Progress 09/01/17 to 08/31/24
Outputs
Target Audience:
Nothing Reported
Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Executive Summary The Extension & Outreach Team focuses on producing extension bulletins and web materials to inform growers of agronomic and irrigation requirements; holding workshops throughout the region on sustainable practices to expand crop production to new rural regions and Native Nation lands; and involving youth in internships, 4-H projects, and STEM summer camps. Objective 1. Produce Extension bulletins and web materials to inform growers of agronomic and irrigation requirements. Impact All of the extension bulletins and web materials are archived on the SBAR website. This site is linked to the PIs site and to the new climate smart guayule website. Development of the BENCO (Break Even for New Crop Options) model with Paul Gutierrez, Clark Seavert, and Trent Teegerstrom, will have the longest lasting impact for growers. This tool will be included for farmer use as part of a recently received grant to help farmers better understand their financial status, and thus to plan for new challenges, potentially through the adoption of new crop options. Objective 2. Hold workshops throughout the region on sustainable practices to expand crop production to new rural regions and Native Nation lands. Impact 39 • Conducted on-station demonstration research on guar at four sites in New Mexico used for field meetings and grower education on agronomic practices. • Created awareness of the SBAR project and trained farmers on guar production in New Mexico by reaching approximately 4,000 people. • Trained a graduate student in applied field research using guar as the test crop. Objective 3. Involve youth in internships, 4-H projects, and STEM summer camps. Impact One impact was in the area of youth outreach and program development. Two new youth contests were added to three New Mexico state fairs as a result of SBAR support, a bilingual Excel curriculum based on agribusiness concepts and targeted at middle and high school was developed, and a program of outreach targeted at children of migrant farm workers. STEM summer camps, 4-H projects, internships and FFA projects were held throughout the project involving youth from across New Mexico and Arizona. Executive Summary The Education Team focuses on training teams of graduate student fellows and teacher mentors with a strategic effort with rural populations and under-represented groups; and develops and disseminates agricultural bioenergy and bioproduct K-12 learning modules.. Some lessons were translated into Spanish. In-person teacher trainings occurred. Objective 1. Train teams of students and teachers with focus on rural and under-represented groups. Impact Faculty from the University of Arizona and NMSU continue to use the materials developed as part of SBAR for educational activities to train the trainers. Objective 2. Develop and disseminate agricultural bioenergy and bioproduct K-12 modules. Impact • Developed and demonstrated series of hands-on activities related to agriculture, chemistry, biology, biofuels, and material science appropriate for classroom and informal middle school utilization. • Created and disseminated five lesson plans with ready-to-use activities, presentations and other resources. • Trained seven science and engineering graduate students in K-12 pedagogy and outreach communication. Lessons finalized and posted to web site: Indigenous Agriculture & Plant Cultivation in the Southwest Plan Adaptations for Arid Lands 43 Science Communication and Climate Change Soil: It is more than dirt History of guayule and rubber ball activity Exploring STEM Careers activity (to accompany videos) Culturally Responsive Lessons: Southwestern Soil Exploration; Biotic Resilience in the Desert Technology, Engineering and Chemistry: The Science of Combustion; Biopolymers: Building Blocks of Life; Measuring Food as Fuel; Exploring Oil Extraction Excel for Agribusiness: Introduction; Charts; Inputs and Outputs Additional Lessons Added: STEM Career Exploration; Guar as an Alternative Crop (Video lesson available in Spanish, English or both); Guayule as an Alternative Crop (Video lesson available in Spanish, English or both) The pyrolysis/combustion/s'mores lesson plan The biopolymers lesson plan Loteria - Loteria game finalized and games printed (250) to be distributed at PD sessions and will continue to be purchased for distribution at other PD and presentation events. The SBAR YouTube Channel was established. The landing page now has a photo of guayule as well as a link to the SBAR website. Multiple playlists are available including SBAR Career Exploration, Learn More: Guayule, Excel for Agribusiness, Learn More: Guar, and SBAR in Your Classroom. Many of videos are now linked to lessons on the SBAR website. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP30T67b9leVFU-6mCzFDxw How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?All publications and presentations are provided in attached report. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Feedstock Executive Summary The Feedstock Development and Production Team focused on improving biomass quantity and quality through traditional breeding and high-throughput phenotyping characterization; improving agronomic production practices for guayule and guar; conducting irrigation experiments in guayule and guar; developing comprehensive and broadly applicable irrigation apps; bioengineering to reduce or eliminate flowering in guayule, herbicide testing, and developing soil quality and soil health knowledge for long-term environmental sustainability. Characterization and Co Products Executive Summary The Characterizations and Co-Products Team focuses on evaluating how seasonality, processing, and storage affect product distribution and quality, conversion efficiency, and economics; identify economic co-products in guayule and guar; and provide analytical support for feedstock development. The research team concentrated efforts on characterization of guayule plant tissues and resin products, the metabolic formation and biological transformation of guayule terpenoid compounds, testing of resin fractions as mosquito repellents and as adhesives, new resin extraction techniques, and production of fuel from guayule bagasse. Systems Performance and Sustainability Executive Summary The System Performance and Sustainability uses process modeling to understand the economic viability and environmental impacts of guayule and guar. The work is founded on a scalable and modular engineering process model that includes crop production through processing to final products. This foundation is coupled with Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) and Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) to concurrently understand the sustainability of desert southwest-based biorefining. The team works to understand the impact to rural communities through input-output methods; integrating regionally appropriate metrics and combining results from SBAR-developed data into sustainability models; and interfacing with regional growers to de-risk production of guayule and guar in the United States while evaluating social impacts. The team made improvements to the engineering process model, compared guayule to Hevea rubber production in terms of LCA analyses, and investigated transportation logistics. The sustainability model includes modularity at the farm level to evaluate the impact of rotating in guayule with traditional farming systems, feedstock logistics for biomass delivery from the farm to processing, and modular downstream processing for the evaluation of various biorefining pathways.
Publications
- Type:
Peer Reviewed Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
Elshikha, Diaa Eldin M., Guangyao Wang, Peter M. Waller, Douglas J. Hunsaker, David Dierig, Kelly R. Thorp, Alison Thompson, Matthew E. Katterman, Matthew T. Herritt, Eduardo Bautista, Dennis T. Ray, Gerard W. Wall. 2023 Guayule growth and yield responses to deficit irrigation strategies in the U. S. desert. Ag Water Management. 277: 108093. P. 1-14.
- Type:
Peer Reviewed Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
Elshikha Diaa Eldin M., Peter M. Waller, Douglas J. Hunsaker, Kelly R. Thorp, Guangyao Wang, David Dierig, V. Cruz Von Mark, S Attalah, Matthew E. Katterman, C Williams, Dennis T. Ray. 2023. Water Use, Growth, and Yield of Ratooned Guayule under Subsurface Drip and Furrow Irrigation in the US Southwest Desert. Water 15(19): 3412.
