Department of Agriculture
Supporting Arkansas farmers and ranchers while ensuring safe food, fiber, and forest products for the citizens of Arkansas, the nation, and across the globe
Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board
Overview
The Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board was established to conduct plans, projects, or activities to strengthen the soybean industry’s position in the marketplace. The board consists of nine soybean producers appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. Members serve two-year terms. The board’s activities are paid from an assessment of .25 percent of the market price of all soybeans grown within Arkansas. Assessments are collected by the first purchaser at the point of sale.
Learn more about the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board here.
Board Members
| Name | Location | Term |
|---|---|---|
| Joe Thrash | Houston | 2023 |
| John Freeman | Dumas | 2023 |
| Josh Cureton | Cash | 2023 |
| West Higginbothom | Marianna | 2024 |
| Douglas Hartz | Stuttgart | 2024 |
| Rusty Smith | Des Arc | 2024 |
| Shannon Davis | Bono | 2024 |
| Donald Moreton, Jr. | Des Arc | 2025 |
| Brad Doyle | Weiner | 2025 |
Administrator: Scott Bray
2024-2025 Projects
New Promotion Projects
| Entity | Project Title | Awarded Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Arkansas | USDA Feed Kits | $2,500 |
| University of Arkansas | LeadAR 40 | $5,000 |
| Clean Fuels Alliance America | Market Expansion Drive | $20,000 |
| Clean Fuels Alliance America | Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) Maintain and Secure Approvals for B20+ | $20,000 |
| American Soybean Association | 2025 ASAAP Annual Membership | $6,000 |
| American Soybean Association | 2025 Awards Celebration Sponsorship | $6,000 |
| American Soybean Association | 2025 Economic Support and Analysis Sponsorship | $5,000 |
| American Soybean Association | Innovation to Market (I2M) Work Group Annual Membership | $7,500 |
| American Soybean Association | 2025 SoyStats (Sponsorship) | $600 |
| American Soybean Association | 2025 Soybean Leadership Academy Sponsorship | $6,000 |
| American Soybean Association | Young Leader Two-Phase Training Program Tuition | $9,200 |
| The World Initiative for Soy in Human Health | The Future of New U.S. Soy Export Sales - Developing & Emerging Markets | $40,000 |
| U.S. Soybean Export Council | 2024 USSEC Membership | $10,000 |
| U.S. Soybean Export Council | Utilization of U.S. Soy in the Americas | $15,000 |
| Southwest Soybean Council | Soy Promotional Items in the State | $10,000 |
| Grow for the Green | Recognizing Soybean Production Excellence by the Continuation of the "Grow for the Green" Yield Challenge Contests | $201,900 |
Promotion Project Continuations
| Entity | Project Title | Awarded Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Arkansas | Arkansas Irrigation Yield Contest (Year 7) | $10,000 |
| University of Arkansas | Arkansas Future Ag Leaders Tour (Year 2/3) | $5,000 |
| University of Arkansas | Soybean Science Challenge (Year 1/3) | $78,585 |
New Research Projects
| Entity | Project Title | Awarded Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Arkansas | Development of a Turn Row Soybean Vegetative Health Analysis Using UAS Imagery for Production Decision Support | $19,989 |
| University of Arkansas | Development of Data Driven Recommendations for Variable Soybean Seeding Rate in Arkansas | $81,876 |
| University of Arkansas | Site Specific Assessment of Soybean Response to In Field Variability Using Remote Sensing | $75,000 |
| University of Arkansas | Phenotypic Assisted by Seed-Level Near-Infrared Information | $51,117 |
| University of Arkansas | Overcoming Soybean Yield Plateau by Leveraging Physiology-Efficient and Yield-Formation Traits | $83,620 |
| University of Arkansas | Economics of Soil Health Practices for Soybeans in Arkansas | $57,838 |
| University of Arkansas | Screening Arkansas Soybean Cultivars for Protein Quality as a Novel Food Preservative | $50,049 |
| MidSouth Soybean Board | Screening Soybean Germplasm and Breeding Soybeans for Flood Tolerance | $58,480 |
| MidSouth Soybean Board | Development of Functional Ultra-High Stearic Acid Soybean | $7,500 |
| MidSouth Soybean Board | Development of Climate-Smart High Yield Practices Associated with High-End Biological Treatments and Soybean Related Microbiome Resiliency | $12,000 |
| MidSouth Soybean Board | Spray Application of Double Stranded RNA for Simultaneous Management of Multiple Soybean Fungal and Insect Diseases | $12,060 |
| MidSouth Soybean Board | How Do Cover Crops Impact Soil Water Dynamics and Soybean Production in Louisiana | $5,965 |
| MidSouth Soybean Board | Whole Soy Food Acceptability and Market Viability Study | $7,654 |
| MidSouth Soybean Board | Spatial and Temporal Variation of Soil Sampling Effect Phosphorus and Potassium Recommendations for Soybean | $7,500 |
