Project Summary
Boots on the Ground Version 2: AI-Driven Tools for Maximizing Soybean Yield and Profitability includes two different projects for farmers and agronomists to explore opportunities to optimize soybean cropping systems:
- Agronomic Management Comparison: Participating farmers will be able to evaluate their present agronomic system (i.e. planting date, seeding rate, row spacing, use of foliar pesticides, and nitrogen rate) against Agroptimizer recommendations for their specific conditions such as soil type, tillage practices, seed, nitrogen, and pesticide costs and projected soybean selling price.
- Field Scouting Alert System: The UW Bean Team will scout participating farmers’ fields to test and develop a decision support tool to guide precision scouting efforts throughout the growing season.
Project Lead
Shawn Conley, Professor and the State Soybean and Small Grain Specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
This is an interdisciplinary, inter-university collaborative regional project, co-directed by Dr. Shawn Conley, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Dr. Paul Esker, Pennsylvania State University, with collaborators in OH, MI, IA, IN, IL, MO, and ND.
Participants Needed By
Agronomic Management Comparison: April 1, 2026
Field Scouting Alert System: May 1, 2026
Why Collaborate?
- Gain insights into best management practices in your soybean fields that can help increase yield and profit.
- Receive scouting information for your soybean fields.
- Contribute to the development of a cropping system optimization decision tool to help increase yield and profit.
Learn More
Reach out to Mark Kendall (mark.kendall@wisc.edu) to learn more or if you are interested in participating.
Read more about these projects and other soybean research programming on the Badger Crop Network website.
Connect with us
Receive support with developing a research question and study design; using precision ag technologies; collecting, analyzing, and sharing data and results; and more.
Why on-farm research?
Farmer-driven, on-farm research is extremely valuable to inform management decisions, promote practice adoption and support the economic, environmental and social well-being of Wisconsin farmers.
Getting started
These resources will help you get started on your on-farm research journey, covering topics of developing a research question, trial design and logistics, data analysis, and more.