Soybean with high-quality oil and nutritional content is a predominant crop in North Dakota
(ND) and is typically processed into soybean oil and meal for various uses in food, fuel, and
additives. Recent expanding of soybean crushing plants in ND for enhancing biodiesel
production has positioned the state as a leading soybean producer and processor in the U.S.
Renewable energy drive will boost soybeans production to approximately 5.3 billion by 2030
with over 390,000 metric tons of defatted soybean meal (DSM) annually. DSM contains valuable
protein and essential micronutrients, but an anti-nutritional reagent employed to optimize
soybean oil significantly restricts its food applications. Additionally, due to the small livestock
size in ND, only 23% of projected DSM would be consumed annually for animal feed. Thus,
there is a pressing demand to explore and expand new applications for DSM. Anaerobic
digestion (AD) is a well-established technology that decomposes biomass in the absence of
oxygen, generating biogas and biofertilizer. Our AD preliminary study has shown DSM has
immense potential for conversion into renewable energy and nutrient-rich biofertilizer. Such
biogas and biofertilizer can be locally utilized for heating and plant operations, and as a
substitute for commercial fertilizer, respectively. However, further investigation is required to
improve AD for optimal gas production and biofertilizer quality, as DSM composition changes
through physical and chemical modifications can impact the yields. This innovative use of DSM
offers ND producers a sustainable and cost-efficient alternative for renewable energy production
and nutrient recovery, aligning with NDSC’s strategic initiatives.

This proposal aims to assess the new use of DSM by I) investigating the effect of
physical properties and chemical pretreatments of DSM for increasing biogas yields in AD; ii)
enhancing methane production and biofertilizer quality from DSM with co-digestion inclusion
and additives of biochar and nanoparticles for energy sustainability and nutrient recovery.

a. Development of a protocol of processing DSM for biogas and biofertilizer production.
b. Determination of appropriate pretreatments and additives of DSM in AD for optimal
methane yield and biofertilizer quality.
c. Preparation of analyzed dataset for feasibility analysis and life cycle assessment in year 2.
d. Periodic progress and final reports that are required by NDSC.
e. Peer-reviewed journal articles, and extension reports to detail the project results.
f. Conference presentations at local, state, regional, and national levels to disseminate the
new use of DSM.
g. Graduate student thesis.

Update:

View uploaded report

a. Expanding the use of DSM produced in ND.
b. Producing renewable biogas using DSM to replace fossil fuel for farm operations.
c. Generating biofertilizer to reduce the total consumption of commercial fertilizer.
d. Recycling the carbon and nutrients of soybean to improve sustainable agriculture in ND.
e. Avoiding long-term transportations of DSM to increase the value of soybean products.
f. Increasing net profits of soybean growers by offsetting total energy and fertilizer costs.