Eleven Arkansas students place in 2026 Soybean Science Challenge

Eleven students from across Arkansas earned top honors in the 2026 Soybean Science Challenge, sponsored by the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board and the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service.

“The Soybean Science Challenge gives students insight into key issues affecting crop outcomes and understanding of sustainable agricultural practices,” said Brad Doyle, a soybean producer from Poinsett County and ASPB board chairman.

Soybeans are Arkansas’s top row crop and a significant contributor to agriculture, the state’s leading industry. As Arkansas marks 100 years of soybean production, the SSC challenges junior high and high school students to explore real-world issues in soybean production and agricultural sustainability through hands-on research.

This year, SSC received 46 entries at Arkansas regional science fairs, with 13 projects advancing to the Arkansas State Science and Engineering Fair at the University of Central Arkansas, where winners were recognized in April.

“The work these students put into the Soybean Science Challenge has an impact on soybean farmers and producers across the state,” said Julie Robinson, Soybean Science Challenge administrator. “Our goal is to encourage students to continue studying agriculture and help shape the future of our industry.”

Winners of the Soybean Science Challenge received cash prizes funded by the ASPB. This year’s winners include:

• First Place: Bennet Chen, Little Rock Central High School – Deep Learning-based Crop Yield Forecasting Frameworks Towards Accurately Predicting Yields Months Ahead of Harvest, Deciphering the Impacts of Various Environmental Factors on Domestic Crops Across Different Temporal Periods
• Second Place: Alisa Menyaeva, Little Rock Central High School – Effects of Various Cooking Methods on Soybean Antioxidant Retention with DPPH Evaluation
• Honorable Mention: Ariana Sadiq, Pulaski Academy – Using Different Priming Methods on Glycine max to Yield the Best Results and Create a Drought-tolerant Cost-effective Solution to Water Depletion in the Delta Region for Arkansas Farmers
• Senior Division Award: Jacob Davis, Harrisburg High School – Can Plants be Assisted by Better Water?
• Senior Division Award: Gideon Blevins, Fayetteville Christian School – The Use of Artificial Intelligence to Predict How Water Impacts Soybean Growth Rate
• Senior Division Award: Presley Rogers, Genoa Central Junior High School – How Fast Can Dirty Water be Cleared Using a Simple Water Filter Made from Common Materials?
• Senior Division Award: Raegan Smith, Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts – Soybean Salt Stress Remediation Using Silica
• Junior Division Award: Sara Chen, Pinnacle View Middle School – Effect of Temperature on the Germination Rate of Soybeans
• Junior Division Award: Andrew Weiss and Jake Sanders, Paragould Junior High School – Aqua Airflow
• Junior Division Award: Evelyn Clark and TinTin Rosso, St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School – Fuel for the Future
• Junior Division Award: Mabyn Kyles, Genoa Central Junior High School – Do Emotions Affect Pothos Plants?

High school students received $400 awards at regional science fairs, with state winners earning $1,000 for first place, $500 for second place and $250 for honorable mention. Junior high students received $200 awards at regionals. Teachers of winning students also received cash awards, including $200 for high school and $100 for junior high regional winners, with state-level awards of $300 for first place, $200 for second place and $100 for honorable mention.

For more information on this year’s winners and their projects, view the 2026 Soybean Scholars booklet at themiraclebean.com.

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