- Type:
Peer Reviewed Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
Katterman, M. E., Waller, P. M., Elshikha, D. E. M., Wall, G. W., Hunsaker, D. J., Loeffler, R. S., & Ogden, K. L. 2023. WINDS Model Simulation of Guayule Irrigation. Water, 15(19), 3500.
- Type:
Peer Reviewed Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Silagy, B., Dehghanizadeh, M., Pradyawong, S., Ogden, K., Brewer, C.E., Quinn, J.C. (2024) An economic and environmental assessment of guayule resin co-products for a domestic natural rubber industry, Industrial Crops & Products, 208, 117888, DOI: 10.1016/j.indcrop.2023.117888.jwpe.2023.104174
- Type:
Peer Reviewed Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
Dehghanizadeh, M., Romero, A., Silagy, B., Agnew, J., Holguin, F.O., Quinn, J.C., Smith, A., Ogden, K.L., Brewer, C.E. (2023) Bio-based insect repellents from guayule (Parthenium argentatum), ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 11 (29), 10855-10863, DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.3c02238
- Type:
Peer Reviewed Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
3. Antonanzas, J., Idowu, O.J., Ray, D.T., Angadi, S., Grover, K., Seavert, C., Summers, H.M., Quinn, J.C., 2023. Assessment of guar gum production cost and environmental impact in the US Southwest. Industrial Crops and Products, 203, 117116.
- Type:
Peer Reviewed Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Antonanzas, J., Quinn, J.C., 2024, Environmental impact assessment of natural rubber derived from Liberian hevea trees, International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 1-12.
|
Progress 09/01/22 to 08/31/23
Outputs
Target Audience:During the reporting period, the SBAR Center of Excellence continued to reach its defined target audiences including industry representatives across the United States (aviation fuel segment and rubber industry); Native American and Hispanic Farmer communities of the Southwest; regional independent growers (specifically in Arizona and New Mexico); environmental sustainability groups; water conservation groups; federal and non-federal researchers; extension professionals; educators; university graduate and undergraduate students; high school interns; and under-served K-12 youth. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?TRAINING A variety of training activities occurred during Year 6 - mostly one-on-one discussions among industry representatives and SBAR research colleagues. Many of these trainings resumed in person. As new students and technicians were brought into the project, they were trained in existing protocols for implementing specific research tasks (either laboratory or field tasks). PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Virtual professional development trainings were offered to SBAR students throughout the year. Most team meetings continued using virtual platforms. The education and extension teams met to refine lesson plans and activities and to "train each other" on the materials developed. Faculty and staff that led summer programs for interns learned how to use programs such as the integrated farm model. Presented at a high school teacher professional development workshop for 20 teachers. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Year 6 results from SBAR work have been disseminated through presentations at various meetings, workshops, and conferences. Some of these were virtual and others were in person. Additional outreach has occurred through the SBAR website, which provides details about upcoming events and planned project activities, and through press releases and general media coverage. Youth development, in particular 4H activities continued on line due to COVID. Accomplishments Year 6: Organized a symposium at the ASA conference held in October 2022 in Baltimore, MD titled Development and Management of Multi-Institutional and Interdisciplinary Grant Projects - Examples from USDA Coordinated Agricultural Projects". Co-organized meetings with interested constituents to educate government about the need for a domestic natural rubber supply. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the no-cost extension period, all of the co-PIs will be completing peer-reviewed publications and extension bulletins. FEEDSTOCK DEVELOPMENT & PRODUCTION Planned Activities - Year 7 Project involving understanding the impacts of soil microbiome manipulation on guayule rubber content under controlled greenhouse conditions will be completed. Continue herbicide application studies on guayule working toward labeling compounds for production. Need to repeat experiments at different locations for replicates of data prior to applying for 24c SLN registration. CHARACTERIZATIONS & CO-PRODUCTS Planned Activities - Year 7 Mosquito repellency tests using whole and fractions of guayule resin will be completed. Conversion of guayule bagasse via pyrolysis will be completed. The pyrolysis oil will also be upgraded to biodiesel and biojet fuels. Adhesive work will be completed and marketing of the blended adhesives will begin. Data provided to System Performance team for incorporation into models. SYSTEM PERFORMANCE & SUSTAINABILITY Planned Activities - Year 7 Hevea LCA model will be completed and information compared to the guayule LCA model. The integrated guayule TEA/LCA will incorporate coproducts for guayule resin including adhesives. Transportation modeling will investigate system upsets. EDUCATION Planned Activities - Year 7 Translate more materials into Spanish Encourage teacher participants to attend meetings to disseminate results EXTENSION & OUTREACH (including YOUTH DEVELOPMENT) Planned Activities - Year 7 Hold additional field days to demonstrate cultivation of guayule Finish videos and other instructional materials that explain how to use the integrated farm model Transition web site so important information is archived for growers and educators What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Although some the majority of the target objectives remain possible to complete, we are evaluating the need to request an additional no cost extension to fully complete outreach and dissemination tasks, finish reports, and allow a couple of graduate students to complete their degrees.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
