Soybean and Grain Research and Promotion Board members front row from left: Scott Wiggers Jr., Charles Cannatella and Joey Boudreaux; and back row from left, Kody Beavers, Joey Olivier, Garrett Marsh, Kellon Lee and Wil Miller.

Soybean and grain producers in Louisiana have faced tremendous crop weather challenges over the past few years. From too much rain to not enough rain at the right time to, last year, almost no rain. We can’t control the weather, but we can control, to a much greater extent, the planting, fertilization, pest control, irrigation and other production practices we use to produce a crop with the objective of achieving optimal yields. Best management practices utilized by producers in Louisiana are based on recommendations from soybean and grain production research conducted across the state under a variety of growing conditions. Your investment in this research gives us that fighting chance as an industry.

The Louisiana Soybean and Grain Research and Promotion Board serves as Louisiana’s facilitator of state wheat and corn checkoffs and facilitates the national checkoffs for soybeans and grain sorghum in Louisiana. As a collective representation of farmers from across the state and across these represented crops, we strive to collectively administer funds for research specific to the needs of Louisiana, while contributing to larger market promotion and advancement of these important crops. Our efforts as Louisiana farmers are to represent our neighbors to the best of our abilities. Thank you to my fellow board members who volunteer their time for the greater good of Louisiana agriculture.

The board reviews many proposed research projects each year which cover a broad range of best management production practices relating to crop variety selection, fertilization, integrated pest management and other practices. Research projects selected for funding are those which the board considers having the greatest potential for benefit to Louisiana producers.

To have good research results, you need good researchers. A major accomplishment for the board in 2024 was to establish an endowed professorship in the LSU AgCenter to support a faculty member conducting research in soybeans. The board gave $480,000 of their funds toward this professorship. Those funds will be matched with another $120,000 from the Louisiana Board of Regents for a total endowment of $600,000. Earnings from this endowment will be available to the professorship holder to support their research program in soybeans. We hope this large investment today will yield results in perpetuity for the Louisiana farmer. We believe it will.

To best represent you and ensure we are stewarding these funds to their best use takes speaking up and showing up. So, get involved, share your thoughts and questions, and let’s make this a great year for research and promotion of soybeans, corn, wheat and grain sorghum. We have a board of farmers that are volunteering their time to collectively achieve a better opportunity for Louisiana farmers. With more voices being heard and continued continuity in a greater checkoff system, I believe we can once again produce results that each of you can be proud of. Thank you for your support and thank you for your contributions to our checkoff.

Sincerely,

Charles Cannatella

Chairman, Louisiana Soybean and Grain Research and Promotion Board