University of Nebraska
Industrial Agricultural Products Center
Biopolymers, Biochemicals, Biofuels, Biopower

Soy Oil for Irrigation Drip Oil

In Nebraska, irrigation pumps like those pictured below consume between 375,000 and 525,000 gallons of drip oils annually. Although soy oil must compete with petroleum-based products that sell for much less, soy oil's biodegradability provides it with an advantage over conventional oils. Some states have banned petroleum products; soy oil competes with more expensive synthetic oils in those states. Industry analysts predict that petroleum-based oils will soon be regulated in all farming states.

Center research and technical transfer staff help manufacturers form strategies which make these environmentally-safe oils competitive in the marketplace. A Colorado company devised such a strategy when it began marketing an eleven-gallon drip oil reservoir pre-packaged with lubricant. This innovative product solves several problems, and provides a major benefit to the user: the eleven-gallon reservoir will keep most pumps lubricated throughout an entire irrigation season, whereas the one-gallon tank supplied with the pumps must be refilled two or three times a week. This is the sort of creative thinking and value-added strategies the IAPC is equipped to evaluate and develop.

For further information, contact the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Industrial Agricultural Products Center, 208 L.W. Chase Hall, Lincoln, NE 68583-0730. Telephone call: (402) 472-1634; Fax: (402) 472-6338; E-mail: ccary2@unl.edu.