History of NSRL

Beginning in 1973, there were a series of efforts to establish an official international research and education center for soybeans at the University of Illinois. These initiatives received enthusiastic support from Illinois soybean producers through the Illinois Soybean Association. The Illinois Soybean Program Operating Board provided strong backing after the official establishment of the soybean checkoff system. During the 1980s, the idea of a major soybean research center in Illinois was renewed by leading soybean producers in the state. This interest was largely sparked by the visit of University researchers and soybean farmers from Illinois and Iowa to the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines on their return from a trip to the People's Republic of China.

A series of meeting with College of Agriculture scientists and administrators led to a new proposal for establishment of the National Soybean Research Laboratory (NSRL) at the University of Illinois. Planning committees were formed and a formal vision for the NSRL began to take shape. Not only the American Soybean Association but also the soybean associations from Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and North Carolina provided strong letters of support for establishing the NSRL at the University of Illinois.

In 1988, the College of Agriculture requested use of three floors of the former Veterinary Medicine Building on the Champaign-Urbana campus as the site for the NSRL. That portion of the building was valued at $6 million before remodeling, which provided the necessary match for a $5 million grant from the USDA to develop the NSRL.

Remodeling of the NSRL began in the fall of 1991, and the facility was formally dedicated in the fall of 1993. The College of Agriculture provided more than $200,000 for the project. The State of Illinois added $750,000 for purchase of movable equipment. The University is committed to staffing, operating, and maintaining the NSRL indefinitely.

A New Research Facility

The NSRL today serves two important and distinct missions. As a major research facility within the College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences (ACES), the building is home to more than 60 faculty, graduate students, and administrative staff from several University departments, the Illinois Natural History Survey, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The facility has more than 28,000 square feet available for occupancy. More than 70 percent of the space is devoted to laboratories and other work areas for faculty and graduate students. The remainder is devoted to conference, seminar, and administrative areas.

The NSRL houses a broad range of major research programs in the areas of entomology, plant pathology, breeding and genetics, food and nutritional sciences, and international marketing. The building also serves as the site of the analytical laboratory for the USDA Soybean Germplasm Collection. Many other University researchers in other areas, such as animal science and agricultural economics, are directly linked to research projects underway at the NSRL.

The NSRL office is responsible for day-to-day maintenance and operations of the building. The facility includes offices for the communications and marketing program, accounting and support services, and the facility manager. In its role as a University facility, the NSRL is extensively used by faculty members and departments for a wide variety of conferences, workshops, meetings, and other educational activities.

Support for NSRL programs comes from a wide range of sources. The facility was constructed with Federal funds and equipped with state funds. The United Soybean Board, the Illinois Soybean Program Operating Board, and the Illinois Soybean Association have provided support for specific activities.

The NSRL also houses some research programs supported by the Agricultural Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Other programs are supported by federal and state funds administered by the ACES Office of Research. Additional support is provided through gifts, grants, and contracts from Federal and state agencies and private firms.

A National Program

The NSRL is fully committed to a separate and distinct program aimed at helping to expand the size, scope and profitability the U.S. soybean industry. As part of this effort, the NSRL is dedicated to promoting effective communications and coordination among the diverse groups and organizations within the U.S. soybean industry. Other efforts are underway to foster discussion of important issues impacting the U.S. soybean industry through development of seminars, lecture series, and workshops. The NSRL program also is working to provide a convenient forum for the development of new interdisciplinary, inter-institutional programs and research projects that are goal oriented and market driven. The NSRL is moving ahead with programs to acquire and provide access to databases that will assist soybean groups from across the nation in their research and development, educational, and promotional activities. The NSRL already is serving as a resource in the development of sound strategic planning, management, and marketing strategies of benefit to the entire U.S. soybean industry.

Additional programs are aimed at providing soybean groups and organizations with ready access to a wide range of education opportunities, such as training sessions, formal courses, in-service education, and tours of the research facility. A fundamental characteristic of this national program is the commitment to an "open-door" policy for the public. The boundaries of the NSRL program extend far beyond those of the campus and even the State of Illinois. Farmers, consumers, commodity organizations, soybean processors, and soybean scientists all play a major role in shaping NSRL programs through participation in the External Advisory Committee.

Building the Program

The NSRL has served as a catalyst for development of an electronic information system known as StratSoy that has increased the coordination, efficiency, and profitability of the U.S. soybean industry. This project of the University of Illinois operates as a state-of-the-art information system on the World Wide Web. StratSoy offers instant access to information and provides a communications system that can help producers and soybean industry leaders expand their knowledge and stay abreast of important developments.

Another web based initiative NSRL manages is the Varietal Information Program for Soybeans is an interactive database that analyzes the performance of soybean varieties. VIPS enables the soybean farmer and researcher to determine and compare selected attributes of individual varieties.

There has been steadily increasing interest in soy as a human food source with health benefits. The World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) was created with the goals of increasing the international consumption of soy protein by people in new markets. The Illinois Center for Soy Foods was established to develop innovative processing and marketing techniques, educate society on the advantages of a soy enriched diet, and communicate new health benefits of soy foods.

The NSRL further has sponsored and organized important national workshops on issues of wide concern to soybean producers, processors, and scientists. These include Global Soy Forum held in Chicago 1999, which drew over 1500 participants from around the world to share knowledge about soybean issues and research, the thirteenth National Agriculture Biotechnology Conference held in 2001, and Soy2002 meetings. Other workshops are aimed at providing a forum for improving research and development management for research sponsored by soybean checkoff organizations. All this is in addition to a busy schedule of local, state, and regional meetings, facility tours, and hosting visitors.