ISA Agronomy Farm enters second year

HEYWORTH, Ill. — A demonstration farm dedicated to farmer-focused research designed to answer real-world questions is into its sophomore year.

The Illinois Soybean Association Agronomy Farm includes over 90 acres of tillable land adjacent to Route 51, south of Heyworth.

It features soybeans, corn, wheat with double-crop soybeans, multiple cover crops, a pollinator plot and other trials.

Jim Isermann, independent agronomist and conservation specialist, said the farm doesn’t replace or compete with the ongoing high-quality university or retail-level research.

“This is one of those places to help farmers come in and see how the different practices will work in the real world, as well as to show some of these different practices, particularly on the conservation side, that can be really difficult to trial on a farm or even at a research study, because of all the different varieties of ways that we can do it,” he said during a recent field day.

“When we think about researching varieties of corn or soybeans, for example, that’s actually really simple. You set a planter, you can go back and forth and simply set up all the different varieties out there. You can track that, do the yield analysis and that can be pretty straightforward.

“When we start looking at conservation practices, we start thinking about how many different cover crops we have out there, all the different species, all the different seeding rates, the different ways we can terminate it, different ways we can apply tillage, and there are so many different things we can do with all that.

“I’m really excited to be involved with this. We have some small plot trials that we can document what some of that might look like and still hopefully get some good value out of it in terms of research.”

What’s New

A trial evaluating sulfur applications using ammonium sulfate will be implemented on the back 60 acres. This is part of the work of ISA’s broader On-Farm Trial Network, with similar protocols being conducted on farms across Illinois.

Data from these trials can be used by farmers to help decide whether sulfur fits into their system and how rate and timing impact yield and return-on-investment.

A 7-acre biomass study evaluating how different cover crop grass species — cereal rye and winter barley — impact cover crop biomass and weed suppression in the following soybean crop is in place. The cereal rye and winter barley were planted on Nov. 5.

Longer-term plots are also being established to compare management approaches such as continuous tillage versus no-till, strip-till systems and cover crops used in systemic rotations.

The plots are designed to help farmer visualize how management decisions play out well beyond a single growing season.

A comparison of two different wheat varieties is another piece of the ISA farm.

“There’s some ultra-early wheat varieties through the work that (University of Illinois assistant professor, wheat breeder and quantitative geneticist) Jessica Rutkoski has done over the years,” Isermann said.

“There are lines that are commercially available. We have two different varieties of wheat on that field, and our goal is to harvest them on separate days and then plant double-crop beans immediately after harvest.

“We’ll compare the yield between the two wheats and then compare if it’s worth that extra couple of days on the wheat side for harvest to get those beans in and try to track all through that.”

Small plot trials have been set up in the front portion of the field.

“We’ll carry those small plot trials to yield whenever we can. There’ll be 16 of plots and they’ll be for demonstration to be able to look at all the different types of cover crops, give good visuals in terms of termination timing, different row spaces, all kinds of different things we can do with those trials,” Isermann said.

A long-term pollination plot through collaboration with Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever was established last year at the field’s edge adjacent to Route 51.

Education, Outreach

“We want to do a lot more education and outreach, a lot more tailgate-type of events where we’re out for a couple of hours and farmers will be able to see the Agronomy Farm in-season. We really enjoy those types of events and want to do more,” said Abigail Peterson, ISA director of agronomy.

“As an agronomist, the big thing for me has been the side-by-side comparisons. Working with farmers when I started with cover crops, it was a lot about understanding nutrient management, cover crop management and how that effects yield at the end of the day. Is any impact on yield necessarily the cover crop’s fault or is it actually the management tactic?

“So, it’s really falling into this great understanding over a long-term period on these trials: Are we seeing improvements with soil aggregate stability and different soil health metrics and ultimately seeing them translate to yield?”