<b>By LINDA McGURK<br>
Indiana Correspondent</b></p><p>

COVINGTON, Ind. — How do farmers feel about the proposed payment limitations in the farm bill? Should we spend more or less money on soybean rust research? And how big of a threat is the soybean cyst nematode?<br>
When directors from the Illinois Soybean Assoc. (ISA) and the Indiana Soybean Alliance invited farmers in both states to an informal roundtable discussion in Covington on Feb. 18, they were hoping to generate discussion, as well as interest in their respective organizations.<br>
“We don’t come with a set agenda. We like to get input from the farmers to learn what’s important to them,” said Rebecca Richardson, director of operations of the ISA.<br>
As it turned out, the issues on farmers’ minds spanned everything from pest research, biofuel, soy foods, tech fees, premiums, fungicides and the farm bill. With soybean prices enjoying recent highs, one of the first questions to come up was how the growing surplus from the 0.5 percent-per-bushel checkoff will be used.
Chris Novak, executive director of the Alliance, said the checkoff law mandates that half of what is collected is transferred to the United Soybean Board, and the remainder is used for research and education.<br>
“In the past when we’ve started to develop surplus dollars, we’ve looked at ways to invest in additional research,” he said, noting that’s how an endowed chair of soybean utilization research was created at Purdue University.<br>
Richardson added that checkoff dollars from the ISA have funded endowed chairs at each of its state’s four ag schools.<br>
“There’s no built-in mechanism to give the money (from higher soybean prices) back to farmers, but our goal is always to give a good return on investment,” she said, adding that funding public research is money well spent. “One of the best ways to avoid being ‘held hostage’ by tech fees is to invest in public research.<br>
“A lot of times we’re criticized by farmers who think funding research should be the responsibility of biotech companies. But we want to make as much of the soybean genome public as possible, so that when new discoveries are made, they’re not owned by any one company.”<br>
Fayte Brewer, a district director with the Alliance, questioned whether too much money is spent on soybean rust research, considering the limited impact the disease has had in this part of the country.<br>
“I think we invest about 60 percent of our budget on soybean rust research,” he said, “Are we right in doing that? I’m not so sure we are, to be honest with you. I think we should spend more on developing lines that are resistant to sudden death syndrome and soybean cyst nematode.”<br>
Another issue on several attending farmers’ radar was Roundup Ready resistance in weeds. Mike Cunningham, a district director of the ISA, said the association funds research in this area, as well.
“I think we need to make sure farmers know they might need more than one mode of action to get rid of weeds,” he said. “Often the biotech companies offer old technologies when it comes to herbicides. Maybe we need additional research on herbicides?”
Soybean growers Rich and Pat Reynolds of Iroquois County, Ill., came to the meeting to get an idea of where the ISA is going and what research areas are being prioritized by the checkoff funds.
“I’m particularly interested in biodiesel, so we won’t be as dependent on foreign oil,” Pat said.<br>
A member of his local soil and conservation board, Rich wanted to see some of the surplus dollars spent on sustainable growing methods.<br>
“I’d like to see more research on how we can grow soybeans as efficiently as possible, and with as little impact on the environment as possible,” he said.<br>