This proposal seeks to further the design, development, and implementation of a Multi-State On-Farm Partnership. The broad and diverse groups forming this partnership make the initial planning of this effort critical for future success. Consensus on core issues including defined objectives, goals and operating governance are vital, but long-term success also lies in buy-in that requires recognizable branding, publicized partners, and delivery mechanisms.
In order to establish the foundation of a Multi-State On-Farm Partnership, the following steps encompassing these points will be implemented as more states and partners join the project:
1. Establish agreement and a collaborative set of operating principles among partners on leadership, priorities, governance and next steps.
2. Based on Step 1, implement a cooperative primary leadership structure representing the array of key science, industry, non-profit, and agency stakeholders.
3. Continue to establish subgroups or working teams to develop further proposals, structure, standards, and/or guidelines that enable the formation of the network.
4. Implement the formation of the network based on the foundations established in steps 1-3.
5. Continue to establish and utilize a publically available, multi-state, online research database to provide agronomic and management data for soybean farmers.
Utilize the results of the pilot project to further develop the structure and organization of the Multi-State On-Farm Partnership. Repeating and expanding the project process allows the diverse teams from a broad geography to further develop the framework needed to make the project successful.
The development, continuation and expansion of a successful partnership framework necessitates considerable planning and strategizing. To-date, the multi-state On-Farm Partnership has been highly successful and continues to grow. This program brings great value to US soybean farmers.
Indicators of performance for this project include:
1. Public researchers from fourteen states are engaged and actively conduct on-farm research projects and contribute data for combined analysis of results.
2. All public researchers above contribute to an online database platform and framework for coordinated on-farm research projects, which is functional by 2018 that can provide information to universities, regulators, ag retailers and commodity groups on which to base decisions related to soybean production management practices.
3. At least 5% of soybean farmers adopt narrow row spacing, lower planting populations, apply starter, or consider fungicide placement, pending research results, for soybean production by end of 2018.
4. A research platform for coordinated on-farm research projects is developed for university researchers, consultants and farmers that allows for better data capture from combined studies by 2018. At 100 of those listed above are recorded accessing and using the protocols and platform.