HEYWORTH, Ill. — Illinois Soybean Association’s checkoff and university-sponsored research programs and field trials were in the spotlight during the inaugural field day at their new Agronomy Farm. Located just a few minutes south of their Bloomington-Normal offices, the event was held on July 16. 

The first-ever gathering of members, researchers and media at the new, 97-acre research farm included updates on 2026 action trials conducted by growers enrolled in ISA’s On-Farm Trial Network, the Illinois Soybean Breeding Project and soybean studies conducted in conjunction with the University of Illinois.

“The new Agronomy Farm serves as a hub for all of our research,” said Abigail Peterson, a certified crop advisor (CCA) and director of agronomy for ISA. “We have in the back (acreage) a full-scale, 40-acre sulfur action trial that is being replicated by farmers across the state. With one shot at the growing season and everyone experiencing a different spring, having this farm as a (control location) and expanding our research to other fields across the state is what we are trying to do.”

Peterson and other ISA agronomists on-site that day urged farmers in attendance to join their On-Farm Trial Network (OFTN) and share the results of their own sulfur trials and other research projects currently open to soybean growers. They are especially seeking input from southern Illinois soybean growers who are willing to devote acreage to double-crop soybean population trials.

“The OFTN is something we’ve been working on for the past couple of years. Essentially, it was established in order to bridge the gap between university research plots and farmers’ fields,” said Darby Danzl, ISA regional technical agronomist. “We want to bring back research to growers’ fields to see if a (university-recommended) practice will have the same impact on their operation.”

ISA agronomists, led by lead consultant Jim Isermann, are collaborating with university researchers and scientists from around the state to gather and verify data from independent farmers’ crop fields in the program’s second year. 2026 OFTN “action trials,” including the sulfur ratio and double-crop soybean population studies, are ongoing in around 30 fields across Illinois, providing a diverse set of research sites that reflect the state’s different soils, climates and management systems.

In addition to their OFTN studies, a number of ISA “Legacy Trials” are also ongoing. “These are long-term studies and demonstration sites,” said Stephanie Porter, CCA and research agronomist for ISA. Legacy Trials remain in place for multiple growing seasons, providing guidance and feedback for adopting those practices. Sites remain in place for a minimum of five years with the ISA agronomy team working with farmer participants on developing a plan that works best for them while still providing good comparison data, Porter explained. 

Dr. Eliana Monteverde, assistant professor of crop sciences at the University of Illinois, told farmers attending the open house that ISA is currently funding three university-led research projects within the U of I’s Soybean Breeding Program. One project involves the study of how amino acid composition in seed varies across different environments, and how amino acid genetics may be improved. 

“Of course, amino acid composition is important because it determines protein quality in our soybean. They are the main building blocks of soybeans, but the problem is many soybean (varieties) have very low concentrations of these essential acids. We are trying to improve the specific concentration of amino acids that are low in soybean meal. Companies are (currently) adding it artificially, and this brings cost to the front of the chain,” Monteverde said. 

The amino acids project through the U of I Department of Crop Sciences is also drawing data from trials in neighboring soybean-producing states, according to Monteverde, through the cooperation of farmers in the Illinois Soybean Breeding Project. 

“We are also developing lines that have new genes for SCN (soybean cyst nematode) resistance,” Monteverde continued. “This new (fourth) gene that we are adding comes from work done at our university and from our (USDA) Germplasm Bank. We have some of these research plots here (at the ISA Agronomy Farm). Part of our job is to take those genes —while getting rid of the ones that are undesirable — and put them into high-yielding (soybean) varieties for the industry pipeline.”

Indiana-based Beck’s Hybrids is one industry partner to benefit from the work of the Soybean Breeding Program. Beck’s purchased the genetics to commercialize 10 varieties of high-oleic soybeans, a premium specialty crop that is the subject of a third ISA-funded U of I study. 

Other ongoing projects at the ISA Agronomy Farm include a long-term MRTN (maximum return to nitrogen) study being conducted by Dan Schaefer, director of nutrient stewardship for the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association. A seven-acre biomass demonstration plot comparing winter barley and cereal rye is also under study.

In addition, ISA collaborated with the local Natural Resources Conservation Service office to establish a cover crop species demonstration plot that will continue to expand in the coming years. In collaboration with Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever a long-term pollinator plot was also established at the front of the field.

Porter added that observations from all 2026 university-led, OFTN and Legacy Trial studies would be summarized in ISA’s first-ever “Illinois Soybean Research Review” publication to be issued this fall. “Coming soon, this publication will have all the main takeaways and some of the main protocols from all of the research studies we’ve funded,” she said. 

ISA is actively recruiting farmers to participate in their Action and Legacy trials across the state of Illinois. Requirements vary by trial, so visit fieldadvisor.org/on-farm-trial-network/ to see the full protocols and specific requirements. All ISA-led trials require that farmers have a calibrated yield monitor and a minimum of 40 acres enrolled in order to participate.