Updated August 25, 2017:
The SSRP program continues to strive to meet the needs of our southern soybean producing states. During FY 15, the Southern Soybean Research Program met in December in conjunction with the USB/ASA Board meetings and again during the Commodity Classic.
At the December meeting the board heard a presentation from the team putting together the following proposal: “Challenges in Irrigation – Soil and Crop Irrigation Management (SCIM), A Four State Initiative in the Southern U.S. Kentucky, Georgia, Tennessee and Missouri, Developing Irrigation Management Strategies for Soybean Production in Humid Regions of the Southern U.S.” from Dr. Ole Wendroth (UK) along with Dr. Chad Lee (UK), Dr. George Vellidis (UGA) and Dr. Gene Stevens (UMO), The total amount for this project including adding work to be completed in Alabama with the University of Alabama is $340,004. The project was approved for funding contingent upon receiving funding from various Soybean Boards and potentially the United Soybean Board(USB). Unfortunately this project was well received and thought to be important work but is not being done at this time because of not funding enough funding sources. We had hoped that the United Soybean Board would help cover the remaining cost, however unfortunately it was not approved at the July meeting.
The board also met and held its annual meeting during the commodity classic in Phoenix, AZ this past February.
The group is also pleased to remind everyone that it is still growing by adding Alabama Soybean this spring.
The SSRP is also pleased to announce that it is still growing by adding Texas Soybean this coming spring. The addition of Texas will enhance the ability of the program to coordinate regional projects. In 2015, Alabama joined the SSRP by purchasing two seats. This brings to total number of SSRP states to six states, including: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri and Texas.