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August 26, 2004 Soybean Research Fees – A Success Story Since 1995, a research fee of 50 cents per bushel has been assessed on all registered and certified seed cultivars developed by the North Dakota State University soybean breeding program. “The majority of these fees are returned to the breeding program and have been used to expand research and purchase new equipment,” according to Ken Grafton, North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station director. Recently NDSU and the NDSU Research Foundation implemented a research fee on all new NDSU crop varieties. “When we look at the soybean program, we can see just how valuable the fees can be in expanding our research capabilities,” Grafton says. “NDSU firmly believes that the added resources will allow for significant stability, expansion and enhancement of the variety and breeding programs at NDSU.” Research fees in the soybean program have been used to purchase two growth chambers, laboratory equipment, including a PCR machine that allows identification of molecular markers , a small plot combine with electronic data collection capabilities, a used combine header, computer and irrigation equipment. “The growth chambers accelerated the development of Roundup Ready cultivars by two years,” Grafton says. “The addition of the second plot combine has allowed the size of the breeding program to double.” Purchasing electronic data collection devices for the combines has reduced labor costs while increasing the size of the breeding program. The soybean breeder is also able to analyze the data more rapidly. “Rapid data collection allows the breeder to accelerate cultivar development by more effectively utilizing winter nurseries,” Grafton says. “The soybean breeder is now able to provide growers with test data results much earlier.” Grafton notes that commodity group support for research has been strong in the past, but they have limited resources and state and federal dollars have decreased in the last several years. Soybean research fees are projected to account for 46 percent of the soybean breeding program’s operating budget this fiscal year. ### Source: Ken
Grafton, (701) 231-6693, k.grafton@ndsu.nodak.edu |
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