Deadline extended to March 31 for 2016 Soybean Benchmarking Survey
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EmailDeadline for an important soybean survey with monetary incentives has been extended to March 31, 2017.
Michigan is participating in an important, multistate soybean benchmarking project. The goal of the project is to gather field-specific information about yields, crop inputs and management practices from producers and use it to identify soybean yield barriers and develop management practices for overcoming them. In order to generate meaningful recommendations, Michigan State University Extension needs to collect information from at least 200 fields that were planted to soybeans in 2016. As of March 13, 2017, we are only half-way to our goal. Because of this, the deadline for completing and returning surveys has been extended from March 15 to March 31, 2017.
Producer participation is voluntary but essential to the project’s success and all information will remain confidential. The survey was mailed to nearly 1,200 randomly selected soybean producers on Feb. 15 and a reminder postcard was mailed to these producers on March 13. My hope is these producers and others in the state will complete and return surveys so we can generate recommendations for producing higher-yielding soybeans.
Producers who want to participate in the project and did not receive the survey by mail or at educational meetings can contact me at 269-673-0370 ext. 2562 or staton@msu.edu. I will provide you with some brief instructions and the survey form.
You can download the survey and instructions here:
- Survey form instructions
- 2016 Soybean Benchmarking Survey - Print Form (download, print and fill out by hand)
- 2016 Soybean Benchmarking Survey - Fillable Form (download, fill out online and then print)
The instructions and survey form and a preliminary project report for 2014 and 2015 are also available online at MSU’s Field Crops Team Soybeans webpage. Producers have the option of printing and completing the form or inputting their information directly from a computer. Please return the completed form by fax, 269-673-7005, or by mail to 3255 122nd Ave., Suite 103, Allegan MI 49010 before March 31.
I realize that completing the survey will take some time and effort, so as an additional incentive, producers that provide all the requested information and return surveys before March 31, 2017, will be entered into drawings for either a $500 or $1,000 prepaid credit card. Producers that complete the survey for two fields will be entered into the drawing for a $500 prepaid credit card. Producers that provide all the requested information for four fields will be entered into the drawing for a $1,000 prepaid credit card. Only one survey form can be submitted per farm.
Again, participation in this important project is voluntary and all the information provided will be kept confidential. The information from all the surveys will be used to identify yield-limiting factors, their interactions with soil and weather conditions and opportunities for increasing soybean yields in Michigan.
This article was produced by the SMaRT project (Soybean Management and Research Technology). The SMaRT project was developed to help Michigan producers increase soybean yields and farm profitability. The SMaRT project is a partnership between MSU Extension and the Michigan Soybean Promotion Committee.
