’s first year of research: • V3 defoliation did not reduce soybean yield compared with non-defoliated plots. • Defoliation occurring at V6 significantly  reduced yield compared to non-defoliated plots only when defoliation levels reached 100 percent.

• Preliminary results indicate that yield loss from defoliation occurring in reproductive stages is not antagonized by defoliation events in prior vegetative growth stages. • Complete defoliation at R3 resulted in a yield that was only 21 percent of that from the non-defoliated check. The effects of vegetative defoliation on yield loss by planting date from early April through mid-June are still under investigation. MSPB continues to support the educational development of soybean scientists, especially in the area of production agronomy. It recognizes the importance of public researchers to the success of the soybean industry in the state. MSPB named the fellowship in honor of Benoit, Mississippi soybean farmer Ed Hester, past president of the Mississippi Soybean Association and a leader in soybean production in the state.

• Multiple defoliation events during vegetative stages did not result in a significant yield decrease as compared to plots that were defoliated only once.

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mssoy.org