Iowa soybean farmers, industry partners and the Iowa Soybean Association have representation on the ISRC’s Industry Advisory Council (IAC), which serves to identify research needs in the areas of soybean production and protection for the center.
The council has three farmer representatives, each serving rotating, three-year terms. Current industry partners with representation on the council include Advanced Agrilytics, AMVAC, BASF, Bayer, Beck's, BioConnect Iowa, Corteva Agriscience, ENAI, GDM, Inari, Meristem, Nutrien, Peterson Genetics, Spraytec, Syngenta, TerraMax, Tidal Grow AgriScience and Valent. The IAC meets annually (usually in September) to provide feedback on what research they would like to see funded. Members of the IAC are listed below.
Following the council meeting, the ISRC’s management team meets to review the council’s discussions and finalize funding decisions. Funding for selected research projects is usually awarded on October 1st of each year.
Industry Advisory Council Chair
Joe McClure, Iowa Soybean Association
Joe serves as Chair of the ISRC's Industry Advisory Council. He is the Chief Officer of the Research Center for Farming Innovation at the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA), where he leads the strategy and direction for research in the Research Center for Farming Innovation (RCFI). Before joining ISA, he accumulated 20 years of experience in the seed industry, holding various roles focused on field research, inventory, logistics and seed production. Joe was raised on a farm near Center Point, Iowa. He holds a BS in Computer Science from Mount Mercy College and an MS in Crop Production and Physiology from Iowa State University.
Farmer Representatives
Jack Boyer
Jack farms with his wife on their Century Farm near Reinbeck, IA. He is an At-Large Director for the Iowa Soybean Association and a director for Practical Farmers of Iowa. He also provides cover crop seed and applications to area farmers and supports conservation and improving soil health. Jack is retired from John Deere following a 32-year engineering career. He has a BS in ag engineering and an MS in engineering management from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Morey Hill
Morey farms near Madrid, Iowa. He is a third-generation farmer with a row crop rotation of soybeans and corn. He also raises sheep and hens. He has been on the American Soybean Association Board of Directors since 2017 and has been a member of the Iowa Soybean Association since 2014. He is also involved with the Iowa Farm Bureau, Iowa Veterans in Agriculture and the Iowa Corn Growers Association. Morey is a U.S. Army veteran and a graduate of Iowa State University.
Dillan Smith
Dillan and his wife Maggie farm near Nemaha, Iowa, where they are raising their three children. Dillan is the co-owner and CEO of SBL Ventures and has a strong background across multiple areas of the agricultural industry, including prior roles selling Pioneer seed, crop protection products and fertilizer as a previous owner of Smith Brothers Agronomy. He has also worked with Corteva Agriscience and Beck’s Hybrids. Dillan earned a Bachelor of Science in Plant Sciences with a minor in Agronomy from the University of Minnesota. He is passionate about implementing new technologies on the farm that drive higher profitability while supporting long-term sustainability for both the operation and the environment.
Industry Representatives
Advanced Agrilytics, Allen Chen
Allen is a Research Lead at Advanced Agrilytics. Advanced Agrilytics specializes in spatial agriculture research, bringing practical product and performance insights to industry partners. He has a BS in Plant Sciences from Purdue University and earned his PhD in Horticulture from Iowa State University.
AMVAC, Marcus Jones
Marcus is a product development manager for AMVAC, an American Vanguard® Company. AMVAC has a focus on four innovation platforms: Proven Chemistries, Precision Agriculture, GreenSolutions and Sustainability Solutions for plant and soil health. He holds a PhD in Crop and Soil Science from Michigan State University.
BASF, Julia Daum
Julia is a nematologist and senior program leader in Trait Research, US at BASF, located in RTP, North Carolina. A key focus area for the US-based team is to discover and evaluate novel leads for their potential to become superior agricultural products that protect crops and improve yield. BASF is committed to supporting the industry, and we believe it is important to partner with organizations like the Iowa Soybean Research Center. Together we will develop new opportunities and innovations for soybean growers that will provide long-term benefits for their operations. Julia is a graduate of Iowa State University.
Bayer Crop Science, Chris Souder
Chris is the global R&D crop efficiency portfolio manager for Bayer Crop Science. He sets the vision and R&D plan for sustainable corn and soy yield improvements by understanding the intersection of technology innovation, grower needs and business strategy. Chris has also served as the regional agronomist for Iowa and Missouri for Bayer. Chris is a graduate of Iowa State University and Texas A&M.
Beck's Hybrids, Greg Shepherd
Greg is a Field Agronomist for Beck’s Hybrids. He was born and raised on a farm in Adair County, Iowa. He, wife Aimee and their four sons now live on Aimee’s grandparent's farm near Mt. Pleasant in southeast Iowa. They manage farm operations in both Adair and Henry County. In 2020, the Shepherd family was recognized with an Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Award for their efforts in keeping soil healthy and improving water quality. The Shepherds farm row crops and have a seed stock herd of Charolais cattle. Greg is a graduate of Central College and earned his MS in Sustainable Agriculture from Iowa State University.
