On-farm Organic Soybean Variety Trials

On-farm Organic Soybean Variety Trials

Summary

This is the second year of organic soybean variety trials that were started in 2012 when funding was provided by the Ceres Trust. The fact sheet from 2012 is attached to under Accomplishments/Milestones below for continuity.

Funding for 2013 – 2015 is being provided by the NCR SARE R&E Grant Program.  In 2013, we again established four organic non-GMO soybean variety trials across Michigan.  Three organically certified farms and organically certified Michigan State University/W.K. Kellogg Biological Station ground were used to plant 48 soybean varieties in a randomized complete block design with four replications. The growing season has been completed.  Data from the varieties at each location, including yield, protein content, oil content, maturity, seed size, and height, have been analyze and summarized in a publication. A four page fact sheet of our results has been produced and is attached under Accomplishments/Milestones below.

Four on-site events were held for various stakeholders including NCR SARE management, organic farmers, organic agri-business and Extension educators. Participants had an opportunity to tour the variety trial plots, examine varietal differences and discuss varieties of interest for advancement.  The project and its results were presented at three additional meetings. The results including a two year average summary and the steps to advance a variety through the breeding program into farmers hands was direct mailed to nearly 250 organic producers. The project results will be shared at the MSU Organic Research Reporting Session on March 7, 2014.

The project advisory group met on February 25, 2014.  Three promising varieties were identified from two years of data that have desireable attributes for organic production including the tofu, soymilk, food and feed markets.  Plans are being made to produce foundation quantities for advancement to seed supply production.  Locations for the 2014 on-farm trials were identified.

Objectives/Performance Targets

1. Solicit up to 50 organic soybean varieties from seed suppliers and university breeding programs for evaluation in on-farm variety trials.
2. Establish variety trials on three farms and at the Michigan State University W.K. Kellogg Biological Station (KBS). 
3. Field day events at each location were held allowing farmer and stakeholder to evaluate the varieties in the trials.
4. Data from the trials was gathered, analyzed, summarized and published in a four-page fact sheet for distribution to farmers and stakeholders.
5. Meet with the project advisory board consisting of farmers, seed dealers and brokers to review 2013 results and plan 2014 trials.
6. Identify promising varieties for advancement to seed production.
7. Disseminate project information through workshops and meetings where appropriate.

Accomplishments/Milestones

1. Solicite up to 50 organic soybean varieties from seed suppliers and university breeding programs for evaluation in on-farm variety trials.
   • 48 varieties were entered into the variety trials from 10 sources including:
     • DKB Farm & Services
     • D.F. Seeds Inc.
     • Organic Bean & Grain
     • SunOpta
     • Michigan State University
     • Schillinger Genetics, Inc.
     • Iowa State University
     • Albert Lea Seed
     • Blue River Hybrids
     • University of Minnesota/MN Crop Improvement
2. Establish variety trials on three farms and at the Michigan State University W.K. Kellogg Biological Station (KBS).  Trials were established in the following locations:
   • Gratiot County, MI – On-farm
   • Lapeer County, MI – On-farm
   • Tuscola County, MI – On-farm
   • Kalamazoo County, MI – KBS
3. Field day events at each location were held allowing farmer and stakeholder to evaluate the varieties in the trials.
   • Three field days were held in August and September, 2013 for Michigan organic farmers.  75 farmers attended these field days.
4. Data from the trials was gathered, analyzed, summarized and published in a four-page fact sheet for distribution to farmers and stakeholders.
   • The fact sheet was published and distributed.  It is attached below.
5. Meet with the project advisory board consisting of farmers, seed dealers and brokers to review 2013 results and plan 2014 trials.
   • The advisory group meeting was held on February 25, 2014.
6. Identify promising varieties for advancement to seed production.
   • During the advisory meeting, three varieties were identified, MSU E07051, MSU E055181-T and MSU E07158-T, for advancement towards seed production.  Plans are underway with seed suppliers to advance these varieties.
7. Disseminate project information through workshops and meetings where appropriate.
   • On August 13, 2013, the management team from the North Central Region (NCR) Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program toured Michigan reviewing the Michigan SARE program. The variety trials project was reviewed on site at the Caro, Michigan variety trial location.  As part of the review, NCR SARE produced a video of project investigator Dan Rossman discussing the project.  That video has been posted by NCR SARE at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8KCiwoJ_mo.
   • The project was presented at the Michigan Organic Reporting Session in March, 2013. This event hosted 50 attendees including Extension educators, researchers, government agency personnel, agri-business representatives and organic farmers.
   • The results from our trials were summarized and presented to 35 organic farmers at the December 17, 2013 organic meeting in Birch Run, Michigan.
   • The project was also presented during two sessions, January 7 and 8, 2014, at the Southwest Agricultural Conference in Ridgetown, Ontario to over 80 attendees.
   • The project was presented at the OEFFA conference on February 16, 2014
   • The four page summary, a two year average summary and the steps to advance varieties through the breeding system was direct mailed to nearly 250 organic producers.

• 2013 Michigan Organic Soybean Variety Trials
• 2012 Michigan Organic Soybean Variety Trials

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

After two years of organic soybean variety trials, three varieties of interest that have desireable attributes including yield, protein content, oil content and maturity have been identified for advancement as a variety to become available to organic soybean farmers.  The major impact and goal of this project is to increase the selection of organic soybean varieties available to farmers through current advancements from non-GMO soybean breeding programs.

Collaborators: