Missouri's Soybean Breeding Team Growing for Farmers

Saturday, April 29, 2017

(Jefferson City, Mo.) - The soybean research and breeding team at the Bay Farm Research Facility is expanding to include a USDA soybean geneticist. The addition will strengthen the already top-tier soybean breeding program and improve efficiency bringing information from research plots to Missouri farmers.

 

Jason Gillman, a research geneticist with the USDA Agricultural Research Service's Midwest Group, will be joining the team at the Bay Farm Research Facility this spring. Gillman currently offices in Curtis Hall on the University of Missouri campus and will be dividing his time between campus and the Farm.

 

"Research is one of the top priorities for Missouri soybean farmers, and partnerships help us maximize the return on farmers' investment in the soybean checkoff," said John Kelley, a soybean farmer from Faucett, Mo. and chairman of the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council. "We're excited to announce this step forward in partnership and bringing research results to farmers through checkoff-funded projects, outreach and events."

 

The partnership bringing Gillman to the Bay Farm Research Facility will focus on the North Missouri Soybean Breeding Program, including a project exploring the wild ancestors of soybean plants and genetic diversity among soybean varieties. The North Missouri Soybean Breeding Program works to develop soybean trait technologies and soybean varieties tailored to the growing conditions in northern Missouri.

 

Gillman's research includes exploring and understanding the genetic basis for valuable soybean traits, particularly the quality and content of oil and protein with each soybean, and improving soybean performance under stressful field conditions. His research combines field studies with genetic analysis to characterize and incorporate genetic diversity to improve overall value and productivity.

 

"Missouri is a leading state for soybean yields and technology," said Matt McCrate, a soybean farmer, seed salesman and president of the Missouri Soybean Association. "The Bay Farm Research Facility is a launchpad for practical research benefitting the bottom line for soybean farmers, demonstrating our commitment to stewardship, and building a bright future for the next generation."

 

The Bay Farm Research Facility, a 300-acre working farm owned by the Missouri Soybean Association and dedicated to soybean production and sustainability research, is home to the North Missouri Soybean Breeding Program. The facility includes two laboratories and climate-controlled seed storage, as well as office space and dedicated space for farm equipment. The Bay Farm Research Facility, located just east of Columbia, Missouri, is the only one of its kind in Missouri and the only farm owned by a state soybean organization nationally.

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