AgBioResearch

This story is part of a series highlighting the impact of MSU AgBioResearch’s work with Michigan agriculture and natural resources told through our stakeholders' perspectives. Through partnerships with the State of Michigan and industries, MSU AgBioResearch is finding solutions to some of the most timely problems facing our state. To view the entire series, visit agbioresearch.msu.edu.

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Roughly 12,000 farmers throughout Michigan produce soybeans, a versatile crop used in several products from food and animal feed to biodiesel.

According to the Michigan Soybean Committee (MSC) — a farmer-led organization that manages annual contributions from growers known as the soybean checkoff — Michigan’s soybean farms encompass more than 2.2 million acres.

Mark Seamon, MSC research director, said Michigan State University research is one of the primary components of producing a successful crop each year.

“We look at research from Michigan State as critical to soybean production in Michigan,” he said. “We think it has a significant effect on the yield of our soybean crop. Now that we’re in a situation of being pretty close to the cost of production (with respect to revenue), we need to make sure we’re economically sustainable, and MSU research takes that into consideration.”

The future is something on the minds of all farmers, and Seamon said it’s particularly significant to the group he works for with the MSC.

“Sustainability is one of the things our seven-member farmer board thinks is very important,” he said. “That’s because most of these farms are multigenerational and will be passed down to the children of the current operators. They want to make sure their farms are as productive or more by the time they’re done with their careers. It’s critical for them to help support projects that include sustainability. They want to know how we keep up productivity on farms and improve things like soil health as they look forward to the next generation.”

MSU AgBioResearch has invested in scientists and research infrastructure to solve some of the major challenges facing the soybean industry, including devastating insects, diseases and weeds, proper nutrient management, and a soybean breeding program to develop varieties uniquely suited to Michigan’s growing conditions.

Two programs housed at MSU are instrumental in these efforts with support from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Michigan Plant Coalition. Through Project GREEEN, aimed at solving short-term plant agriculture issues, and the new Agricultural Resiliency Program, geared toward more enduring problems with water and extreme weather, researchers are partnering directly with industries to address their needs.

Seamon has been heavily involved with both programs, helping to determine the direction of MSU soybean research.

“We appreciate the funding through Project GREEEN and how that gets used in such a practical way,” he said. “We have a voice in terms of what’s most important for us as an industry, which is a tremendous asset, to give that input to the researchers and have them consider it as they’re developing research proposals. In addition to that, we’ve been able to use soybean checkoff dollars to finance some research in the state, and that’s been used as a nice complement to Project GREEEN funding.

“The Agricultural Resiliency Program goes back to the idea of multigenerational farms. Of course, operators want to make sure their farms are productive long term. Learning how we can respond to things that are further down the road is really important, and we’re excited to be a part of a program that can help us be ready for what’s coming in the future, not just what’s happening today.”

These programs, alongside projects funded through the MSC and other sources, are providing necessary information and recommendations to soybean growers, Seamon said.

“We want to make sure that everybody understands our great satisfaction in working with MSU, and we really value the connection we have,” he said. “We appreciate how the leaders of MSU programs involve the growers and grower groups to help formulate future plans for research. MSU has put together a great group of researchers. The expertise has helped us see a light at the end of the tunnel for several issues, which gives us hope for the future.”

Mark Senk, a grower from Owosso, Michigan, produces soybeans, corn and white wheat. He is the president of the MSC and frequently interacts with MSU researchers and the broader soybean-growing community.

Likewise, Ben Glass, seed division and specialty program manager at Zeeland Farm Services, consults with MSU scientists and farmers on a multitude of growing challenges. Zeeland Farm Services has served the agricultural industry across the state since 1950, including two crush plants that process soybeans in Zeeland and Ithaca.

Below is a Q&A with Senk and Glass that showcases their experiences with MSU research.

How does MSU research currently support your goals?

• Senk: I farm about 3,000 acres with my sons and father, and we grow soybeans, corn and white wheat in the Owosso area. I’ve also been serving on the Michigan Soybean Committee for six years, the last four years as board president. The board is responsible for allocating the money from the soybean checkoff, making sure it best serves the growers. Basically, we try to get a return on the farmers’ investment. The Michigan Soybean Committee funds several research projects with MSU related directly to soybean production. That benefits the farmers as a whole and of course my farm specifically. A lot of good research is happening on things like weed control, soil fertility, disease issues and more.
  
