Soybean Innovation Lab

Picture of soybean field — Soybean Value Chain Research Innovation Lab

The Feed the Future Soybean Innovation Lab (SIL) works to improve food security and nutrition around the world. SIL is a team of technical soybean experts that provide evidence-based innovations, tools, and technologies across the value chain to enable sustainable livelihoods through profitable soybean production and utilization across Sub-Saharan Africa.

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Andrew Goodman (left), owner of Horizon Farming Ltd., showcases the SMART Farm trial site at a field day in Lisungwi, Malawi.

SMART Farms Identify Custom Input Bundles to Maximize Farmer Profits

Soybean Innovation Lab SMART Farms generate unique bundle recommendations for growers that translate to high returns on their input costs and profitable soybean production.

Soybean Innovation Lab

Nov 04, 2020

Agricultural Productivity Markets and Trade

Fabricators testing recently built multi-crop thresher.

Mechanizing Agriculture Across Sub-Saharan Africa with the Multi-Crop Thresher

The Soybean Innovation Lab’s multi-crop thresher reduces threshing time by 80 percent, requires only 2 operators, and results in a post-harvest loss of less than 2 percent.

Soybean Innovation Lab

Nov 03, 2020

Agricultural Productivity

The Pan-African Soybean Variety Trials: Fast-tracking the Introduction and Testing of Commercial Soybean Varieties

Farmer yields in Sub-Saharan Africa are one-third the average soybean yields worldwide.

Soybean Innovation Lab

Oct 26, 2020

Agricultural Productivity Education and Extension Markets and Trade Policy and Governance

Soybean 360: Agroprocessing in Sub-Saharan Africa

Nov 30, 2020 to Dec 11, 2020 online

Develop best practices for marketing strategies to share research, industry innovations and networking opportunities for soybean processors in this upcoming symposium. Presenters will focus on optimal strategies for agro-processors in sub-Saharan Africa, but these techniques and practices are applicable for processors in other growing economies.

Agricultural Productivity Food Safety Markets and Trade Nutrition Policy and Governance Youth

Pan-African Soybean Variety Trial Virtual Seed Marketplace Webinar

Oct 22, 2020 online

A Virtual Seed Marketplace. Buyers and customers welcome!

Markets and Trade

Front cover of Guide to African Soybean Seedborne Diseases and Pests

New Guide: African Soybean Seed-borne Diseases & Pests

The Soybean Innovation Lab (SIL) developed a new Guide to African Soybean Seedborne Diseases and Pests!

Soybean Innovation Lab

Jul 31, 2020

Agricultural Productivity Education and Extension

SIL researcher, Dr. Edward Martey interviews Juliana Coundia, the leader of a women's thresher group in Nyoli, Upper West Region, Ghana.

Thresher Enterprises Suggest Big Potential for Profitability

The Soybean Innovation Lab recognized the need for mechanized crop threshers to relieve the burden of stick threshing and increase productivity.

Soybean Innovation Lab

Jul 27, 2020

Agricultural Productivity Markets and Trade Gender

SIL researcher interviews woman thresher owner in Ghana

Soybean Innovation Lab's Multi-Crop Thresher: Performance, Profitability, Promoting Gender Equity & Ownership

Aug 27, 2020 online

Agricultural Productivity Education and Extension Markets and Trade Gender

Dr. Thompson sketches and explains integrated pest management (IPM) concepts to control striga via a crop rotation practice.

Utilizing Soybean Innovation Lab Resources to Make a Big Impact: Perspective from NE Nigeria

Dennis is an expert in international seed systems, commercialization and agricultural development with over 40 years of experience in more than 25 countries across 5 continents.

Soybean Innovation Lab

Jul 07, 2020

Agricultural Productivity Education and Extension

PAT Program Manager with Trial Operators

Pan-African Soybean Variety Trial Program Scaling to 21 Countries

The Soybean Innovation Lab has identified the limited quantity and poor quality of soybean varieties available to farmers as a main reason for low yields across the African continent. Under...

Soybean Innovation Lab

Jun 19, 2020

Agricultural Productivity

About us

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We provide researchers, extensionists, the private sector, NGOs, and funders operating across the entire value chain the critical information needed for successful soybean development.

Lead Institute

University of Illinois

Focus countries

Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia

Website

http://soybeaninnovationlab.illinois.edu/

Learn more

Go to the Tropical Soybean Information Portal (TSIP), which addresses the problems soybean practitioners face through reliable, high-quality information to inform decision making and practice. The TSIP provides users with the data critical for successfully developing and implementing tropical soybean development programs. The goal of the TSIP is to streamline existing and incoming data to provide an accessible platform for sharing and utilizing information that augments the positive impacts of soybean on rural economies.

Stay in touch

Subscribe to our newsletter, and find us on Twitter or Facebook.

Contact

Dr. Peter Goldsmith, Director, Soybean Innovation Lab

Amy Karagiannakis, Communications Manager, Soybean Innovation Lab

Agrilinks

Soybean Innovation Lab

SMART Farms Identify Custom Input Bundles to Maximize Farmer Profits

Soybean Innovation Lab

Mechanizing Agriculture Across Sub-Saharan Africa with the Multi-Crop Thresher

Soybean Innovation Lab

The Pan-African Soybean Variety Trials: Fast-tracking the Introduction and Testing of Commercial Soybean Varieties

Soybean Innovation Lab

Soybean 360: Agroprocessing in Sub-Saharan Africa

Pan-African Soybean Variety Trial Virtual Seed Marketplace Webinar

New Guide: African Soybean Seed-borne Diseases & Pests

Soybean Innovation Lab

Thresher Enterprises Suggest Big Potential for Profitability

Soybean Innovation Lab

Soybean Innovation Lab's Multi-Crop Thresher: Performance, Profitability, Promoting Gender Equity & Ownership

Utilizing Soybean Innovation Lab Resources to Make a Big Impact: Perspective from NE Nigeria

Soybean Innovation Lab

Pan-African Soybean Variety Trial Program Scaling to 21 Countries

Soybean Innovation Lab

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