As part of its mission to serve soybean farmers in Maryland, the Maryland Soybean Board (MSB) awarded 17 research project grants totaling an investment of $185,387 that best met research priorities within soy utilization, production research, and market alternatives.

“The Board is entrusted with investing checkoff dollars in projects that will directly contribute to the success of Maryland soybean farmers,” stated Brian Johnson, MSB chair and Somerset County farmer. “The grants for 2020 were selected based on research priority, cost effectiveness and positive impact to farmers.”

Soybean research projects receiving funding for 2020 are:

• Aerial Application of Pesticides & Cover Crop Seeding Using Drones, Andrew Kness and Erika Crowl, University of Maryland Extension, $3,186
• Developing an Interactive Web App for Calculating Soybean Crop Budgets, Alan Leslie, Benjamin Beale and Shannon Dill, University of Maryland Extension, $8,067
• Effects of Planting Population on Yield in Full Season Soybeans, Kelly Nichols, University of Maryland Extension, $5,635
• Efficacy of Seed Treatments to Manage Soilborne Pathogens of Soybean, Alyssa Koehler and Jake Jones, University of Delaware Plant and Soil Sciences, $5,878
• Evaluating Novel Herbicide Tolerant Traits in MD Soybean Systems, Benjamin Beale and Alan Leslie, University of Maryland Extension, $7,850
• Evaluation of Growth-Promoting Products for Soybean Production in Maryland, Andrew Kness, University of Maryland Extension, $6,000
• Evaluation of Miravis for Soybean Production in Maryland, Andrew Kness, University of Maryland Extension, $4,823
• Fertilizing Cover Crops – Do You have to Put Some In to Get More Out? Ray Weil and Jim Lewis, University of Maryland Environmental Science and Technology, $22,570
• Identification of New Sources of Resistance/Tolerance of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum among Soybean Germoplasm Showing Resistance to Phytophthora sojae, Kathryne Everts and Behnam Khatabi, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, $19,488
• Managing Herbicide Resistant Common Ragweed Emergence and Growth in Soybean, Sarah Hirsh, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, $9,413
• Novel Resistance to Cercospora Leaf Blight & Purple Seed Stain of Soybean, Behnam Khatabi and Burt Bluhm, University of Maryland Eastern Shore Agriculture, Food and Resource Sciences, $14,700
• Phosphorus Runoff from No-till Soils – Do Cover Crops Make it Better or Worse? Ray Weil, University of Maryland Environmental Science and Technology, $20,072
• Planting Green – Extending the Growing Season to Get More Payback from Cover Crops, Ray Weil, University of Maryland Environmental Science and Technology, $23,208
• Reducing Deer Damage to Soybean Using Forage Soybean as Biological Fencing, Jason Wight and Bo Zhang, University of Maryland Plant Science, $16,466
• State Soybean Variety Testing: Benchmark Varieties, Jason Wight, University of Maryland Plant Science, $2,250
• Strategies for Reduced Herbicide Input and Herbicide Resistant Weed Control in Soybean, Kurt Vollmer, University of Maryland Agriculture and Natural Resources, $8,361
• Study the Occurrence and Distribution of Viruses Infecting Soybean from Delmarva, Behnam Khatabi, University of Maryland Eastern Shore Agriculture, Food and Resource Sciences, $7,420

In Maryland, farmers grow about half a million acres of soybeans, producing more than 20 million bushels of beans each year. With a value of nearly $200 million to the state’s economy, soybeans are one of Maryland’s top crops.

About Maryland Soybean Board: The Maryland Soybean Board is funded by the national soybean checkoff program, which assesses one-half of one percent of the net market value of soybeans at the first point of sale. The board consists of ten volunteer farmer-directors and directs funds for research, marketing and education programs to benefit the Maryland soybean industry.

For More Information:
Danielle Bauer, Executive Director
Maryland Soybean Board
443-812-4526 | danielle@mdsoy.com

(SALISBURY, MARYLAND) – Brian Johnson of Westover has been elected Chair of the Maryland Soybean Board. Johnson succeeds Travis Hutchison of Cordova, who reached the term limit for chair, but remains on the board to complete his director’s term.

Linda Burrier of Union Bridge was elected Vice-Chair and Curt Lambertson of Stockton was elected Treasurer at the board’s August meeting. The directors officially assumed their duties Oct. 1.

Ten farmer-directors volunteer their time on the Maryland Soybean Board, which administers soybean checkoff funds for soybean research, marketing and education programs in the state. Also currently serving are Joshua Appenzeller of Millington, Dale Brown of Denton, Jeff Griffith of Lothian, Randy Stabler of Brookeville, Jason Spicer of Church Creek, and Evan Stanley of Union Bridge.

