Corn Ethanol Co-products Research Wins Ag Award

The Integrated Corn Ethanol Co-Products team — an interdisciplinary applied research and Extension rapid-response effort composed of more than 40 agriculture researchers at Purdue University representing Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Agricultural Economics, Agronomy, Animal Sciences, and Botany and Plant Pathology– which has been studying corn ethanol co-products is the recipient of the 2009 Purdue Agriculture Team Award. Winning teams receive $10,000 to help fund future research and outreach projects, says Hoosier Ag Today.

 

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In 2006, the team initially came together to address issues surrounding the increasing production of dry distillers’ grains with solubles (DDGS) from the corn ethanol industry. Research projects have included the DDGS production process, impacts of DDGS as an animal feed ingredient, and the economics of its use.

 

“Since the ethanol boom we’ve been hearing a lot about the food versus fuel debate, but the truth is that it’s possible to fuel and feed America,” said Klein Ileleji, professor of agricultural and biological engineering and Integrated Corn Ethanol Co-Products team leader. “Using DDGS as a feed source for livestock not only reduces ethanol waste, but it eliminates the idea of ethanol being a food versus fuel issue.”

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The team also created a series of Bioenergy Extension publications, sponsored several seminars and a conference for stakeholders, and wrote numerous scientific journal articles.

 

“We know corn ethanol will be a major fuel source in the near future, but right now there are still some issues with DDGS in terms of storage, handling and variability of co-products from plant to plant,” Ileleji said. “That’s what we’re working on.” Ileleji says that winning the 2009 Team Award was not only an honor, but also gives the team even more encouragement to continue its efforts.

 

The Integrated Corn Ethanol Co-Products team was funded by the participating departments, as well as through partnerships with the Indiana State Department of Agriculture and The Andersons Clymers Ethanol.

 

Team members include Seth Bossingham, Dennis Buckmaster, Clairmont Clementson, Arnoldo Garcia, Teshome Jiru, Don Jones, A.R.P. Kingsly, Dirk Maier, Chad Martin, Kyle Probst, Shannon Snyder and Richard Stroshine of Agricultural and Biological Engineering; Becky Goetz, Laura Hoelscher, Steve Leer and Russell Merzdorf of Agricultural Communication; Omar Abdel-Latief, Bhawna Bista, Frank Dooley, Kenneth Foster, Brandon Hollas, Joseph Hubbs, Chris Hurt, Paul Preckel and Wallace Tyner of Agricultural Economics; Ricardo Paulo Arias, Brad Joern and Lori Snyder of Agronomy; Sunday Adedokun,Layi Adeola, Todd Applegate, Matthew Claeys, Shawn Donkin, Patrick Gunn, Zhengyu Jiang, Scott Lake, Mickey Latour, Ronald Lemenager, Michael Neary, Scott Radcliffe, Brian Richert, Allan Schinckel, Nicole Schmelz, Lauren Snyder, Alan Sutton and Catalina Troche of Animal Sciences; and Charles Woloshuk of Botany and Plant Pathology.

 

Jay Akridge, the Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture, says: “The team’s contributions to renewable energy sectors through research and Extension are playing a vital role in creating more sustainable agriculture and biofuels industries.”
 

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