SBAR's multi-level research continued to identify opportunities and strategies for the development of a sustainable bioeconomy in the Southwest centered on guayule (perennial) and guar (annual). More emphasis has been placed on guayule because of the close tie to industry in regard to bringing this crop to market, whereas the company working with SBAR on guar is no longer in existence. A summary of specific accomplishments in Year 6 (2022) is provided below: FEEDSTOCK DEVELOPMENT & PRODUCTION The Feedstock Development and Production Team focuses on improving biomass quantity and quality through traditional breeding and high-throughput phenotyping characteristics; improving agronomic production practices for guayule and guar; conducting irrigation experiments in guayule and guar; developing comprehensive and broadly applicable irrigation apps; and developing soil quality and soil health knowledge for long-term environmental sustainability. In 2022, the field tests focused on irrigation management and soil health. The guar experiments have been completed. The team will focus on guayule for the rest of the project. Accomplishments - Year 6 Guar seed yield and yield in response to deficit irrigation study completed. Guar growth and yield studies as affected by nitrogen and phosphorous fertilizers were also completed. Deficit irrigation and irrigation study that started in June 2020 is continuing. Samples have been harvested for the study and are being analyzed for biomass, rubber and resin content. New irrigation experiment was started using N-drip, a non-pressurized drip irrigation method. Regrowth irrigation study continues. A study was initiated on guayule pathogens and the factors influencing their abundance in soils. Work on impacts of soil microbiome manipulation on guayule rubber content under controlled greenhouse conditions was initiated. Nutrient studies (nitrogen and phosphorous) for guayule continue. Continue herbicide application studies on guayule working toward labeling compounds for production. CHARACTERIZATIONS & CO-PRODUCTS The Characterizations and Co-Products Team focuses on evaluating how seasonality, processing, and storage affect product distribution and quality, conversion efficiency, and economics; identify economic co-products in guayule and guar; and provide analytical support for feedstock development. In year six of the project (2022), the research team concentrated on coproducts from guayule resin - primarily insecticides and adhesives; the metabolic formation and biological transformation of guaylins and argentatins found in guayule resin continued. Accomplishments - Year 6 After completing experiments showing that cockroaches are repelled by fractions of guayule resin, mosquito repellency tests were initiated. New methods for separating resin into components were tested including use of supercritical fluids. Conversion of guayule bagasse via hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) and pyrolysis was initiated to demonstrate that traditional methods can be used to make fuels from guayule bagasse. The HTL yields were extremely low, so this work is complete. Isolated, elucidated the structures, and evaluated the potential anticancer and antimicrobial activities of novel compounds originating from microbial biotransformation or synthetic biology, as potential value-added co-products SYSTEM PERFORMANCE & SUSTAINABILITY The System Performance and Sustainability team focuses on evaluating the economic and environmental impacts of guayule- and guar. In the sixth year of the project (2022), the team integrated field trial data into foundational modeling, made improvements to the engineering process model, continued investigation of transportation logistics, and published/disseminated results through peer reviewed publications and enterprise budgets. The sustainability model includes modularity at the farm level to evaluate the impact of rotating in guayule and guar with traditional farming systems, feedstock logistics for biomass delivery from the farm to processing, and modular downstream processing for the evaluation of various biorefining pathways. Accomplishments - Year 6 Began work on a Hevea LCA to compare information to guayule LCA. Integrated TEA/LCA model was expanded to include coproducts. The incorporation of distillation of terpene fractions does not appear to be cost effective. Finalized the whole farm economic model and continued to disseminate to rural growers and industry. EDUCATION The Education Team focuses on training teams of graduate student fellows and teacher mentors with a strategic effort with rural populations and under-represented groups; and develops and disseminates agricultural bioenergy and bioproduct K-12 learning modules. In year five (2022), it was still challenging to return to the K-12 classrooms, so the focus was on refining and editing lessons and activities, dissemination at conferences, and presentations at teacher professional development workshops. Accomplishments - Year 6 Completed refining and editing lessons. Initiated translating some activities into Spanish EXTENSION & OUTREACH (including YOUTH DEVELOPMENT) The Extension & Outreach Team focuses on producing extension bulletins and web materials to inform growers of agronomic and irrigation requirements; holding workshops throughout the region on sustainable practices to expand crop production to new rural regions and Native Nation lands; and involving youth in internships, 4-H projects, and STEM summer camps. Accomplishments - Year 6 • On-station and on-farm guar and guayule demonstration trials in Arizona and New Mexico were conducted (Las Cruces, Los Lunas, Maricopa, and Clovis Agricultural Science Centers as well as at the Bridgestone farm). • Released two newsletters to SBAR stakeholders that highlight guar and guayule research. • Modified SBAR curriculum for 4-H audiences, created new 4-H and FFA curriculum, and recruited/trained adult 4-H staff and volunteers. Restarted internship program. Students assisted in modifying the whole farm economic model to make it more user friendly. 4H was held in person again and materials developed by SBAR personnel were used. • Trained middle-school Agriculture teachers and students in New Mexico using the SBAR FFA Curriculum.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
2. Acharya, B.R.; Sandhu, D.; Duenas, C.; Ferreira, J.F.S.; Grover, K.K. 2022. Deciphering molecular mechanisms involved in salinity tolerance in guar (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub.) using transcriptome analyses. Plants (Basel). 2022 Jan 22; 11(3):291. DOI:10.3390/plants11030291.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
14. Elshikha, Diaa Eldin M., Guangyao Wang, Peter M. Waller, Douglas J. Hunsaker, David Dierig, Kelly R. Thorp, Alison Thompson, Matthew E. Katterman, Matthew T. Herritt, Eduardo Bautista, Dennis T. Ray, Gerard W. Wall. 2023 Guayule growth and yield responses to deficit irrigation strategies in the U. S. desert. Ag Water Management. 277: 108093. P. 1-14.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
15. Elshikha, Diaa Eldin M., Douglas J. Hunsaker, Peter M. Waller, Kelly R. Thorp, David Dierig, Guangyao Wang, V. Cruz Von Mark et al. 2022 Estimation of direct-seeded guayule cover, crop coefficient, and yield using UAS-based multispectral and RGB data. Agricultural Water Management 265: 107540.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
23. Moreno, P.M., Sproul, E., Quinn, J.C., 2022, Economic and environmental sustainability assessment of guayule bagasse to fuel pathways, Industrial Crops & Products, 178, 114644
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
39. Yao, S, Fan, N, Seavert, C. Teegerstrom, T. 2022. Demand-driven harvest planning and machinery scheduling for guayule, Operations Research Forum. DOI: 10.1007/s43069-022-00192-2.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
6. Omotayo, Oluwatobi 2022. Economic Impact of Guayule Rubber Plant in Arizona, Master of Science Thesis, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
3. Dehghanizadeh, M. 2022 Bio-Based Chemicals from Guayule (Parthenium argentatum), PhD, Engineering-Chemical Engineering, New Mexico State University.