April Cheesman of Perdue Farms, Inc., Jim Lewis of the University of Maryland Extension Service, and Mark Powell of the Maryland Department of Agriculture serve as ex-officio members.

Danielle Bauer also began working for MSB as Executive Director on October 1, 2019.

“I am honored by the confidence and support shown to me by the Board of Directors,” said Bauer. “I look forward to bringing my ag knowledge and expertise to the soybean industry.”

In Maryland, farmers grow about a half a million acres of soybeans, producing more than 20 million bushels of beans each year. With a value of $173 million to the state’s economy, soybeans are one of Maryland’s top crops.

The checkoff program is funded by farmers through an assessment of one-half of one percent of the net market value of their soybeans at the first point of sale. One-half of the checkoff funds stay in Maryland for programs; the other half is sent to the United Soybean Board.

For more information on the Maryland Soybean Board, visit www.mdsoy.com.

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For More Information:

Danielle Bauer, Executive Director
Maryland Soybean Board
Office: 443.812.4526
danielle@mdsoy.com

The Maryland Soybean Board (MSB) is pleased to announce the selection of Danielle Bauer as the newly appointed Executive Director. 

“Danielle has established a good working relationship with farmers and stakeholders across Maryland,” stated Travis Hutchison, MSB Chair. “I am confident that she will be an excellent executive director for our soybean board and be a strong voice for soy farmers.”

Danielle grew up on her family’s grain and livestock farm in Howard County, Maryland. Farming in an increasingly suburban area gave her unique insight and a strong passion for agriculture from a young age. She went on to study agriculture and natural resources at West Virginia University, and after graduating, returned home to make a positive impact on the local agricultural industry.

Most recently, Danielle worked as the Programs and Public Relations Director at Thompson Ag Consulting where she worked with a variety of agricultural and natural resource organizations. Her work with groups, including the Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board and Maryland Pork Producers Association, gave her experience working with commodity groups and checkoff programs. She is also a graduate of LEAD Maryland, Wheat Industry Leaders of Tomorrow, and completed the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Women’s Leadership Committee Communications Boot Camp.

“I am honored by the confidence and support shown to me by the Board of Directors,” said Bauer. “I look forward to bringing my ag knowledge and expertise to the soybean industry.”

Danielle is also actively involved with the Howard County Farm Bureau, Miss Maryland Agriculture Contest, serves on the county’s Agriculture Education Advisory Committee, and is a Superintendent at the County Fair. In her spare time, Danielle enjoys spending time on the farm with her family, fiancé Matthew, and dog Sammy.

MSB said goodbye to Susanne Zilberfarb as she moves on to take the executive director post at the Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation. Susanne worked for the Board for 25 years, first in communications and then as executive director.

“The board would like to express our thanks to Susanne for her outstanding service to the soy industry,” commented Hutchison. “We are pleased to see that she will continue working within our ag family.”

Maryland farmers plant about 500,000 acres of soybeans each year, and the crop generates approximately $200 million in value to the state. The Maryland Soybean Board is funded by the national soybean checkoff program, which assesses one-half of one percent of the net market value of soybeans at the first point of sale. The board consists of ten volunteer farmer-directors and directs funds for research, marketing and education programs to benefit the Maryland soybean industry.

(SALISBURY, MARYLAND) – September 10, 2019 – Soybean researchers seeking funding from the Maryland Soybean Board for new soybean research projects to be conducted during the 2020 growing season are asked to submit a “pre-proposal” by Oct. 15.

“The pre-proposal process gives us the opportunity to greenlight projects that are aligned with our priorities, and to encourage researchers to further develop ones that might need more work,” says Brian Johnson, chairman of the MSB Research Committee and Somerset County, Md., farmer. “It also allows researchers to ‘test the waters’ with new ideas without having to go through the effort of completing a full proposal.”

Pre-proposals must be submitted using the application form available at www.mdsoy.com/research.

Researchers are required to keep their summary statements to “two to three sentences” and should not attach additional pages.

Researchers who plan to submit proposals to continue previously funded research are not required to submit a pre-proposal.

Researchers will be notified of their selection to submit full proposals during the first week of November.

The Maryland Soybean Board administers soybean checkoff funds for soybean research, marketing and education programs in the state. It is funded by farmers through an assessment of one-half of one percent of the net market value of soybeans at their first point of sale. One-half of the checkoff funds stay in Maryland for programs; the other half is sent to the United Soybean Board.

In Maryland, farmers grow about a half a million acres of soybeans, producing more than 20 million bushels of beans each year. With a value of more than $175 million to the state’s economy, soybeans are one of Maryland’s top crops. For more information on the Maryland Soybean Board, visit www.mdsoy.com.

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For More Information:
Susanne Zilberfarb, Executive Director, Maryland Soybean Board
Office: 410.430.2613
susanne@mdsoy.com