Soybean research in Minnesota

Soybean is planted on more than 7 million acres annually in Minnesota. The crop occupies approximately 25% of crop acreage planted in the state and is surpassed only by corn in acreage planted nationwide.

By advancing soybean genetics and combating invasive diseases, insects and weeds, University of Minnesota researchers are working to make soybean production more efficient, profitable, and sustainable to benefit farmers and Minnesota’s environment.

Below is a sampling of ongoing MAES research projects related to soybean. This list does not encompass all soybean research at the University of Minnesota.


Biology and Management of Important Diseases of Corn and Soybean
Dean K Malvick
The overall goal of this research program is to develop and exploit new information on the biology of important corn and soybean diseases that will lead to improved disease management strategies and reduced risk of disease in production fields. Soybean diseases under study include white mold, sudden death syndrome (SDS), brown stem rot (BSR), and frogeye leaf spot (FLS). Projects focus on furthering understanding of these diseases, optimal disease management strategies, and their interactions with other organisms and stresses are critical to
improving soybean yield.


Biological control of invasive insects: Principles and implementation    
George Heimpel
This work is dedicated to biological control of the soybean aphid in Minnesota, focusing mainly on the introduced parasitoid Aphelinus certus, which is an effective predator of soybean aphid. Research is improving our understanding of overwintering strategies and how overwintering of this beneficial insect can be improved and also assessing whether the hyperparasitoids of A. certus pose a serious threat to this biological control. Additional studies examining the possible 'spillover' of biological control services from agricultural to natural settings to see if some invasive pests that move from agricultural to natural settings are controlled by the same biological control agents in the natural settings.


Assessing and managing insecticide-resistant soybean aphids
Robert Koch
This research addresses insecticide-resistant soybean aphids. Cost-effective management of soybean aphid relies on threshold-based applications of insecticides. However, the soybean aphid has recently evolved resistance to one of the most commonly used groups of insecticides (i.e., pyrethroids). With few other pest management tools, the magnitude and mechanisms of this resistance problem needs to be assessed and research-based resistance management recommendations developed and disseminated. Our research is determining the geographic and temporal variability soybean aphid resistance to pyrethroids; and determining genetic and physiological components related to pyrethroid resistance in soybean aphid. 


Soybean breeding and genetics
Aaron Lorenz
Soybean breeding is an important activity that results in the development of new varieties improved for yield, time to maturity, disease resistance, insect resistance and quality. Soybean yields have increased from ~20 bu/ac in the early 1940s to near 50 bu/ac in 2019. Approximately 67% of this increase has been attributed to genetic gain, or in other words, the development of better varieties through breeding. The UMN Soybean Breeding Program strives to meet the following four objectives: 1) Develop superior general purpose, food-type, and specialty-type soybean cultivars adapted to Minnesota. 2) Identify and develop new traits, sources of pest resistance, and germplasm for new cropping systems and conventional cropping systems. 3) Research new methods for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of soybean breeding programs. 4) Educate and train graduate students in cultivar development and its allied sciences.


Zeroing in on the genes and mechanisms underlying soybean resistance to iron deficiency chlorosis
Robert Stupar and Aaron Lorenz
Iron deficiency chlorosis (IDC) is one of the most recalcitrant challenges encountered by soybean growers and is responsible for yield losses across vast acreages, particularly in the North Central United States. Breeding for IDC tolerance is inefficient, as it shows substantial genotype x environment interactions, inhibiting genetic improvement and understanding of the trait. Furthermore, the genes and molecular mechanisms underlying tolerance to IDC in soybean remain a significant knowledge gap for the research community. This research is investigating two distinct loci to identify genes underlying soybean iron deficiency chlorosis (IDC) resistance variation, and enabling further investigations into the physiological and molecular mechanisms driving these processes.


Environmental limitations to soybean seed yield and quality in Minnesota
Seth Naeve
This research project is completing a comprehensive physical, chemical, and biological analysis of drainage, tillage, and N rates to evaluate long-term effects on Minnesota soils and productivity. It is evaluating the impact of various combinations of tillage and drainage that have become common in Minnesota and  examining how drainage and tillage impact spring soil conditions affecting planting, emergence, and vigor. The research is also studying the Iron Deficiency Chlorosis (IDC), which causes significant yield losses for Minnesota soybean producers across much of western Minnesota. We’re examining the tradeoffs and interactive effects between varieties, populations, and iron chelate rates across a range of IDC levels and the economic impact of IDC management strategies. 


