2024
Better Together: Bridging soybean disciplines to collaboratively deliver soybean best management practices
Contributor/Checkoff:
Category:
Sustainable Production
Keywords:
AgricultureCrop protectionData ManagementExtensionField management
Parent Project:
This is the first year of this project.
Lead Principal Investigator:
Rachel Vann, North Carolina State University
Co-Principal Investigators:
Project Code:
24-210-S-B-1-C
Contributing Organization (Checkoff):
Institution Funded:
Brief Project Summary:
This national project will bring together soybean research and Extension expertise from diverse disciplines (agronomy, entomology, plant pathology, weed science, etc.) across the U.S. to leverage checkoff investments and collaboratively build a mechanism to deliver soybean best management practices to farmers. The core project goal is to create a strategic plan to install seamless communication strategies across disciplines.
Information And Results
Project Summary

Project Objectives

Project Deliverables

Progress Of Work

Final Project Results

The Better Together Initiative brings together checkoff funded outreach groups including the Crop Protection Network, GROW, Science for Success, Take Action, and the SCN Coalition, as well as other checkoff partners like the United Soybean Board, Qualified State Soybean Boards, and the Soybean Research & Information Network. In 2024 the initiative developed and launched an interactive tool to help identify and visualize soybean production issues in real time. The dynamic map, named Bean Binoculars, was launched in July 2024 and received 62 total entries between April and September. Map entries include a detailed description of the issue and any symptoms, high-quality photos, and research-based management recommendations. Entries are displayed on the map for two months before they are archived in a library on the site. The tool provides a visual and geographical representation of emerging issues in soybean production for growers and industry professionals. It also serves as an outlet to elevate research-based information on best management practices and is an educational resource for many stakeholders. A historic planning meeting was held February 6-8, 2024 in Raleigh, NC. The meeting had 36 attendees across 7 collaborative groups, five state checkoff boards, and other checkoff funded entities. The goals of the meeting were largely to gain a better understanding of collaborative groups, ideate on effective mechanisms for delivering generated content to US soybean farmers, determining mechanisms for focus moving forward, and developing a strategic roadmap to outline how this collaboration looks moving forward. Meeting attendees agreed that meeting goals were either partially or fully met, and 94% ranked the meeting as being Above or Much Above Average in comparison with similar meetings that they’ve attended. Following this meeting a strategic roadmap was developed and approved by the initiative. The roadmap outlines the overall mission of the initiative, guiding principles, and two strategic priority areas of Content Amplification and Operations & Administration. To facilitate the execution of this roadmap, a Working Group composed of representatives from involved groups was formed. One result of this group is a “lookbook” that details the initiative and all involved groups that will be finalized and printed for distribution in Fall 2024. Another outcome of the Better Together initiative is the monthly Crop Research Alliance E-Newsletter, which is run by the Soybean Research & Information Network and contains information from Science for Success, the Crop Protection Network, and GROW. Similarly, we have seen an increase in groups collaborating to cross-promote resources and events to their stakeholders. In September 2024 a strategic planning meeting was held where members of initiative leadership and the working group reflected on what has been accomplished in 2024 and begin to ideate on what can be accomplished in 2025.

Benefit To Soybean Farmers

The launch of Bean Binoculars benefits US soybean farmers by providing real-time updates of potential soybean production issues, paired with high quality photos detailing the issue at hand and research based management practices. The increased connectivity between outreach groups is a direct result of the Historic Planning Meeting that took place in February 2024. A few examples of this increased connectivity include the creation of the Soybean Research & Information Network’s Crop Research Alliance e-Newsletter, the cross promotion of events and resources across groups, and the creation of the Better Together lookbook that will be ready for distribution in late 2024. The Better Together Initiative will continue to work to provide streamlined access of Checkoff funded materials to US soybean farmers.

The United Soybean Research Retention policy will display final reports with the project once completed but working files will be purged after three years. And financial information after seven years. All pertinent information is in the final report or if you want more information, please contact the project lead at your state soybean organization or principal investigator listed on the project.