Tryston Beyrer, Mosaic

Tryston is the crop nutrition lead with The Mosaic Company for western North America. Mosaic's mission is to help the world grow the food it needs. Tryston’s role primarily involves training on Mosaic performance products and advanced crop nutrition. Tryston previously worked as a regional agronomist, currently serves on his state C.C.A. board and farms in NW Wisconsin. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and earned his MS and PhD from the University of Illinois crop physiology program.

Jon Bokmeyer, Ag Ingenuity Partners

Jon is the director of Ag Ingenuity, the research division of Advanced Agrilytics. Ag Ingenuity specializes in spatial agriculture research, bringing practical product and performance insights to industry partners. Jon has an extensive background in agronomic research and development. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Purdue University and a PhD from Rutgers University.
 

Shane Brockoff, Meristem

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.

Steve Brody, BioConnect Iowa

Steve is president and CEO of BioConnect Iowa. BioConnect Iowa’s goal is to help drive Iowa’s economic opportunities by moving good ideas forward, helping build successful commercial endeavors, and accelerating the overall growth of the state’s bioscience sector. The team at BioConnect Iowa works with innovators and entrepreneurs statewide.

Barry Christensen, Farmer

Barry farms near Riceville, IA, with his father and two brothers-in-law. He is involved in the Howard County Experimental Farm, Farm Bureau and other local organizations. Barry spends a lot of time in the fields with growers in his area as a sales representative for Pioneer Seed and selling crop protection for Titan Pro, INC through his company, Christensen Agri-Seeds. He enjoys supporting growers through the use of technology and advanced farming practices to maximize their operations. Barry earned his BS and MS from Iowa State University. 

Will Cornelius, Cornelius Seed

Will is Vice President and Soybean Lead at Cornelius Seed, a family seed company in Bellevue, IA, which started in 1935. Their mission is to provide growers with the industry’s leading genetics, traits and service to maximize profits on every acre. Will is a graduate of Iowa State University.

Julia Daum, BASF

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.

Morey Hill, Farmer

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.

Lynn Justesen, UPL

Lynn is UPL's technical services lead for row crops. UPL is a global provider of sustainable agriculture products & solutions. UPL is focused on facilitating progress for the entire agricultural value chain, striving towards its mission to make every single food product more sustainable. 

Wade Kent, Nutrien

Wade is a Digital Agronomist Senior Principal at Nutrien. He also farms on his great-grandfather’s farm in north central Iowa. He is a graduate of Iowa State University with a B.S. in Agronomy and Seed Science and an MS in Crop Production and Physiology. He earned a PhD in Agronomy and Crop Science from the University of Minnesota.

David Long, Albaugh, LLC

David is the technical manager of the seed treatment team at Albaugh, LLC. and has been working in seed treatments for over 20 years. His expertise includes solutions with both traditional and biological products that are characterized as fungicides, insecticides, nematicides, and biostimulants. David earned his PhD in Plant Pathology at the University of Arkansas.

Jon Massman, Corteva Agriscience

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.

Brett Miller, Syngenta

Brett is a regional research and development head for Syngenta where he leads a team of 13 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 that his grandparents farmed in western North Dakota.

Corey Nikkel, Indigo Ag

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.

 

Mike Peterson, Peterson Genetics, Inc.

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.

Ben Pieper, Merschman Seeds

Ben is a product manager and agronomist for Merschman Seeds in Westpoint, IA. He is also a certified crop adviser. He works closely with genetic suppliers to ensure high level yields across all product platforms. He is a graduate of Iowa State University with a BS in agronomy.

Peter Porpiglia, AMVAC

Peter is vice president of AMVAC’s Global Product Development and Technical Support. He has led the commercial development of over two dozen chemical active ingredients as well as several natural products in all sectors of crop protection. He recently served as an executive board member of the Weed Science Society of America and the Iowa Pest Resistance Management Program representing all of the agricultural industry. Peter is a graduate of Cornell University and earned his MS and PhD from Virginia Tech.

Mike Rupert, Innvictis/Simplot 

Mike is the director of agronomic sciences for the J.R. Simplot Company. He leads the National Agronomic Sciences team for Simplot Grower Solutions, overseeing trials in crop protection, crop nutrition and seed product lines. Simplot, an international food and agriculture company based in Boise, Idaho, distributes Innvictis products. Simplot pioneers innovations in plant nutrition and food processing, researches new ways to feed animals, sustain ecosystems, and strives to feed a growing global population. Mike has an MS in Agronomy (Genetics and Plant Breeding) from University of California, Davis.

Nathan Schmitz, GDM

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. 

Kenny Seebold, Valent

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.

Greg Shepherd, Beck's Hybrids

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.

Chris Souder, Bayer Crop Science

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.

Brent Swart, Farmer

Brent farms with his brother near Spencer, Iowa. He is a District 1 Director for the Iowa Soybean Association and is a member of the American Soybean Association, National Corn Growers Association and Iowa Farm Bureau. He is a fifth generation farmer. He implements strip and no-till practices and uses cover crops on the majority of his land. In addition to farming full-time, he is a field agronomist for Pioneer. Passionate about agronomics, Brent has a BS in agronomy and an MS in crop production and physiology from Iowa State University.  

Christie Wiebbecke, Iowa Soybean Association

Christie is the Chief Officer of Research and Conservation for the Iowa Soybean Association. She is responsible for integrating the association’s contracted research programs and managing the ISA Research Center for Farming Innovation (RCFI). She has an extensive background in soybean breeding with a focus on genetics and varietal selection. Christie is a graduate of Iowa State University, holds an MA in education from Chapman University and earned her PhD in plant breeding from Iowa State University.

ISRC Management Team
The management team makes funding decisions based on feedback from the industry advisory council.

The ISRC’s management team consists of:

• ISU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Dean Daniel Robison
• ISU Department Chairs Amy Kaleita (ABE), Mary Wiedenhoeft (AGRON Interim) and Steven Harris (PPEM)
• ISA Chief Officer of Research and Conservation Christie Wiebbecke (Chair)
• ISU ISRC Co-director and Professor of Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology Greg Tylka
• ISU ISRC Co-director and Professor of Agronomy Danny Singh