CHESTERFIELD, Mo. – Connecting researchers with corn farmers is one of the goals of the National Corn Growers Association’s (NCGA) Research Ambassador program, now in its second year.

“The key piece (of the program) is we really want them to talk to farmers,” said Robyn Allscheid, NCGA’s director of research and productivity. “It’s important for farmers to understand what’s going on in the research space. We want to build a better connection between researchers and farmers.”

The program was created after the organization and growers realized there weren’t a lot of opportunities for student researchers and farmers to communicate, Allscheid explained. “Some in academia have never talked with a farmer or set foot on a farm. We wanted to see how we can connect these students with farmers so they understand the segment they’re hoping to impact.”

To be eligible, applicants must be graduate students in master’s or doctorate programs. They must be doing research in a field or on a topic related to corn production, she said. Applicants should be able to write a one-page essay on how their research will impact corn growers. They are also asked about their leadership skills and community service involvement.

This year’s program has eight participants. Each Research Ambassador receives a financial award of $2,500, and up to $750 for registration and travel reimbursement for participation in scientific research conferences, according to NCGA. Their travel is also fully funded to attend such NCGA events as the Commodity Classic, Corn Congress and farm field days.

NCGA wants the Ambassadors to share their research and also meet with those in the industry, Allscheid noted.

“We want to get them interacting with the broadest group of people they can,” she said. “We want to try to encourage them to stay in research related to corn. We want to get them involved in the community and let them know their work is appreciated. Hopefully through this program they can see how important the work they’re doing is to growers.”

Seth Tolley, a graduate student in the fourth year of his doctorate program at Purdue University, is one of the current group of Ambassadors announced in late September. He’s a student in the university’s department of agronomy focusing on plant breeding and genetics.

Tolley said he’s looking forward to going to events to talk to growers and the other Ambassadors. “Sometimes graduate students keep their heads down as we’re working on our research,” he stated. “This is a good opportunity to look up and see if the research I’m doing is actually beneficial (to farmers).”

His research couples the genetic potential in corn hybrids with in-season data collection to try to predict yield performance. He said he appreciates that the Ambassador program shows the support NCGA has for the research that students are doing across the country. “The program lasts a year, but being able to say you’re an Ambassador is something you can hang onto after the year is up. I’m thankful I was able to receive this honor.”

Tolley grew up on a farm in Avon, Ill. The family grows corn and soybeans and raises cattle. “I’ve kind of been around the corn industry my entire life. The possibility of engaging with farmers across the country definitely impacted my decision (to apply).”

He said his goal after receiving his doctorate is to go into industry and have an impact on farmers regionally and across the nation.

Brandon Webster was also recently named an Ambassador for the 2022-2023 academic year. He’s in the third year of his doctorate program in plant breeding at Michigan State University. Webster decided to apply for the program because it’s relevant to his corn research, and because he wants to become more integrated in the agricultural community.

“I think it will help me just to go to the Commodity Classic, to network with the variety of people there,” he noted. “That’s one of the most straightforward ways the Ambassadorship will help me achieve my goals. All of these things expand this network of opportunities. There’s the stereotype of the academic in an ivory tower, not very committed to what’s happening in the real world. That’s a general trend across a lot of sciences. It’s a problem that can be ameliorated with communications face to face.”

Webster said his research at MSU has two focuses. One is nitrogen use efficiency for maize in particular – pinning down ways farmers can grow the same or more with less input costs. The second is using aerial imagery to try to predict different traits of field-grown corn.

After Webster finishes his doctorate program, he’d like to work in industry. He hopes to have an internship next summer to narrow down the type of company he’d like to work for. “Would a larger or smaller company be better for me? I’m excited to start helping to grow more with less.”

Brendan Hanson, who began his master’s program at Purdue in January 2021, said an attractive part of the Research Ambassador program is the opportunity for the recipients to meet each other. “I’m looking forward to when we finally get to meet, collaborating and understanding that all our research is unique in its own right. I’m also looking forward to hearing from farmers how we as researchers can do things differently.”

Hanson is the manager of Purdue’s cropping systems research lab, a crop physiology facility focusing primarily on corn. His research centers on tracking nutrients to see how they influence yield.

He is also looking forward to sharing his research with growers. “Farmers have the most real world experience with things I’m trying to simulate (in my research). They can help me improve my research.”

Hanson grew up working on a Holstein dairy operation in Minnesota. The farm also grew corn and alfalfa. He hopes to complete his master’s program in agronomy in the spring and then apply for jobs in the private sector.

“My ideal job would be as a regional research and development manager,” he said. “I’d like to show how different levels of management and environment may impact different hybrids of corn.

“In science, we always need to push the ball forward. We struggle against weather, climate and prices. It’s important to stay one step ahead of all aspects of agronomy.”

For more information on the Research Ambassador program, visit https://ncga.com/key-issues/other-topics/scholarship-programs/profile/ncga-research-ambassador-program. Allscheid said the application process for the next group of Ambassadors will probably open in January 2023.