CHECKOFF INVESTMENT
Soy-based biostimulant wins Student Soybean Innovation Competition BY DAVE BLOWER JR.
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Additionally, this product is entirely liquid biostimulant, designed to promote growth composed of organic substances, in crops grown in vertical which may be attractive for customers. farms, earned the top honors “One of the major successes we during the 27th annual Student saw with our product is how great Soybean Innovation Competition it worked with lettuce we’ve grown this year. Two Purdue Univerin the greenhouse,” said Chen, who sity sophomores, Cai Chen of added that when biostimulant was Elmont, N.Y., Nate Nauman of added to lettuce, it was 30 percent West Lafayette, Ind., and gradlarger than standard lettuce. uate student Emmanuel Alagbe The biostimulant market, which is of Ibadan, Nigeria, will share the Winning the $20,000 top prize was Team Biostimulant, mostly in Europe currently, is a $2.4 competition’s $20,000 top prize. which includes, from left, Emmanual Alagbe, Nathaniel billion industry with abundant space The Student Soybean InnovaNauman and Cai Chen. These Purdue University students to grow, especially in North America. tion Competition is sponsored developed a liquid biostimulant, designed to promote This market is projected to be worth growth in crops grown in vertical farms. by the Indiana Soybean Alliance $5.69 billion in 2026, according to (ISA) and Purdue University. The industry analysts. For now, though, these three students are awards ceremony was conducted as a virtual event for the secmaking plans for spending the $20,000 in prize money. ond consecutive year due to restrictions for public gatherings “We now have enough money to buy our competitors’ prodas a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. To win this competition, ucts and test them against our own,” Nauman said smiling. Purdue University students must develop novel applications for soybeans that satisfy a market need. This is among the most Seven teams competed this year popular events each year for Indiana’s soybean checkoff. This year, seven teams composed of 22 Purdue University “The goal of this contest is to highlight the versatility of students and 14 faculty advisors, finished the competition. The soybeans while addressing a need in agriculture or the genparticipating students represent a variety of majors including eral public,” said Anngie Steinbarger, who is an ISA Board food science, engineering, animal science and finance. In adMember from Edinburgh, Ind., and one of the farmer judges dition, each team works with two faculty advisors who provide for this year’s contest. “ISA is very happy to work with Purdue technical and market research support. students in the contest as we look to expand markets for The contest introduces Purdue students to the multi-facetsoybeans grown in Indiana. This biostimulant is mostly made ed uses and vast potential of soybeans while drawing on stuof a soybean protein, and it has been developed to help grow dents’ creativity to develop products that utilize soy. Following crops. This seems like a slam dunk for what we want from this the contest, ISA works to develop the products, evaluate their competition.” long-term feasibility and commercial viability. Biostimulants help crops germinate rapidly, achieve greater “Indiana soybean checkoff funds are used to find new uses plant mass and yield, and improve nutrient uptake. However, and new markets for our soybeans; thereby creating demand they do not act as fertilizers or pesticides, because they do not and helping our farms to be more profitable and sustainable,” add new nutrients like Nitrogen or repel pests. The winning said Steinbarger. “This event allows us to create relationships product is 98 percent soy “So when our product is applied to with bright and innovative students and their mentors at Purplants, it has the capacity to improve the growth rate and also due. Some of the products that evolve out of this contest could ease stress,” Alagbe explained. potentially have a positive impact on our soybean prices.” The winning Purdue students said this biostimulant is unique Previous contest winners include last year’s HerbiSoy, a when compared to products already on the market, because non-toxic, soy-based herbicide, and the winner from 2019, soy protein peptides have antimicrobial and antibacterial propStroy, drinking straws made from soybean plastic. The everties. These properties are significant, because many crops, er-popular soybean crayons and soy candles are past winners, especially lettuce, are sometimes recalled due to foodborne as well. illnesses such as listeria. Soy protein hydrolysate biostimulants decrease the chances for pathogens to contaminate food. Earning second place, and a $10,000 prize, this year was
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INDIANA CORN & SOYBEAN POST
