Corn, Soybeans Potential Ingredients In New Plastic Pots

The corn and soybeans so abundant in Iowa could someday replace many of the plastic pots and flats at your local garden shop.

 

Researchers at Iowa State University set about to create pots for plants that were not made from petroleum products and that could biodegrade. They started with a corn-based bioplastic and tried a number of different formulas. Some of those included a polymer made from soybeans.

 

"The plastics that had a soy component were consistently leading to plants with darker green leaves or to growth that was enhanced compared to containers that didn't include a soy component," says Bill Graves, an ISU horticulture professor and associate dean of the graduate college. He says further study revealed that microbes from the plant and soil placed in the pot worked to release pent-up nutrients in the soy ingredient.

Video: This Grain Bin Was SUPPOSED to Pay for Itself… Did It?

Did this grain bin actually make money… or did it just feel like it did?

I break down the real cost, payback, and financial performance of a grain bin using actual 2025 corn prices, real payments, and real math. We walk through when the bin paid, when it didn’t, and why timing matters when storing grain.

This isn’t theory — this is a full-year look at cost of ownership, cost of carry, harvest pricing, and test weight, all laid out on the whiteboard so you can run the numbers for your own farm.