  
• Glass: Zeeland Farm Services and its affiliate, ZFS Ithaca, are crush plants. The Ithaca plant is large in scale, about 45 million bushels per year processed. Between the two, we’re consuming probably half of the annual crop from Michigan. Specifically here in Zeeland, I manage our non-GMO program, which is then ending up with meal buyers who are making soy sauce primarily from it, and we do a little bit in the animal feed market. The soy sauce market is really the backbone. We are very much engaged at the farm level to manage that program, so we know what the farmers are growing and how they manage it. Basically, whatever support the farmer receives from MSU will directly benefit us as well because it leads to a high-quality product. Dr. Christy Sprague (integrated weed management) does the non-GMO spray programs and research each year, and she shares that with farms. I’ve also worked with Dr. Martin Chilvers (field crop pathologist), who does some testing for me with varieties in our ZF Select seed brand. Also, I’ve relied on his work with diseases that affect soybeans, which directly impacts the farms’ ability to produce a good crop. Working with Dr. Dechun Wang (soybean breeder), he’s listened to our feedback toward developing varieties with different value-added profiles, such as high oleic soybeans and just generally trying to advance better soybeans to drive the yield aspect for farms, which in turn benefits us.

What outcomes or benefits do you expect from MSU research?

• Senk: We expect an independent outcome from the research. We appreciate that unbiased approach. MSU isn’t trying to sell a product, so when we do research with MSU, we have a third-party approach that’s extremely beneficial. The results may not be what we want or expect necessarily, but the result is something we know we can trust. For example, we’ve seen spray products be tested that haven’t worked and some that have, and it provides great recommendations for us so we’re not simply relying on the product labels. High-quality research takes much of the guesswork out of the equation.
  
  
• Glass: In the scheme of things, we’re a small crush company. We do a lot for the size we are, and the market is stable for us. But we don’t have a research department. I do work on variety selection, but we don’t have a full research and development arm in our organization. I engage with a lot of the staff at MSU, and I feel like I have a good report. I appreciate that we can have a conversation about needs we have, so those resources from the university are really important.

Can you share an example of when MSU research has positively affected the industry or helped it overcome a looming challenge?

• Senk: I grow non-GMO soybeans. The work Dr. Christy Sprague has done on weed control has been very beneficial on my farm. Dr. Martin Chilvers has done white mold studies and shown growers several things we can do to help reduce that disease. A lot of his research has helped both with soybeans and with our corn production, especially with tar spot as such a problem in recent years.
  
  
• Glass: We’ve done several projects over the years. We were doing a non-GMO, high oleic soybean program that started around 2018. We worked closely with Mark Seamon and staff at MSU to do fry oil testing. Working with them, they helped evaluate the quality of the oil from these non-GMO high oleic soybeans to understand the properties. That helped spur on the program, and we did wind down the program in 2024, but that work was critical to moving forward to see where that might take us.

How can MSU research help to position the industry to thrive moving forward?

• Senk: We really appreciate the production-related research that’s already happening, so that’s essential moving forward. Something I’d like to potentially see are studies into new uses for soybean products, helping to develop new markets. A new use for the end product results in a better market for farmers. We’re always looking for new markets, but we don’t necessarily always know what those are, so we rely on research to help guide us. We know soybeans are not just a high-protein food source, but there may be some other industrial uses like we’ve seen with biodiesel.
  
  
• Glass: I did my master’s in plant pathology at MSU, so I have a good understanding of who the players are in this area. That helped because I know the researchers, and we can touch base whenever I need. I feel like I’m heard and know who I need to go to for questions. On the flip side, I think there are more opportunities to think long term. It can be easy to become siloed, and it takes work to prevent that and stay connected to make sure voices around the industry are being heard. But MSU has been very open to these discussions, and there’s an understanding that we can only do so much if the funding isn’t available. That will be really important moving forward if we want to take research to the next level.

What would you say to legislators to advocate on behalf of continued funding? What would it mean not to have this funding support moving forward?

• Senk: It’s important to continue this type of funding. The learning aspect for the farmer is so important. In most cases, farmers don’t have resources to conduct their own research. If I want to try something new on my farm, for example, it can be costly and may not work. When we have a research entity like MSU that’s funded through the State of Michigan and federal dollars, it mitigates risk for the farmer and we value the unbiased approach. Many people in the general public don’t have a connection to agriculture, so they don’t understand what we do and why in a lot of cases. It can be hard to convey why we need this type of research, but it’s value to everyone is significant in terms of food production, as well as to the agricultural economy and greater economy as a whole.
  
  
• Glass: This type of research isn’t possible without funding. You simply can’t have sustainable, good work if there aren’t funds behind it. Additionally, it’s important to have unbiased research that doesn’t have strings attached. It’s also critical to understand the foundation of what makes a solid economy, and agriculture is a huge component of that for Michigan. We need to ensure there are funds to support the variety of Michigan agriculture because that’s something we value here in the state. Those are the types things we need to remember when looking at funding, and cuts to that are largely due to a lack of understanding about how that spills out into the greater economy and affects communities around Michigan.

Michigan State University AgBioResearch scientists discover dynamic solutions for food systems and the environment. More than 300 MSU faculty conduct leading-edge research on a variety of topics, from health and agriculture to natural resources. Originally formed in 1888 as the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, MSU AgBioResearch oversees numerous on-campus research facilities, as well as 15 outlying centers throughout Michigan. To learn more, visit agbioresearch.msu.edu.