UNL is Helping Build a Tool to Optimize Soybean Management Decisions

Farmer with tablet

UNL is Helping Build a Tool to Optimize Soybean Management Decisions

What if you could have an app that could tell you the yield and profit impact of different management practices? For example, how much profit could you make if you apply fungicide in your field? Or what soybean seeding rate will result in the maximum profit? UNL is partnering with several other universities to develop a new online cropping system optimization decision tool for soybean farmers.

We Need Your Help!

We would like to get historic yield and management data from a field or two on your farm. We are looking for over 1,000 fields to make the survey robust. We will ask for information about your field management, costs and yields. We will also add environmental data such as soil, weather, and satellite image data to your yield data to make the tool even larger and more valuable. It’s completely confidential.

Here's our goal: to develop a new online cropping system optimization decision tool that uses the data collected in the survey.

“Cropping

This research project seeks to optimize soybean field management practices to maximize profit and ensure growers receive a return on investments made on their fields. Best practices will be determined based on the profitability of each decision, such as “is it worth it to apply a pesticide when no pest pressure is currently present?” and will be customized to your geography. Participating states in the NCSRP region include Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Minnesota, Michigan and Iowa.

This will be the first tool to gather, aggregate and analyze data from diverse sources to identify practices and factors that can be manipulated individually by farmers to increase soybean yield.

What’s In It for Me?

By providing your field data, you can contribute to the development of a cropping system optimization decision tool. The more data we collect, the more accurate the tool will be. Following development, the publicly available tool will allow growers to drop a pin in a field, enter input variables, and receive crop management decision help directly and through online scouting tools such as Sporecaster and Tarspotter. The tool will provide insights into best management practices, field-specific recommendation and early-season pest risk alerts that can help increase yield and profit. Individual reports will be available along with collaborative tools to share information with other growers. The data you are collecting on your fields will be put to use, building a valuable agriculture tool.

Ready to Get Started?

The survey will take 10–30 minutes to complete. There are two options for completing the survey.

  1. Take the survey yourself here. NCSRP Soybean Producer Survey (arcgis.com)
  2. Want some help? A member of our team will meet with you via Zoom or in-person to fill out the survey with you. Contact Stephanie Kluthe to make an appointment.

For more information about the survey, contact Laila Puntel or Laura Thompson.

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A field of corn.