| MidSouth Soybean Board | Southern Root-Knot Nematode in MG4 Soybean | $18,750 |
| MidSouth Soybean Board | Exploitation of Weed Species Extracts as an Effective and Environmentally Friendly Strategy to Control Insects and Deer in Soybeans | $9,881 |
| MidSouth Soybean Board | Ladder (Large Agricultural Database that Drives Extension and Research) | $13,907 |
| MidSouth Soybean Board | Enhancing the Prospects of Sustainable Weed Management and System Productivity | $8,350 |
| MidSouth Soybean Board | Screening and Selection Non-Xtend Soybean Relay Intercropping in the Midsouth | $16,250 |
Research Project Continuations
| Entity | Project Title | Awarded Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Arkansas | Discovery Farm (Year 3/3) | $23,688 |
| University of Arkansas | Use of Gossypol to Inhibit Reproduction in Domestic Hogs as a Model for Feral Hog Control (Year 2/3) | $30,000 |
| University of Arkansas | Investigating Emerging Production Recommendations for Sustainable Soybean Production (Year 2/3) | $221,278 |
| University of Arkansas | Improving Technology Transfer for Profitable and Sustainable Soybean Production (Year 2/3) | $77,846 |
| University of Arkansas | Science for Success - Arkansas Support for National Soybean Research and Extension Program (Year 2/3) | $117,488 |
| University of Arkansas | Arkansas Soybean Performance Trials (Year 2/3) | $40,270 |
| University of Arkansas | Development of High-Yielding Soybean Cultivars with Broad Resilience to Stressors (Year 2/3) | $191,118 |
| University of Arkansas | Utilization of Winter Nursery for Soybean Line Development Through Backcrossing (Year 2/3) | $51,000 |
| University of Arkansas | Fast-Tracking MG4 and Early MG5 Cultivars with Southern Root-Knot Nematode Resistance (Year 1/3) | $50,584 |
| University of Arkansas | Soybean Germplasm Enhancement Using Genetic Diversity (Year 2/3) | $187,679 |
| University of Arkansas | Genomic Prediction to Enhance the Efficiency of Soybean Breeding (Year 2/3) | $102,087 |
| University of Arkansas | Economic Analysis of Soybean Production and Marketing Practices (Year 2/3) | $7,316 |
| University of Arkansas | Soybean Enterprise Budgets (Year 2/3) | $10,000 |
| University of Arkansas | Refining Insect Thresholds in Arkansas Soybean (Year 3/3) | $69,116 |
| University of Arkansas | Impact on Water Quality on Insects (Year 1/3) | $20,001 |
| University of Arkansas | Developing Scouting, Threshold, and Management Practices for Stinkbug (Year 2/3) | $49,102 |
| University of Arkansas | Fertilization of Soybean (Year 2/3) | $80,461 |
| University of Arkansas | Influence of Cover Crops and Soil Health on Soybean (Year 2/3) | $60,786 |
| University of Arkansas | Field Based Determination of Chloride in Soybean (Year 2/3) | $50,605 |
| University of Arkansas | Monitoring the Extent of Potassium Deficiency and Chloride Toxicity in Arkansas Soybean Fields (Year 2/3) | $36,870 |
| University of Arkansas | Irrigation Water Management for Soybeans: Moving the Needle (Year 2/3) | $205,620 |
| University of Arkansas | Comprehensive Disease Screening of Soybean Varieties in Arkansas (Year 1/3) | $131,863 |
| University of Arkansas | Integrated Management of Nematodes in Arkansas (Year 2/3) | $72,449 |
| University of Arkansas | Monitor and Management of Fungicide-Resistant Soybean Diseases in Arkansas (Year 3/3) | $50,498 |
| University of Arkansas | Developing a Satellite-Based Field Scouting Tool (Year 2/3) | $14,860 |
| University of Arkansas | Determining the Value of Fungicide Application on Regional, Whole-Farm, Field Level, and Within-Field Scales (Year 2/3) | $52,000 |
| University of Arkansas | Determining Factors Associated with Poor Grain Quality (Year 3/3) | $55,000 |
| University of Arkansas | Understanding Taproot Decline: A Soybean Disease of Increasing Importance in Arkansas (Year 2/3) | $39,243 |
| University of Arkansas | The Effects of the Inclusion of Soybean Oil in Beef Cow Diets on Reproductive and Calf Performance (Year 2/3) | $48,940 |
| University of Arkansas | Assessment of Broiler Dietary Least Cost Protein Supply via Soybean Genotype Amino Acid Selection Improvements (Year 3/3) | $53,686 |
| University of Arkansas | An Innovative Approach to Generate Porous Soy Proteins with Enhanced Flavor to the Plant-Based Food Industry (Year 2/3) | $43,955 |
| University of Arkansas | Soybean Research Verification Program (Year 2/3) | $208,168 |
| University of Arkansas | A Team Approach to Weed Management in Soybean (Year 2/3) | $260,807 |
| University of Arkansas | Screening for Soybean Tolerance to Metribuzin (Year 3/3) | $16,226 |
| University of Arkansas | Optimization of Fungal Pathogens AF22 and AF24 as Bioherbicides for Palmer Amaranth (Pigweed) (Year 2/3) | $40,000 |
| Dean Robinson Seed Co. | Sequestering Carbon in Soybean Production System (Year 2/3) | $16,215 |
