Scientists at the Kansas Polymer Research Center have invented a new kind of battery that is more eco-friendly. While that’s good news, equally good news is that they invented it by transforming a product that is plentiful in the heartland: soy. Or rather, crop residue after soybeans have been harvested.
“We’re using the stems, the leaves, the shells things that would otherwise have no commercial value to produce activated carbon material and suddenly that has tremendous value,” said Associate Professor of Chemistry Ram Gupta, the chief researcher for the project.
Soybeans are the number one crop in Missouri, and one of the top 10 crops in Kansas. A grant from the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council using soy checkoff dollars funded Gupta’s research in the labs at the KPRC, located on the campus of Pittsburg State University.
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Scientists at PSU convert soybean biomass into batteriesÂ
Scientists at PSU convert soybean biomass into batteries  Wednesday, April 14, 2021 8:30 AM  News, Science and Technology, Milestones, People and Society, Academics
Pittsburg, KS
Scientists at the Kansas Polymer Research Center have invented a new kind of battery that is more eco-friendly.
While that’s good news, equally good news is that they invented it by transforming a product that is plentiful in the heartland: soy. Or rather, crop residue after soybeans have been harvested.
“We’re using the stems, the leaves, the shells things that would otherwise have no commercial value to produce activated carbon material and suddenly that has tremendous value,” said Associate Professor of Chemistry
Missouri farmers have consistently brought big numbers on soybeans in the annual yield contest, combining innovation and expertise throughout the growing season that pays off at harvest.
For the 2021 Soybean Yield Contest, the Missouri Soybean Association has made two changes to the rules to reflect the adoption of on-farm practices across the state:
1) New Category for District Competition- Cover Crop To qualify for this new category, soybean must be planted without tillage into a cover crop. There is no restriction on the type of cover crop used or on the termination timing of the cover crop. Irrigation is not allowed for this category. The Cover Crop category will be added to the existing District categories of No-tillage (dry land) and Tilled (dry land). Each district will have the opportunity to recognize winners in each of the three categories.
Report: Continued conservation practices by soybean farmers making an impact Published by admin on Wed, 02/10/2021 - 11:24am
A new report identifies the incredible impact from Missouri farmers’ efforts around soil conservation and climate change.
In Missouri, investments into conservation practices over the last 30 years have translated into annual greenhouse gas emission reductions of more than 2.8 million tons of C02e equal to roughly 640,000 passenger cars. That’s more than 25 percent of the total passenger cars registered in Missouri and the equivalent of 6.3 billion road miles.
In that same time, Missouri’s average soybean yield grew by roughly 66 percent.
“Stewardship is an integral part of the long-term success for Missouri farms and farm families, and investing in land and water resources is foundational to that success,” said Ronnie Russell, a northwestern Missouri farmer and president of the Missouri Soybean Associ