Wisconsin dairy farms are increasingly interested in growing high oleic soybeans as a homegrown feed source that increases milk fat yield and strengthens farm profitability. However, integrating soybean into a traditional alfalfa–corn silage rotation presents significant weed management challenges, particularly from glyphosate-resistant waterhemp and giant ragweed. Because high oleic soybean varieties lack multiple effective herbicide tolerance traits, producers are often limited to older, less effective chemistries and cultural tactics, increasing production risk. This project directly supports the Dairy Innovation Hub priority area of Stewarding Land and Water Resources by identifying research-based weed management strategies that protect yield, reduce unnecessary land use, and mitigate erosion and nutrient loss risks associated with poorly managed soybean acres. By improving weed control and crop productivity, we help ensure that high oleic soybean can be a sustainable, economically viable component of Wisconsin dairy forage systems, advancing environmentally sound practices while strengthening dairy farm resilience.

A $25,000 investment will allow our team to rapidly translate existing University of Wisconsin–Madison herbicide evaluation data into targeted recommendations for high oleic soybean systems and to implement focused field demonstration trials in southern and northeastern Wisconsin. Funds will primarily support 20% effort for Daniel Smith and 22% effort for Ryan DeWerff during the first six months of 2026 (salary and fringe), enabling data analysis, in-field research coordination, outreach publication development, video production, and field day programming. Modest travel and supply support will ensure high-quality research plots and accessible on-farm demonstrations for dairy producers and agronomists. Outreach materials, including articles, field days, and digital media shared through Wisconsin Crop Manager and winter programming, will extend the impact statewide, embodying the Wisconsin Idea by directly connecting university research to on-farm decision-making. This relatively small investment has strong return on investment potential for Wisconsin’s $52.8 billion dairy community by increasing feed self-sufficiency, improving milk component revenue, and equipping farmers with practical tools to manage emerging weed resistance challenges.