5/7/98

Contacts:
David Topel, Dean, ISU College of Agriculture, 515/294-2518
Kirk Leeds, Iowa Soybean Promotion Board, 515/251-8640
David L. Chicoine, Dean, College of ACES, 217/333-0460
Ken Elmore, Illinois Soybean Checkoff Board, 309/662-3373
Susan Thompson, ISU Agriculture Information, 515/294-0705

SOYBEAN RESEARCH CONSORTIUM FORMED

AMES, Iowa -- The states of Iowa and Illinois produce 40 percent of the nation's soybeans. Now their land grant universities will work in tandem with producer groups in the two states to expand opportunities for soybean research.

A memorandum of agreement designed to help the U.S. soybean industry has been signed by deans at the Iowa State University College of Agriculture and the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES).

"The overall goal is to improve productivity and increase the world competitiveness of U.S. soybean producers," said David Topel, dean of the ISU College of Agriculture. "This cooperative venture also will help our researchers make the most efficient use of producer checkoff funds."

"By providing a formal structure for cooperation, we have made an explicit commitment to strategically coordinate Iowa and Illinois resources," said David Chicoine, dean of the U of I College of ACES. "Also, the agreement creates a structure that involves the soybean industry in a meaningful process of priority setting to focus research on the most important problems."

A steering committee with members from both institutions as well as soybean producers from both states will direct the work of the consortium.

Soybean industry representatives encouraged the alliance, and helped identify the initial research and development initiatives, which focus on precision agriculture, genomics and germplasm, and functional foods and soy utilization.

"We're very excited about this agreement," said Kirk Leeds, executive director of the Iowa Soybean Promotion Board. "It's a natural progression of the partnership we've already seen between our producer boards and universities."

Through the checkoff, soybean producers invest millions of dollars in marketing and research efforts aimed at keeping the industry competitive in a global marketplace. Some of this money sponsors research at land grant universities.

"This coalition is an important indication of the commitment between Illinois and Iowa soybean farmers and our public universities to prevent duplication of research," said Ken Elmore, chairman of the Illinois Soybean Checkoff Board.

The two universities are already cooperating on projects funded by soybean producers. One project is studying how various stresses, such as disease or pests, interact to affect soybean yields. The goal is to develop practical guidelines for producers so they can increase yields by minimizing the impact of these stresses.

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