Information sources for soybean producers

The Soil Science Society of America has launched a blog titled “Soils Matter, Get the Scoop!” that provides basic information about the soil environment that supports all plants. Such topics as “What are soil pores?”, “What are soil aggregates?”, “How does water move through soil?”, and “What is the current research about soil additions to help soil biology?” provide basic information about these subjects that should be of interest to soybean producers.

An article titled “EU seeks to relax gene-edited crop restrictions” provides information about the European Commission’s proposal to revise its rules on GMO’s to loosen some restrictions for plants that result from the newer gene-editing technology such as CRISPR/Cas9. The proposal needs approval from the European Parliament and EU governments, and may be subsequently revised before final approval. The ruling will of course affect Europe’s importation of soybean products that are derived from gene-edited soybean plants.

USB Checkoff Chats. This USB-sponsored site has video chats with subject matter experts and industry leaders about production problems facing soybean producers–e.g. herbicide resistance--as well as how checkoff dollars are being used to expand research and market access for soybean farmers. This is a resource that can be accessed to learn about current topics that pertain to U.S. soybean producers and production, and how checkoff dollars are being used to both address production problems and expand markets for U.S. soybeans.

Composed by Larry G. Heatherly, July 2023, larryh91746@gmail.com