|
Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:During the reporting period, the SBAR Center of Excellence continued to reach its defined target audiences including industry representatives across the United States (aviation fuel segment and rubber industry); Native American and Hispanic Farmer communities of the Southwest; regional independent growers (specifically in Arizona and New Mexico); environmental sustainability groups; water conservation groups; federal and non-federal researchers; extension professionals; educators; and university graduate and undergraduate students. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the in-person activities for youth, including in-school sessions and outreach workshops, did not occur. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?TRAINING A variety of training activities took place during Year 5 - mostly one-on-one discussions, and site tours provided by industry representatives to SBAR research colleagues. As new students and technicians were brought into the project, they were trained in existing protocols for implementing specific research tasks (either laboratory or field tasks). A weekly seminar was virtually hosted at the University of Arizona where ongoing SBAR research was presented, followed by a robust Q&A and research discussion. All SBAR research components participated in these discussions and contributed their expertise to furthering the research questions. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Year 5 results from SBAR work have been disseminated through presentations at various meetings, workshops, and conferences. Because of COVID, many of these presentations continued to be provided in a digital/virtual format. Additional outreach has occurred through the SBAR website, which provides details about upcoming events and planned project activities, and through press releases and general media coverage. The SBAR webpage was visited by people in 48 different states of the USA, plus Washington DC, during 2021. There were 4,804 unique sessions during 2021. Page views occurred in 67 different countries around the world (top five: USA, China, India, Mexico, and Canada), including 7 countries that have not visited the website previously (Afghanistan, Botswana, Costa Rica, Lithuania, Papua New Guinea, Slovakia, and Zimbabwe). Even though the website visitors are diversifying, visitors from the USA are still the most common. Project researchers have presented on SBAR-related topics (planned activities, research results, accomplishments, outcomes, etc.) in Bologna, Italy; Boston, MA; Clovis, NM; Denver, CO; Eloy, AZ; Las Cruces, NM; Los Lunas, NM; Manitoba, Canada; National Harbor, MD; Phoenix, AZ; Salt Lake City, UT; Tucson, AZ; and Washington, DC. An additional 18 presentations were provided in virtual formats. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?FEEDSTOCK DEVELOPMENT & PRODUCTION Planned Year 6 Activities Harvest the second-year growth of the guayule irrigation experiment. Evaluate irrigation techniques for establishment of direct-seeded guayule. Conduct over-the-top herbicide application experiments to inform guayule establishment practices. Publish manuscripts on: o Flowering downregulation in guayule. o Field germplasm evaluations o Field irrigation studies on guayule o Plant population studies CHARACTERIZATIONS & CO-PRODUCTS Planned Year 6 Activities Support guayule and guar agronomic trials and sustainability modeling efforts byproviding biomass characterization analyses and extraction/conversion yields. Evaluate down-selected guayule resin fractions for mosquito repellency. Characterize low-molecular-weight rubber fractions and evaluate potential pathways for polymerization towards new products. Complete manuscripts and disseminate results on guayule resin characterization, separation, and application as bio-based adhesives and insect repellents. Characterize products from guayule resin chemical and biological molecular transformations. Evaluate fast pyrolysis and catalytic upgrading processes for liquid biofuels derived from guayule bagasse. SYSTEM PERFORMANCE & SUSTAINABILITY Planned Year 6 Activities Providing strategic guidance on research direction supporting the development of a sustainable bioeconomy. Evaluating the economic viability of different resin-based co-products. Performing a Hevea life cycle assessment based on data from Liberia. Integration of field trial data with stochastic modeling to support higher certainty economic and life cycle results. Optimization of transportation logistics incorporating variability in field availability. Dissemination of results through peer review publications and extension publications. EDUCATION Planned Year 6 Activities Print Lotería game sets for distribution to teachers throughout Arizona and New Mexico in partnership with Cooperative Extension offices. Identify a hosting platform for SBAR-generated lessons to increase accessibility. Plan and implement final video recordings to complete the SBAR career video library. EXTENSION & OUTREACH (including YOUTH DEVELOPMENT) Planned Year 6 Activities Complete guar seeding density demonstration trials in New Mexico (Las Cruces, Los Lunas, and Clovis Agricultural Science Centers). Promote guayule to growers in Arizona through Extension events and outreach. Disseminate results of demonstration trials for guar and guayule to stakeholders in New Mexico and Arizona. Raise awareness of guayule production and Bridgestone contracts through newsletters, presentations, field days, and direct contacts with stakeholders. Continue to update website and fact sheet offerings with newly published information, specifically on irrigation improvements and options. Host an Extension meeting to share SBAR research findings and guayule's future with state and national decision makers. Survey stakeholders to see how public opinion has changed since SBAR's inception.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
SBAR's multi-level research continued to identify opportunities and strategies for the development of a sustainable bioeconomy in the Southwest centered on guayule (perennial) and guar (annual). A summary of specific accomplishments in Year 5 (2021) is provided below: FEEDSTOCK DEVELOPMENT & PRODUCTION The Feedstock Development and Production Team focuses on improving biomass quantity and quality through traditional breeding and high-throughput phenotyping characteristics; improving agronomic production practices for guayule and guar; conducting irrigation experiments in guayule and guar; developing comprehensive and broadly applicable irrigation apps; and developing soil quality and soil health knowledge for long-term environmental sustainability. In 2021, the third year of regional yield tests were completed for both guayule and guar, agronomic and irrigation field tests were completed, and bioengineering experiments were performed to reduce or eliminate flowering in guayule. Accomplishments Year 5 Completed the second year of the guayule irrigation experiments in Eloy and Maricopa. Evaluated transformed guayule for flowering and rubber content. Completed existing guar phenotyping studies in New Mexico and Arizona. Determined nitrogen levels to support optimum growth of guayule in a greenhouse study. Evaluated promising guayule germplasm lines for salt tolerance. Published manuscripts. CHARACTERIZATIONS & CO-PRODUCTS The Characterizations and Co-Products Team focuses on evaluating how seasonality, processing, and storage affect product distribution and quality, conversion efficiency, and economics; identify economic co-products in guayule and guar; and provide analytical support for feedstock development. In year five of the project (2021), the research team concentrated efforts on literature review of guayule resin chemistry and applications, characterization of guayule plant tissues and resin products, and the metabolic formation and biological transformation of guayule terpenoid compounds. Supported guayule and guar agronomic trials and sustainability modeling efforts by providing biomass characterization analyses and extraction/conversion yields. Conducted guayule resin separation, characterization, and application (adhesives, insect repellents) testing to identify technically and economically feasible chemical co-products. Demonstrated the ability to modify guayule metabolite formation and biotransformation for enhancement of production of desired compounds. SYSTEM PERFORMANCE & SUSTAINABILITY The System Performance and Sustainability uses process modeling to understand the economic viability and environmental impacts of guayule and guar. The work is founded on a scalable and modular engineering process model that includes crop production through processing to final products. This foundation is coupled with Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) and Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) to concurrently understand the sustainability of desert southwestbased biorefining. The team works to understand the impact to rural communities through inputoutput methods; integrating regionally