The Iowa State University Iowa Soybean Research Center (ISRC) was formed in June 2014 by approval of the Iowa Board of Regents. The ISRC works in partnership with the Iowa Soybean Association, industry leaders, farmers and researchers at Iowa State University. The goal of this collaborative effort is to identify and fund research in the areas of soybean production and protection.

What We Do

The ISRC works to increase collaboration, coordination and integration among Iowa State University, the Iowa Soybean Association, industry and farmers to align soybean-related activities at Iowa State with the needs of Iowa soybean farmers and the industry that supports production of the crop.

The center involves and helps coordinate research, teaching and extension activities of faculty and staff who work in the areas of soybean biology, breeding, economics, precision agriculture, production and pest management at Iowa State and the Iowa Soybean Association.

Funding

Financial support for the ISRC comes from Iowa State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the Iowa Soybean Association and industry partners. Funding decisions are made by the center’s management team based on guidance from the Industry Advisory Council. In its first five years, from 2015-2019, the center funded $1 million dollars of research conducted by 11 faculty members at Iowa State.

Research Focus

The ISRC funds traditional and multidisciplinary problem-solving research, which sometimes includes machine learning and artificial intelligence tools to accelerate and enhance the efforts. Specific research areas are identified by the center’s Industry Advisory Council.

Industry Advisory Council

Iowa soybean farmers, industry partners and the Iowa Soybean Association have representation on the center’s Industry Advisory Council. The council provides input on research needs, which includes identifying new areas of research, gaps in research and opportunities to expand and build upon existing research. Industry partners represented on the council include Ag Ingenuity, Albaugh, AMVAC, BASF, Bayer, Beck's, BioConnect Iowa, Cornelius Seed, Corteva Agriscience, GDM, Indigo Ag, Innvictis/Simplot, Meristem, Merschman Seeds, Mosaic, Nutrien, Peterson Genetics, Syngenta, UPL and Valent. For more information on how to become an ISRC industry partner, contact the center by email at ISRC@iastate.edu or by phone: 515-294-7318.

ISRC Staff

Dr. Greg Tylka, ISRC Co-director, gltylka@iastate.edu, or call 515-294-0878
Dr. Danny Singh, ISRC Co-director, singhak@iastate.edu, or call 515-294-3268
Kara Berg, ISRC Communications Specialist, kjberg@iastate.edu, or call 515-294-8927
Jill Cornelis, ISRC Program Coordinator, cornelis@iastate.edu, or call 515-294-7318
Steve May, ISRC Industry Partner Recruiter, maysteve@comcast.net, or call 612-850-5027
Clarke McGrath, ISRC Field Specialist, cmcgrath@iastate.edu, or call 712-215-2146