Biodiesel Power

Soybean checkoff plays major role in bringing biodiesel to a tractor pull near you

When was the last time you attended a tractor pull? Whether it’s been a long while or just the other day, you may not know that biodiesel, most of which is made from your processed soybeans, plays a part in the premier U.S. tractor-pulling organization.

J.P. Dunn has traveled far and wide touting the benefits of biodiesel, the renewable fuel that can be made from the oil in U.S. soybeans. Besides growing soybeans, hay and wheat on his Missouri farm, Dunn also serves as manager of field services for the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council and the Missouri Soybean Association. And he still finds a little time to compete in antique-tractor pulling.

Q: How well does biodiesel perform in your pulling tractor?

A: Very well. In my first diesel tractor, I gained 7 percent in horsepower using a B20-based performance fuel compared with No. 2 diesel with a cetane additive package. The extremely high lubricity, cetane and oxygen contents are the physical attributes that make soy biodiesel attractive to me as a base for performance diesel fuel.

Q: How does biodiesel compare with traditional diesel in terms of fuel performance?

A: In most cases, I’ve experienced a slight gain in power output with no decline in mileage or increase in fuel usage in either on-road or off-road uses.

Q: What role did the soybean checkoff play in helping develop the biodiesel industry?

A: If Missouri soybean farmer-leaders hadn’t had the foresight to invest checkoff dollars in research, demonstration projects and promotion beginning in the 1990s, biodiesel would not now be the nation’s first commercially available advanced biofuel. Instead, thanks in part to that original funding from Missouri soybean farmers, the federal Renewable Fuels Standard requires the use of at least 800 million gallons of biodiesel this year.

Q: The soybean checkoff sponsors the National Tractor Pullers Association’s Light Pro Stock pulling class, which is now in its second year running on biodiesel. What do you think of this class and its ability to show tractor pulling fans the benefits of biodiesel?

A: I enjoy watching the class and would like to build a tractor to run in this class myself. I believe that running the whole class on biodiesel is a great idea and a good testament to biodiesel’s benefits. In Missouri, we’ve focused on using biodiesel in the sleds and support equipment, but we would love to see the sanctioned “Biodiesel Class” take hold out here like it has to the east of us.