appropriate metrics and combining results from SBARdeveloped data into sustainability models; and interfacing with regional growers to de-risk production of guayule and guar in the United States while evaluating social impacts. In the fifth year of the project (2021), the team completed a high-level social sustainability assessment, integrated field trial data into foundational modeling, continued investigation of transportation logistics, and published results through peer reviewed publications and enterprise budgets. The sustainability model includes modularity at the farm level to evaluate the impact of rotating in guayule with traditional farming systems, feedstock logistics for biomass delivery from the farm to processing, and modular downstream processing for the evaluation of various biorefining pathways. Development of Water Life Cycle Assessment for guayule and guar across the desert southwest based on AWARE methods. Integration of field trial data with results for economic and life cycle impacts determined. Stochastic modeling of the two crops with distributions informed by sensitivity results and field trial data. Improvements in foundational process model to incorporate alternative co-product developments. Transportation logistics evaluation including harvest scheduling. Dissemination of results through peer review publications and extension publications. EDUCATION The Education Team focuses on training teams of graduate student fellows and teacher mentors with a strategic effort with rural populations and under-represented groups; and develops and disseminates agricultural bioenergy and bioproduct K-12 learning modules. In year five (2021) because of physical school closures in 2020/2021, much of the COVID-19 pivot that occurred in 2020 continued with a new focus on lesson refinement and creation of digital materials (recordings of lessons and interviews) that complement the SBAR lesson library. Refined and prepared lessons and modules for online access. These included tutorials and all accompanying presentation files, activity instructions, and (digital) lab demonstrations. Recorded videos of researchers, growers, and extension experts to accompany lessons and represent different careers. Continued to work with existing teachers in very limited capacity per lesson refinement needs. Promoted SBAR via Community Share (online system) and worked with graduate student SBAR Fellows to create profiles so they can offer presentations for online learning, Q&A sessions, and content research support. Presented Lotería game at local and regional teacher STEM conferences. EXTENSION & OUTREACH (including YOUTH DEVELOPMENT) The Extension & Outreach Team focuses on producing extension bulletins and web materials to inform growers of agronomic and irrigation requirements; holding workshops throughout the region on sustainable practices to expand crop production to new rural regions and Native Nation lands; and involving youth in internships, 4-H projects, and STEM summer camps. In the fifth year of the project (2021), the Extension & Outreach Team continued to conduct on-station trials in New Mexico to fine tune and demonstrate the adaptability of guar in different agroecosystems. A Guayule Field Day was hosted in collaboration with SBAR partners on guayule production in Arizona where agronomic practices for successful guayule production were presented. Three SBAR Extension & Outreach newsletters, multiple updates to information on the SBAR website, multiple guayule fact sheets, and seven SBAR Briefing Papers were released. Continued with on-station guar and guayule demonstration trials in New Mexico (Las Cruces, Los Lunas, and Clovis Agricultural Science Centers) to determine optimal seeding density for guar in New Mexico. Hosted field days at each of the on-station demonstration trial locations in New Mexico. Hosted a guayule field day in collaboration with Bridgestone Americas, Inc. in Eloy, Arizona. Released factsheets, extension publications, and updated website information on guar in New Mexico, and guayule in Arizona. Developed and published three newsletters that highlight guar and guayule research. Developed infographics for SBAR key concepts for use in educational, youth development, and extension materials. Hosted a workshop to facilitate the development of Agri-Science Projects via youth enrichment programs (FFA, 4-H). Worked with New Mexico youth to promote SBAR related Agri-Science projects as part of their FFA SAE.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Dehghanizadeh, M.; Mendoza-Moreno, P.; Sproul, E.; Bayat, H.; Quinn, J.;
Brewer, C.E. 2021. Guayule (Parthenium argentatum) resin: A review of chemistry,
extraction techniques and applications. Industrial Crops & Products. 165 (2021) 13410.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2021.113410.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Acharya, B.R.; Sandhu, D.; Duenas, C.; Ferreira, J.F.S.; Grover, K.K. 2022.
Deciphering molecular mechanisms involved in salinity tolerance in guar (Cyamopsis
tetragonoloba (L.) Taub.) using transcriptome analyses. Plants (Basel). 2022 Jan 22;
11(3):291. DOI:10.3390/plants11030291.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Bayat, H.; Cheng, F.; Dehghanizadeh, M.; Brewer, C.E. 2021. Recovery of nitrogen
from low-cost plant feedstocks used for bioenergy: a review of availability and process
order. Energy & Fuels, 35(18), 14361-14381. DOI:10.1021/acs.energyfuels.1c02140
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Chen, Y.; Martinez, A.; Cleavenger, S.; Rudolph, J.; Barber�n, A. 2021. Changes
in soil microbial communities across an urbanization gradient: a local-scale temporal
study in the arid southwestern USA. Microorganisms 9:1470.
DOI:10.3390/microorganisms9071470.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Cheng, F.; Brewer, C.E. 2021. Conversion of protein-rich lignocellulosic wastes to
bio-energy: review and recommendations for hydrolysis + fermentation and anaerobic
digestion. Renewables & Sustainable Energy Reviews, 146, 111167.
DOI:10.1016/j.rser.2021.111167
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Cruz, V.M.V.; Dierig, D.A.; Lynch, A.; Hunnicut, K.; Sullivan, T.R.; Wang, G. (S.);
Zhu, J. 2021. Assessment of phenotypic diversity in the USDA, National Plant
Germplasm System (NPGS) guayule germplasm collection. Industrial Crops and
Products (175) 2021.114303. DOI:10.1016/j.indcrop.2021.114303.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Madasu, C.; Xu, Y-m.; Wijeratne, E.M.K.; Liu, M.X.; Moln�r, I.; Gunatilaka, A.A.L.
2022. Semi-synthesis and cytotoxicity evaluation of pyrimidine, thiazole, and indole
analogues of argentatins A-C from guayule (Parthenium argentatum) resin. Medical
Chemistry Research. DOI:10.1007/s00044-021-02835-1
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Mealing, V.; Turek, J.; Smith, J.; Landis, A. 2021. Social sustainability of new biobased
feedstocks in the Southwest. The International Journal of Social Sustainability in
Economic, Social, and Cultural Context. 18(1): 23-42. DOI:10.18848/2325-
1115/CGP/v18i01/23-42.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
McCloskey, W.B.; Evancho, B.; Pier, N. 2021. Guayule weed management during
establishment in Arizona. Cooperative Extension Invasive Plant Management (IPM)
Short. University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona. 2p. September
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Sandhu, D.; Pallete, A.; Pudussery, M.V.; Grover, K.K. 2021. Contrasting
responses of guar genotypes shed light on multiple component traits of salinity
tolerance mechanisms. Agronomy. 11(6). Article 1068.
DOI:10.3390/agronomy11061068.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Singh, J.; Guzman, I.; Begna, S.; Trostle, C.; Angadi, S.V. 2021. Germination and
early growth response of guar cultivars to low temperatures. Industrial Crops and
Products. Volume 159, 2021, 113082, ISSN 0926-6690.
DOI:10.1016/j.indcrop.2020.113082
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Wang, G. (S.); El-Shikha, D.E.M.; Katterman, M.E.; Sullivan, T.R.; Dittmar, S.;
Cruz, V.M.V.; Hunsaker, D.J.; Waller, P.M.; Ray, D.T.; Dierig, D.A. 2021. Irrigation
effects on seasonal growth and rubber production of direct-seeded guayule. Industrial
Crops and Products. Volume 177, 2021, 114442. DOI:10.1016/j.indcrop.2021.114442.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Xu, Y.; Madasu, C.; Liu, E.M.; Wijeratne, K.; Dierig, D.; White, B.; Moln�r, I.;
Gunatilaka, A.A. 2021. Cycloartane- and Lanostane-Type Triterpenoids from the
Resin of Parthenium argentatum AZ-2, a Byproduct of Guayule Rubber Production.
ACS Omega 2021. Jun 4;6(23):15486-15498. DOI:10.1021/acsomega.1c01714,
eCollection 2021 Jun 15.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Zuniga-Vasquez, D.A.; Sun, O.; Fan, N.; Sproul, E.; Summers, H.M.; Quinn, J.C.;
Khanal, S.; Gutierrez, P.; Mealing, V.A.; Landis, A.E.; Seavert, C.; Teegerstrom,
T.; Evancho, B. 2021. Integrating Environmental and Social Impacts into Optimal
Design of Guayule and Guar Supply Chains. Computers and Chemical Engineering.
