ISRC Holds Think Tank on Soybean Production Research
October 18, 2023
In September, prior to the center’s annual Industry Advisory Council meeting, the ISRC held a Think Tank to identify challenges and needs for soybean production research. Nearly 40 individuals representing Iowa soybean farmers, agricultural industry, ISU researchers and the Iowa Soybean Association participated in the event. Most of the ISRC’s industry partners and farmer representatives who serve on the center’s Industry Advisory Council were involved in the Think Tank. Sociology assistant professor Katie Dentzman and her graduate students helped facilitate the discussions.
A myriad of research topics and gaps were identified such as a changing climate, soil health, specific diseases and pests, markets and government regulations, plant health versus profitability, funding issues, scalability of data, emerging technologies, the need for remote sensing and smaller equipment, and the need for academia and industry to work together more, just to name a few. The ISRC plans to share the takeaways from the Think Tank with its stakeholders to help shape the direction of future soybean production research through the center.