BioConnect Iowa, Jessica Hyland
Jessica is President and CEO of BioConnect Iowa. BioConnect Iowa drives economic opportunity in Iowa by advancing bioscience innovation and commercialization. Through strategic partnerships and programs, the organization supports entrepreneurs and accelerates the growth of Iowa’s bioscience sector.
Since 2019, Jessica has also led the Iowa Biotechnology Association (IowaBio), as its Executive Director. With a background in government affairs, she has worked for the Iowa Association of Business and Industry and for the Iowa League of Cities. She has BAs in both Technical Journalism and Political Science from Colorado State University and is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Law.
Corteva Agriscience, Jon Massman
Jon is the soybean technology lead for North American plant breeding at Corteva Agriscience. In that role, he is responsible for identifying and deploying new enabling technologies that ultimately result in driving farmer profitability. Jon is a graduate of Iowa State University and earned his PhD at the University of Minnesota.
ENAI, Corey Nikkel
Corey is the director of sales enablement for Indigo Ag. Indigo Ag operates across 14 countries and is delivering on its mission of harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed, fuel and clothe the planet. He is a graduate of Iowa State University.
GDM, Nathan Schmitz
Nathan is a soybean breeder for GDM Seeds Inc. GDM is a global group that applies state-of-the-art technology to research, develop and commercialize maximum productivity soybean varieties and other extensive crops. GDM has operations in 16 countries, 13 R&D centers and 576 testing locations throughout the world. Schmitz has his MS in soybean breeding and genetics from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Inari, Juan Mayta
Juan is the Director of Product Management for Inari. Inari is focused on bringing impactful innovation to soybean production, combining AI-enabled predictive design and a leading multiplex gene editing toolbox to significantly increase yields. Mayta holds a PhD in Plant Breeding from the University of Minnesota and multiple degrees from the University of Arkansas, covering agricultural and horticultural plant breeding and agricultural business management.
Meristem, Shane Brockhoff
Shane is Meristem’s Regional Director in Iowa and is located in Walnut, IA. Meristem is passionate about bringing cutting edge technology to farmers to help them reach new yield levels while maximizing return on investment and sustainability long-term. Shane has a background in soil biology and soil chemistry and earned his BS and MS in agronomy and crop science from Iowa State University.
Nutrien, TBA
Nutrien is a global provider of crop inputs and services spanning the ag value chain with a focus on innovation, research and technology development.
Peterson Genetics, Mike Peterson
Mike is the President and Owner of Peterson Genetics, Inc., in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Peterson Genetics is the leading provider of soybean germplasm to the North American soybean seed trade. He is a past president of the Iowa Seed Association, past chair of the Soybean Division of the American Seed Trade Association and past chairman of the American Seed Trade Association. Mike is a graduate of Iowa State University.
Spraytec, Erin Doran
Erin is the Business Development Manager for Spraytec. Her background as an agronomist includes experience in agricultural field sales for crop inputs, data analytics, variable rate farm management, project management, user testing and platform management. She is a graduate of Iowa State University.
Syngenta, Brett Miller
Brett is a regional research and development head for Syngenta where he leads a team of field scientists and support staff across the Midwest in developing new and innovative solutions for crop protection. He has worked for Syngenta and their legacy companies for 25 years serving in a variety of commercial and technical roles including as a field research scientist in Nebraska, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota; a global herbicide technical manager in Basel, Switzerland; a herbicide tolerant trait manager and as technical development lead. Miller has a BS and MS in Weed Science from North Dakota State University and owns the farm his grandparents farmed in western North Dakota.
TerraMax, TBA
TerraMax has been creating defined microbial products to address problems in the agriculture industry for more than 25 years. TerraMax has developed products that offer environmentally sound solutions for plant growers, from row crop agriculture to specialty markets. The main area in which the company has focused its research has been nutritional aids for plants.
Tidal Grow AgriScience, Yuan Cheng
Yuan is the Chief Product Officer at Tidal Grow AgriScience, a division of Tidal Vision Products Inc. Tidal Grow develops crop protection and plant nutrition technologies. Tidal Grow's product portfolio focuses on harnessing science powered by nature to create cutting-edge crop inputs that enable growers to be responsible stewards of the land while simultaneously driving profitability, higher yields and improved soil and plant health.
Valent, Kenny Seebold
Kenny is senior director of field research and development for Valent USA LLC. He is responsible for all technical programs that drive field development of the company’s agricultural crop protection and enhancement portfolio for North America. He oversees all field R&D operations including Valent’s research stations, product development, field discovery biology, technical operations and field market development teams. Seebold has a BS in Integrated Pest Management and an MS in plant pathology from Auburn University. He earned his PhD in plant pathology from the University of Florida.