DOI: 10.1016/j.compchemeng.2021.107223.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Zuniga-Vasquez, D.A.; Fan, N.; Teegerstrom, T.; Seavert, C.; Summers, H.M.;
Sproul, E.; Quinn, J.C. 2021. Optimal Production Planning and Machinery Scheduling
for Semi-Arid Farms. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture.
DOI:10.1016/j.compag.2021.106288, 6/2021.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Singh, J. N.D. Guar Growth and Development Under Pre-Irrigation and In-Season
Irrigation Management in the Southern High Plains. Journal of Industrial Crops and
Products. Accepted June 2020.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Sproul, E.; Summers, H.M.; Seavert, C.; Robbs, J.; Khanal, S.; Mealing, V.;
Landis, A.E.; Fan, N.; Sun, O.; Quinn, J.C. 2020. Integrated techno-economic and
environmental analysis of guayule rubber production. Journal of Cleaner Production,
Volume 273, 2020, ISSN 0959-6526, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.122811
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Summers, H.M.; Sproul, E.; Seavert, C.; Angadi, S.; Robbs, J.; Khanal, S.;
Gutierrez, P.; Teegerstrom, T.; Zuniga Vasquez, D.A.; Fan, N.; Quinn, J.C. 2021.
Economic and Environmental Analyses of Incorporating Guar into the American
Southwest. Agricultural Systems, Volume 191, 2021,103146, ISSN 0308-521X.
DOI:10.1016/j.agsy.2021.103146.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Audu, M. 2019. Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Algae Grown on Alternative Dairy
Wastewaters. Master of Science Thesis, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces,
New Mexico.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Cheng, F. 2018. Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Microalgae in Batch and Continuous
Flow Reactors. Ph.D. Dissertation, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New
Mexico.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Knagg, A. 2020. Testing of non-rubber extracts of guayule (Parthenium argentatum)
as a bio-based urban insect repellant. Undergraduate Honors Thesis, New Mexico
State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Rosalez, R.; Cheng, F.; Dehghanizadeh, M.; Bayat, H.; Cui, Z.; Jarvis, J.M.;
Brewer, C.E. 2021. Co-hydrothermal liquefaction of guayule bagasse and wastewater
treatment algae. Energies. [Accepted; In Press]
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Pruitt, Darien. 2021. Guar Growth and Yield as Affected by Mycorrhizal Colonization,
Soil Amendment Applications, and Fertility Management. Master of Science Thesis,
New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Rosalez, R. 2020. Co-Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Guayule Bagasse and
Wastewater Treatment Microalgae. Master of Science Thesis, New Mexico State
University, Las Cruces, New Mexico.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Sproul, Evan. 2020. Integrated Techno-Economic and Life-Cycle Analysis of
Emerging Technologies with Temporal Resolution. Ph.D. Dissertation. Colorado State
University, Fort Collins, Colorado.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Summers, Hailey. 2021. Evaluating the Sustainability of Agricultural Systems Using
Life Cycle Assessment and Techno-Economic Analysis. Ph.D. Dissertation. Colorado
State University, Fort Collins, Colorado.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Sun, Ou. 2019. Novel Integer Optimization Methods and their Applications in Biomass
Supply Chain and Power Dominating Set. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Arizona,
Tucson, Arizona.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Zuniga-Vazquez, Daniel A. 2021. Large-Scale Optimization for Planning of Reliable
Power Systems and Design of Sustainable Biomass Supply Chains. Ph.D.
Dissertation, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Zuniga-Vasquez, D.A.; Fan, N.; Teegerstrom, T.; Seavert, C.; Summers, H.M.;
Sproul, E.; Quinn, J.C. 2021. Optimal Design of guayule and guar supply chains for
the American Southwest. 32nd Association for the Advancement of Industrial Crops.
Annual Meeting for the special issue on Industrial Crops and Products, 6/2021.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Chavarria, S.P.; Knox, C.; Ogden, K.L. 2022. Building Education Capacity for
Bioeconomies. SBAR Briefing Paper. 2p. February.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Dehghanizadeh, M.; Brewer, C.E.; Romero, A.; Holguin, O.F.; Ogden, K.L. 2021.
Guayule Resin for Insect Repellents. SBAR Briefing Paper. 2p. October
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Idowu, O.J.; Ray, D.T.; Cruz, V.M.V.; Dierig, D.A. 2021. Guayule Growing Range
Expansion in the Southwest. SBAR Briefing Paper. 2p. October
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Neilson, J.; McMahan, C.; Ponciano, G. 2022. Impacts of Soil Microbiome on Guayule
Rubber Production. SBAR Briefing Paper. 2p. January.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Ogden, K.L.; Ray, D.T.; Chavarria, S.P.; Dierig, D.A. 2022. Guayule-Based Job
Creation in the Arid Regions Bioeconomy. SBAR Briefing Paper. 2p. January.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Ogden, K.L.; Ray, D.T.; Quinn, J.C.; McMahan, C.; Brewer, C.E. 2021. Sustainable
Bio-economy for Arid Regions. SBAR Briefing Paper. 2p. October.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Pradyawong, S.; Ogden, K.L. 2021. Guayule Resin for Adhesives. SBAR Briefing
Paper. 2p. October.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Quinn, J.C.; Seavert, C.; Ogden, K.L.; Fan, N.; Miller, M.; Teegerstrom, T. 2021.
Sustainability of Guayule-based Natural Rubber Production. SBAR Briefing Paper.
October 2021.
