From August 25 to 27, the kickoff meeting and various technical activities of the project "RECSO-Americas: Regional Knowledge to Improve Sustainable Soybean Productivity" took place in Argentina. This initiative seeks to strengthen regional cooperation and generate new tools to improve the productivity and sustainability of soybean cultivation in the Americas.

The opening meeting was held at the headquarters of the ArgenINTA Foundation in Buenos Aires and brought together authorities, institutional representatives, and researchers from the participating countries. Among them were Cristian Vissani, National Coordinator of RECSO at the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA - Argentina) and lead researcher of the project; Carlos Messina, Director of the UF/IFAS Crop Transformation Center at the University of Florida; Eugenia Saini, Executive Secretary of FONTAGRO; Juan Erdmann, Operations Manager of the Argentine Seed Producers Association (ASA); and Rodolfo Rossi, President of ACSOJA, as well as leading researchers from the countries that make up the network. During the event, the experience of Argentina's National Soybean Cultivar Evaluation Network (RECSO) was presented, and opportunities to expand this model into a regional network of comparative yield trials were analyzed.

Cristian Vissani noted that "comparative trial networks will be developed in the participating countries to identify superior genotypes and management practices adapted to each environment." Eugenia Saini explained that "the project addresses a structural challenge for agriculture in the region: closing the yield gaps in a strategic crop like soybeans in a context of increasing climate variability." In response to this challenge, RECSO-Americas will expand the experience of RECSO Argentina by creating a Regional Soybean Cultivar Evaluation Network, with the participation of the Agricultural Research Institutes (INIAs) of Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Colombia, and Peru, along with the support of CORTEVA Agriscience, the University of Florida, the Argentine Seed Producers Association (ASA), and INASE - Uruguay.

The project will establish a regional network of trials with standardized protocols, aimed at generating comparable information on the performance of different cultivars in diverse environments. It also includes the development of digital tools to support decision-making and a knowledge transfer component targeting producers, technicians, researchers, and other stakeholders in the value chain.

The initial activities, which run until August 27, include a technical workshop on genetics, crop management, and protection; meetings of lead researchers to establish baseline data for each country; and sessions focused on defining the network's governance and protocols. The agenda will culminate in Rosario with technical activities and an institutional visit related to the Argentine agribusiness sector. Learn more about the project here.