1982 Dr. Richard Bernard – Acres of Success

Into the early 1980s, the University of Illinois had a strong breeding program generating public varieties that fed into the seed certification and assessment programs. In 1982, Illinois certified over 138,000 acres of Williams, Williams 79, Will, and Williams 82 soybean cultivars, all versions of University of Illinois Professor Richard Bernard’s original release. As detailed in Jim Shearl’s book, Honoring an Era – A History of Illinois Crop Improvement Association, Inc. 1973-1997, these were the best of times for public varieties and family seed businesses. At the time, the main competitors were bin-run or farmer-saved seed and private breeding programs.