Herbicide-Resistant Weeds: Identifying Challenges and Exploring Solutions with Established and Innovative Tools
Debalin Sarangi
This research program identifies the weed management challenges for corn and soybean farmers in Minnesota and develops best management practices (BMPs) for sustainable weed management. Specific objectives include:

  • Investigate new herbicide resistance cases in the state using whole-plant bioassays in the greenhouse and evaluate their mechanism of resistance.
  • Assess the impact of changing climate on herbicide-resistant weed emergence, biology, competitiveness, and their future distribution.
  • Develop best management practices (BMPs) for herbicide-resistant weed management in corn and soybean using existing and novel tools.

Biology and Management of the Soybean Cyst Nematode on Crops of Importance in Minnesota

Senyu Chen

This research is dedicated to better understanding the biology of the soybean cyst nematode (SCN) and improving management strategies. Specifically, the objectives of the project are: (1) to improve techniques for managing SCN in soybean; (2) to evaluate common bean germplasm lines for resistance to SCN; and (3) to determine the impact of pennycress as a winter oilseed cover crop on SCN in corn-soybean production systems.


Crop Farm Profitability, Risk, & Resilience in a Changing Production Environment

Terry Hurley

This research studies how farmers adapt to a changing production environment. The goal is to identify ways to increase long-term farm profitability, support rural communities, promote abundant and healthful food and fiber, and improve environmental quality. Studies are:

  • investigating how farmers adapt to their changing production environment and develop recommendations to foster successful adaptation, 
  • exploring the potential for integrated pest management to improve the long-term profitability of soybean pest management, and 
  • comparing service-oriented crop protection markets to the current product-oriented markets based on long-term farm profitability and the risk of pesticide resistance under alternative crop and pest scenarios.

Optimizing Productivity and Resiliency of Upper Midwest Cropping Systems

Gregg Johnson

This project aims to address the urgent need for sustainable agricultural practices in the face of increasing global population and climate change impacts. It focuses on enhancing crop resilience and stability through diversified cropping systems, including traditional and oilseed cover crops. Researchers are studying how to implement diverse cover crops into the corn-soybean rotation and are assessing how different tillage methods affect cover crop growth and emergence. 


Evaluation of lime guidelines and lime needs for Minnesota

Daniel Kaiser

This project is evaluating the current limestone guidelines used for crops in Minnesota with a focus on corn and soybean production. Crushed agricultural lime is commonly applied to correct soil acidity but is not always readily available and may need to be trucked over large distances which increases costs to farmers. Application of lime has more long-term effects on soil properties and benefits may last more than two-years, whereas fertilizer applications may be applied yearly or every two-years in crop rotations. Specific research objectives include: 

  • Evaluate the net return from limestone application over a five-year period comparing net return from high quality crushed agricultural lime sold in Minnesota to higher cost pelletized lime (pell-lime),
  • Evaluate the use of the Sikora buffer pH method for predicting lime needs, and
  • Determine whether banding pell-lime at lower rates ahead of corn is more effective than broadcast application of pell-lime for a two-year corn-soybean rotation.

Enhancing understanding of important soybean and potato diseases for crop improvement and disease control

Ashish Ranjan

This research project focuses on white mold, one of the most devastating diseases of soybean. To date, no completely resistant soybean varieties are known, and management of white mold relies on fungicides, crop rotation, and use of partially tolerant varieties. Cultural management of white mold, such as crop rotation and row spacing modification, has limited success; hence, white mold management largely depends on use of fungicides. Researchers are studying how genetic resources of resistance function and can be leveraged to control white mold and develop high-yielding soybean varieties.


Physiological traits to improve climate resilience and yield potential of Minnesota crops

Walid Sadok

This research is dedicated to understanding the mechanisms underpinning crop responses to environmental stressors like drought, warmer night temperatures, and more extreme freezing/cold stress. The goal is to identify physiological targets for breeding towards more climate-resilient varieties of soybean, wheat and perennial ryegrass and winter barley. Soybean work is focused on further developing soybean cultivars that increase their nitrogen fixation in response to rising water vapor pressure deficits and will be more resilient to drought.


Soybean and pea molecular variation and prospects for improvement

Robert Stupar

This research maps traits and clone genes in soybean and pea to develop useful genetic resources. The soybean-specific objectives aim to increase understanding of soybean resistance to two key abiotic stresses, iron deficiency chlorosis and lodging. Researchers are working to identify the gene(s) conferring these resistance traits in soybean and identify new ways to use this information to enhance the resistance traits. These advances will contribute to yield protection in soybean, thereby stabilizing farmer profitability.