|
Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience:During the reporting period, the SBAR Center of Excellence continued to reach its defined target audiences including industry representatives across the United States (aviation fuel segment, rubber industry, guar industry); Native American and Hispanic Farmer communities of the Southwest; regional independent growers (specifically in Arizona and New Mexico); environmental sustainability groups; water conservation groups; federal and non-federal researchers; extension professionals; educators; university graduate and undergraduate students; high school interns; and under-served K-12 youth. Changes/Problems:As a result of the COVID pandemic (described in last year's annual report), some of the planned SBAR research activities had to be halted for much of 2020. This resulted in meeting fewer targets and a reduction in the dissemination of research results via outreach during the year. Many of the field and lab tasks were halted or severely curtailed due to institutional closures, and student staffing for field-related activities became impossible when facilities closed. Although some target objectives remain possible to complete, we are evaluating the need to request a no cost extension to fully complete research tasks and finalize research results in an organized fashion. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?TRAINING A variety of training activities occurred during Year 4 - mostly one-on-one discussions among industry representatives and SBAR research colleagues. COVID required many typical activities to shift to a virtual platform, so training sessions were provided on how to best utilize these tools within the SBAR context. As new students and technicians were brought into the project, they were trained in existing protocols for implementing specific research tasks (either laboratory or field tasks). PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Virtual professional development trainings were offered to SBAR students throughout the year. Most team meetings were shifted to a virtual platform, which required that the whole team become proficient in utilizing the available virtual tools to conduct regular work (meetings, research discussions, presentations, etc.). New post-docs joining the team midway through the year were also provided professional development training in their specific fields that facilitated their adjustments to SBAR. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Year 4 results from SBAR work have been disseminated through presentations at various meetings, workshops, and conferences. Because of COVID, many of these presentations were provided in a digital/virtual format. Additional outreach has occurred through the SBAR website, which provides details about upcoming events and planned project activities, and through press releases and general media coverage. The SBAR webpage was visited by people in 48 different states of the USA, plus Washington DC, during 2020. There were 5,473 unique sessions during 2020, which is an increase of over 1,700 sessions from the previous year. Page views occurred in 65 different countries around the world (top two: USA and India), including 22 countries that have not visited the website previously (Algeria, Bahrain, Belize, Bolivia, Cameroon, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, Grenada, Greece, Hungary, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Norway, Oman, Puerto Rico, Romania, Serbia, Switzerland, Tunisia, and Uganda). Even though the website visitors are diversifying, visitors from the USA are still the most common. Project researchers have presented on SBAR-related topics (planned activities, accomplishments, outcomes, etc.) in Albany, CA; Boise, ID; Clovis, NM; Fort Collins, CO; Golden, CO; Houghton, MI; Las Cruces, NM; Laughlin, NV; Portales, NM; Salt Lake City, UT; Tucson, AZ; Tucumcari, NM; and Tandojam, Pakistan. An additional 23 presentations were provided in virtual formats. The Executive Project Director (Dr. Kimberly Ogden) was an invited speaker at the Southwest Indian Agricultural Association meeting that occurred in January 2020, where a number of Tribes were represented through their Tribal Growers (target audience). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?FEEDSTOCK DEVELOPMENT & PRODUCTION Planned Activities - Year 5 • Complete the second year of the new irrigation experiment for guayule. • Evaluate transformed guayule for flowering and rubber content. • Continue and complete existing phenotyping studies in Arizona and New Mexico. • Determine nitrogen levels to support optimum growth in guayule via a greenhouse study. • Evaluate promising guayule germplasm lines for salt tolerance. CHARACTERIZATIONS & CO-PRODUCTS Planned Activities - Year 5 • Support guayule and guar agronomic trials and sustainability modeling efforts by providing biomass characterization analyses and extraction/conversion yields. • Conduct guayule resin separation, characterization, and application (adhesives, insect repellents) testing to identify technically and economically feasible chemical co-products. • Understand and demonstrate ability to modify guayule metabolite formation and biotransformation for enhancement of production of desired compounds. SYSTEM PERFORMANCE & SUSTAINABILITY Planned Activities - Year 5 • Development of Water Life Cycle Assessment for guayule and guar across the desert southwest based on AWARE methods. • Integration of field trial data with results for economic and life cycle impacts determined. • Stochastic modeling of the two crops with distributions informed by sensitivity results and field trial data. • Improvements in foundational process model to incorporate alternative co-product developments. • Transportation logistics evaluation including harvest scheduling. • Dissemination of results through peer review publications and extension publications. EDUCATION Planned Activities - Year 5 • Refine and prepare lessons and modules for online access. These will include tutorials and all accompanying presentation files, activity instructions, and (digital) lab demonstrations. • Record videos of researchers, growers, and extension experts to accompany lessons and represent different careers. • Continue to work with existing teachers in very limited capacity per lesson refinement needs. • Promote SBAR via Community Share (online system) and work with graduate student SBAR Fellows to create profiles so they can offer presentations for online learning, Q&A sessions, and content research support. EXTENSION & OUTREACH (including YOUTH DEVELOPMENT) Planned Activities - Year 5 • Continue with on-station guar and guayule demonstration trials in New Mexico (Las Cruces, Los Lunas, and Clovis Agricultural Science Centers) to determine optimal seeding density for guar in New Mexico. • Host multiple field days at each of the on-station demonstration trial locations, dependent on COVID-19 restrictions. • Host a guayule field day in collaboration with Bridgestone Americas, Inc. • Recruit farmers in New Mexico to test guar on their farms. • Release factsheets and extension publications on guar in New Mexico, and guayule in Arizona. • Development and publication of newsletters that highlight guar and guayule research. • Host a roundtable meeting on guar production with extension agents in New Mexico. • Develop infographics for SBAR key concepts that will be used in educational, youth development, and extension materials. • Host a workshop to facilitate the development of Agri-Science Projects via youth enrichment programs (FFA, 4-H). • Work with New Mexico youth to promote SBAR related Agri-Science projects as part of their FFA SAE. • Record video blogs describing FFA experiments in English and Spanish.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
SBAR's multi-level research continued to identify opportunities and strategies for the development of a sustainable bioeconomy in the Southwest centered on guayule (perennial) and guar (annual). A summary of specific accomplishments in Year 4 (2020) is provided below: FEEDSTOCK DEVELOPMENT & PRODUCTION The Feedstock Development and Production Team focuses on improving biomass quantity and quality through traditional breeding and high-throughput phenotyping characteristics; improving agronomic production practices for guayule and guar; conducting irrigation experiments in guayule and guar; developing comprehensive and broadly applicable irrigation apps; and developing soil quality and soil health knowledge for long-term environmental sustainability. In 2020, the second year of regional yield tests were completed for both guayule and guar, agronomic and irrigation field tests were completed, a new guayule irrigation experiment was established, and bioengineering experiments were performed to reduce or eliminate flowering in guayule. Accomplishments - Year 4 • Monitor growth and yield of guayule breeding, agronomic, and irrigation field trials in Arizona including soil health and microbe sampling. • Conduct second year of guar yield tests at three (3) locations: two locations in New Mexico, and one location in Arizona. • Recover genetically modified guayule plants and evaluate phenotypes: flowering, rubber and resin production, etc. • Evaluate chemical, physical, and biological properties