UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Two faculty members in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences have received grants from the Pennsylvania Soybean Board to support projects aimed at strengthening soybean production, improving grower decision-making and reinforcing the role of soy-based products in agricultural systems.
The awardees were Paul Esker, professor of epidemiology and field crop pathology and Land-Grant Research Impact Fellow, and John Boney, Vernon E. Norris Faculty Fellow of Poultry Nutrition and associate professor of poultry science.
Esker received nearly $350,000 to expand the Pennsylvania Soybean On-Farm Network to generate applied, grower-driven research to improve soybean management and profitability under real-world conditions. The network will conduct replicated field trials on commercial farms across Pennsylvania, testing agronomic practices and collecting data in collaboration with growers and extension educators.
Results will be translated into practical recommendations, field day programming and decision-support tools to strengthen soybean production statewide, Esker said, particularly as farmers face increasing challenges from weather variability, pests and rising production costs.
Boney’s grant of approximately $59,000 will explore the digestible lysine requirement of modern turkeys during the brooder phase by formulating diets with increasing soybean meal inclusion. Lysine is the reference amino acid — the building block of proteins — in poultry nutrition, and Boney said accurately defining its requirement helps ensure optimal growth, feed efficiency and balanced amino acid formulation, while reinforcing soybean meal’s role as a primary amino acid source in poultry diets.
Esker expressed his appreciation for the grants and noted that the latest round of funding builds on more than 20 years of sustained support from the Pennsylvania Soybean Board for Penn State research, which includes scientists from plant science, entomology, plant pathology, environmental microbiology, wildlife ecology and Penn State Extension.
Since 2011, this collaboration has led to nearly 100 funded research projects, spanning crop production and soil fertility, livestock nutrition, pest management, sustainability and more.
“The success of the on-farm network is driven by its large team of faculty, staff, extension educators, graduate students and summer interns, all collaborating with our soybean stakeholders to explore key issues in soybean production and management,” Esker said. “For example, in 2025 alone, 108 trials across 10 research areas were conducted in 28 counties. Results from these trials have led to documented behavioral changes and the adoption of new approaches to enhance local production.”
The Pennsylvania Soybean Board is a farmer-driven board responsible for managing Pennsylvania’s share of funds received from the national soy checkoff program, which helps ensure a strong and profitable future for soybean farmers.
According to the organization, grower-funded investments totaling more than $4.2 million have enabled Penn State researchers to deliver practical, science-based solutions that address real-world challenges on Pennsylvania farms. On average, the board has invested approximately $280,000 annually in Penn State research, ensuring consistent progress on issues most important to soybean producers.
“This longstanding partnership reflects a shared commitment to applied research that improves productivity and enhances the resilience of Pennsylvania agriculture,” the Pennsylvania Soybean Board said in a statement.