Soybean growers support Illinois ARS facility

URBANA, Ill. — A coalition of state soybean associations, led by the Illinois Soybean Association and the American Soybean Association, has submitted a joint letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins urging the administration to preserve the Agricultural Research Service facility in Urbana.

The ARS facility is home to the National Soybean Germplasm Collection. Farmers insist this site is vital to U.S. crop resilience, yield gains and global leadership in soybean genetics.

The letter — backed by a majority of state soybean groups nationwide — expresses concern that proposed budget changes could transfer the germplasm collection, along with other key research, to alternative U.S. Department of Agriculture locations.

Farmers caution that such a move could slow ongoing breeding progress, create uncertainty for soybean improvement efforts and risk weakening America’s competitive position at a time when other nations are expanding their genetic research programs.

“The work being done in Urbana is the backbone of soybean progress in this country. Moving the collection would put years of research at risk and slow down the tools we need on our farms. While Brazil and China are investing heavily in their soybean breeding, we can’t afford to take a step backwards here at home,” said Bryan Severs, ISA chairman.

The Urbana facility offers a unique blend of favorable climate, land, soils and proximity to outstanding research institutions.

It hosts both the National Soybean Germplasm Collection and the Maize Genetics Cooperation Stock Center— resources that support the development of corn and soybean varieties with improved disease resistance, drought tolerance and higher yields.

In recent years, the USDA has made major upgrades in Urbana, such as the recently installed state-of-the-art seed vault. These investments help make Urbana one of the most efficient and effective sites in this work.

The letter further emphasizes the long-standing collaboration between USDA scientists and the University of Illinois, one of the nation’s top agricultural research institutions.

Proximity enables joint projects, shared funding, faster translation of discoveries and on-site training of future agricultural scientists — a connection that can not be rapidly recreated elsewhere.

“The strong USDA-ARS partnership on the University of Illinois campus helps future-proof agriculture in the U.S. and secure supply chains worldwide,” said Adam Davis, professor and head of the U of I Department of Crop Sciences.

“Our scientific collaborations and ARS plant genetic resources address ever-changing demands on field crop production. We deeply value the farmers and coalitions who recognize and champion the value of these resources.”

The coalition argues that relocating this collection would not only incur unnecessary logistical and transition costs, but also halt or slow essential research.

At a time when global competitors like Brazil, China and Argentina are investing heavily in seed and trait development, the coalition said, weakening America’s genetic base is a strategic error.