A USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) assessment of U.S., Brazilian, and Argentine production costs revealed that fertilizer was the most competitively-priced input for the U.S. producer. Therefore, ensuring that this advantage is used as effectively as possible to increase production is paramount to U.S. producers’ competitiveness in the world market. Recent research shows that maintaining a well-balanced nutrient supply is critical to maintaining high grain quality in soybeans. Minimizing pest and disease pressures is also important for ensuring that soybeans make the most efficient use of nutrients, particularly in the warmer, more intensively cropped areas of the South. To address these issues, the Foundation for Agronomic Research assembled a team of researchers from 11 states. Research efforts are focused in 3 primary areas: 1) discover more cost-efficient ways to manage nutrients, pests, and diseases, 2) communicate more effectively state-of-the-art management approaches, and 3) provide simple, understandable analysis techniques farmers and advisers can use to discover better management strategies from data collected on the farm.