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Bioproducts 2.0: Why Canada’s soybean industry is partnering with the world’s largest lab-for-hire

Most soybean growers have heard the stories about Henry Ford’s enthusiasm for soybeans.

Ford famously championed soy – along with wheat, flax and other crops – in the development of auto parts, including plastics and paints.

But those products were not without their drawbacks: automotive paint enamels and coatings, for example, offered poor durability, limited colour options, and took several days to set.

Rick Heggs, senior marketing manager with Battelle, the world’s largest non-profit research and development organization, counts Ford’s early forays into bio-product development as part of an era he calls “version 1.0” – when it was still fairly routine for industry to develop agricultural products for industrial uses.

Heggs spoke about oil and fatty acid industrial products at the 25th Canadian Conference on Fats and Oilseeds held in Quebec City October 5-6.

“Everything prior to 1860 was based on bioproducts,” Heggs said. “Then the age of petrochemicals began, and bioproducts lost their lustre. We started switching from natural products to synthetic products.”

According to Heggs, the petrochemical revolution brought some unexpected benefits for bio-products too: scientists developed a stronger knowledge of synthetic organic chemistry.

“Now, in bio-products ‘version 2.0’ we’re applying those tools and techniques to natural products to modify them for industrial use,” Heggs said. “Many times we are replacing the functionality of a petrochemical but we’re not providing the exact same molecule. We look for functionality rather than identical substitution.”

Heggs said today, only about two per cent of industrial chemicals are derived from renewables, with the remaining 98 per cent derived from fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas or oil.

He sees big opportunities for chemicals from renewables, predicting a fivefold increase in that market share by 2020, and as much as a 50 per cent increase by 2050.

Growing demand for high oleic soybeans

As the world’s largest lab-for-hire, Battelle has a mandate to bring business and scientific interests together for positive change. This includes working with Soy 20/20, an industry organization with a goal to encourage and expand new market opportunities for Canadian soybeans.

“New high oleic soybean varieties significantly improve performance of soybean oil and will play an important role in opening new market applications for Canadian growers,” said Rob Roe, bio-product commercialization director with Soy 20/20. “We’re seeing a lot of interest from industry in these varieties for food processing and industrial applications.”

Heggs said that with a variety of feedstocks and a good understanding of the differences in the fatty acid profiles of different oils, scientists are able to take oils as a feedstock and transition them to desired industrial products.

“There’s a tremendous variety that we now have for taking these natural oils and products and converting them into industrially useful products,” said Heggs.

No “green premium” here

Heggs said Battelle recognizes there are sensitivities around using crops that are grown for food, and the company works within the confines of the food industry’s requirements.

He said commodity soybean oil is quite different from oil produced by selected breeding, and echoed a strong interest in genetically modified (GM) soybeans and the focus on oleic oils.

“Obviously it has to be cost-competitive and it has to be available,” Heggs said. “Study after study has shown there is little to no green premium in the marketplace. So we have to be competitive both on performance and cost to be successful.”

Soy 20/20 has a long-standing relationship with Battelle, using the company’s experts to help evaluate new market opportunities.

This is particularly relevant to bioproducts made with high oleic soybean oil, but also for the potential that the new high linoleic soybean variety from the University of Guelph might offer as well, says Roe.

source: Ag Innovation Ontario


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The FCDC and AgSmart Bring Plant Breeding to a Wider Audience

Video: The FCDC and AgSmart Bring Plant Breeding to a Wider Audience

In the vast prairies of Alberta, Olds College’s Field Crop Development Centre (FCDC) stands as a beacon of innovation and research in the agricultural world. The institution has become a key player in advancing agricultural technologies and practices. The FCDC’s commitment to applied research has driven them to seek effective means of disseminating their findings and creating a positive impact on the farming community.

One such avenue that aligns with their mission is AgSmart, an event dedicated to showcasing cutting-edge agricultural technologies. The coming together of the FCDC’s annual Field Day and Ag Smart has proved to be a natural fit, fostering a synergy that benefits both parties and propels the agriculture industry forward. The FCDC Field Day took part in conjunction with AgSmart for the first time this week on Aug. 1-2 in Olds, Alta. FCDC Program Director Kofi Agblor and Olds College VP of Development Todd Ormann sat down for an interview with Marc Zienkiewicz to discuss the significance of the two events taking part together and what the future holds.

The Intersection of Research and Technology The essence of the FCDC lies in its dedication to plant breeding and new seed varieties, particularly barley and triticale. While conducting research is essential, it becomes meaningful when its benefits are shared with the wider community. This is where AgSmart steps in, providing a key venue for the FCDC to showcase their research. This union between research and technology creates a holistic and enriching experience for farmers, ranchers, and industry professionals, the pair said.

Seeds as Technology For the FCDC, the partnership with AgSmart goes beyond mere event collaboration. It is about creating an environment that bridges the gap between seeds and smart technology, Ormann said. The college believes that for technology to truly revolutionize agriculture, it must begin with a strong foundation — high-quality seeds. As the saying goes, “it all starts with a seed.” To demonstrate this critical aspect, the collaboration aims to showcase the seed value chain as an integral part of the smartphone.

The Birth of a Powerful Alliance The idea of joining forces emerged when staff realized the potential synergy between AgSmart and the FCDC Field Day. With just a few days separating the two events, a proposal was put forward to merge them. The marketing and communications teams from both sides worked seamlessly to ensure the essence of both events remained intact, creating a powerful alliance that leverages the strengths of each, Agblor said.

Driving Advancements in Breeding For Agblor, the partnership with AgSmart has tremendous potential to drive advancements in breeding and other technology. With technologies like drones and imaging becoming integral to phenotyping, breeding is no longer confined to vast fields to assess thousands of plants manually. Instead, it benefits from the data-rich insights brought about by smart technologies. These advancements make breeding more efficient, precise, and instrumental in shaping the future of agriculture.

Overcoming Challenges Together While the partnership between Olds College and Ag Smart has been a resounding success, there are challenges on the horizon. Securing stable funding for long-term breeding initiatives is crucial to sustain progress. The college is committed to navigating these challenges and investing in agriculture’s future sustainably, Agblor said.