of guayule field plants harvested to assess plant "dormancy." • Continue irrigation experiments to determine effective watering regimes for maintaining optimum guayule and guar production rates, and develop sensors and models for irrigation optimization. • Continue herbicide application studies on guayule working toward labeling compounds for production. • Screen guayule germplasm for salt tolerance; increase and retest progeny of tolerant plants. • Continue tests to evaluate guayule's growth response to nitrogen and phosphorus. CHARACTERIZATIONS & CO-PRODUCTS The Characterizations and Co-Products Team focuses on evaluating how seasonality, processing, and storage affect product distribution and quality, conversion efficiency, and economics; identify economic co-products in guayule and guar; and provide analytical support for feedstock development. In year four of the project (2020), the research team concentrated efforts on literature review of guayule resin chemistry and applications, characterization of guayule plant tissues and resin products, and the metabolic formation and biological transformation of guayule terpenoid compounds. Accomplishments - Year 4 • Supported guayule and guar agronomic trials and sustainability modeling efforts by providing metabolite, resin, and bagasse characterization analyses and conversion yields. • Conducted guayule resin separation, characterization, and application (adhesives, insect repellents) testing to identify technically and economically feasible chemical co-products. • Performed guayule metabolite biotransformation studies to understand guayule secondary metabolism and to identify products with high value/medicinal applications. SYSTEM PERFORMANCE & SUSTAINABILITY The System Performance and Sustainability team focuses on evaluating the economic and environmental impacts of guayule- and guar. In the fourth year of the project (2020), the team completed a high-level social sustainability assessment, integrated field trial data into foundational modeling, made improvements to the engineering process model, continued investigation of transportation logistics, and published/disseminated results through peer reviewed publications and enterprise budgets. The sustainability model includes modularity at the farm level to evaluate the impact of rotating in guayule and guar with traditional farming systems, feedstock logistics for biomass delivery from the farm to processing, and modular downstream processing for the evaluation of various biorefining pathways. The work planned for Year 5 will be focused on continuing to provide guidance to the SBAR team on the metrics of sustainability while expanding efforts to disseminate information to reach rural communities and industry. Research will focus on water LCA, field trial data integration, and the evaluation of alternative biorefining concepts. Accomplishments - Year 4 • Sensitivity, scenario, and Monte Carlo analysis leveraging the integrated TEA/LCA model. • Detailed co-product evaluation and value add propositions that support guayule biorefinery industry concepts. • Dissemination of results and information to rural communities and industry focusing on developing a guayule- and guar-based economy. • Improved modeling fidelity with results used to continue to focus R&D efforts. • Integration of field trial data into sustainability modeling. EDUCATION The Education Team focuses on training teams of graduate student fellows and teacher mentors with a strategic effort with rural populations and under-represented groups; and develops and disseminates agricultural bioenergy and bioproduct K-12 learning modules. In year four (2020), the Education Team had planned for small teacher outreach trainings using digital tools and were on track towards this plan when COVID-19 hit. The Team pivoted the work and adjusted as needed in response to infection/closure situations in Arizona and New Mexico. Even though the original plan was to offer virtual opportunities for teachers, with physical school closures the teachers themselves were overwhelmed with having to learn how to teach fully online. This resulted in the loss of access to teachers, which required the SBAR Fellow's role to pivot as well. Meeting fellows in person was not permitted, so planned activities shifted to lesson refinement using Zoom as the medium. COVID-19 allowed a more intense approach to teaching fellows proper curriculum design that is engaging while also culturally responsive, which is a time intensive process. Because of physical distancing requirements, the Education Team also implemented recordings and interviews using Zoom or in distanced outdoor settings. Accomplishments - Year 4 • Due to COVID (beginning 30 March 2020) - worked with existing teacher partners as possible given the challenges they faced switching to online learning only. • Continued working with two Native American educators working from communities in Arizona but to a limited capacity providing guidance and support per online help. • Expanded resources available through SBAR website. • Refocused work with SBAR Fellows and pivoted to working on lesson editing, refining, and recordings via interviews of some SBAR personnel and partners. EXTENSION & OUTREACH (including YOUTH DEVELOPMENT) The Extension & Outreach Team focuses on producing extension bulletins and web materials to inform growers of agronomic and irrigation requirements; holding workshops throughout the region on sustainable practices to expand crop production to new rural regions and Native Nation lands; and involving youth in internships, 4-H projects, and STEM summer camps. Accomplishments - Year 4 • On-station and on-farm guar and guayule demonstration trials in New Mexico were conducted (Las Cruces, Los Lunas, and Clovis Agricultural Science Centers). • Hosted a one-day workshop focused on alternative crops for the arid Southwest, specifically guar and guayule. • Released two newsletters to SBAR stakeholders that highlight guar and guayule research. • Guayule plant guide was published. • Modified SBAR curriculum for 4-H audiences, created new 4-H and FFA curriculum, and recruited/trained adult 4-H staff and volunteers. • Trained middle-school Agriculture teachers and students in New Mexico using the SBAR FFA Curriculum.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Chen, F.; Bayat, H.; Jena, U.; Brewer, C.E. 2020. Impact of feedstock composition on pyrolysis of low-cost, protein and lignin-rich biomass: a review. Journal of Analytical & Applied Pyrolysis, 147, 104780, DOI: 10.1016/j.jaap.2020.104780.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Chen, F.; Dehghanizadeh, M.; Audu, M.A.; Jarvis, J.M.; Holguin, F.O.; Brewer,
C.E. 2020. Characterization and evaluation of guayule processing residues as potential feedstock for biofuel and chemical production. Industrial Crops and Products, 150, 112311. DOI: 10.1016/j.indcrop.2020.112311.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Chen, Y.; Neilson, J.W.; Kushwaha, P.; Maier, R.M.; Barberan, A. 2020. Life-history strategies of soil microbial communities in an arid ecosystem. ISME J (International Society of Microbial Ecology Journal) https://doi.org/10.1038/s41396-020-00803-y
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Cheng, F.; Dehghanizadeh, M.; Audu, M.A.; Jarvis, J.M.; Holguin, F.O.; Brewer,
C.E. 2020. Characterization and evaluation of guayule processing residues as
potential feedstock for biofuel and chemical production. Industrial Crop & Products. 150, 112311. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2020.112311
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Dehghanizadeh, M.; Cheng, F.; Jarvis, J.M.; Holguin, F.O. Brewer, C.E. 2020.
Characterization of resin extracted from guayule (Parthenium argentatum): A dataset including GC-MS and FT-ICR MS. Data in Brief, 31, 105989.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2020.105989. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2020.105989.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Dehghanizadeh, M.; Mendoza-Moreno, P.; Sproul, E.; Bayat, H.; Quinn, J.;
Brewer, C.E. 2021. Guayule (Parthenium argentatum) resin: A review of chemistry,
extraction techniques and applications. Industrial Crops & Products. 165 (2021) 13410. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2021.113410
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Sproul, E.; Summers, H.M.; Seavert, C.; Robbs, J.; Khanal, S.; Mealing, V.;
Landis, A.E.; Fan, N.; Sun, O.; Quinn, J.C. 2020. Integrated techno-economic and
environmental analysis of guayule rubber production. Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 273, 2020, ISSN 0959-6526, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.122811
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Singh, J.; Guzman, I.; Begna, S.; Trostle, C.; Angadi, S.V. 2021. Germination and early growth response of guar cultivars to low temperatures. Industrial Crops and Products. Volume 159, 2021, 113082, ISSN 0926-6690.
DOI:10.1016/j.indcrop.2020.113082
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Sun, O.; Fan, N. 2020. A Review on Optimization Methods for Biomass Supply Chain:
Models and Algorithms, Sustainable Issues, Challenges and Opportunities. Process
Integration and Optimization for Sustainability, published online first, 3/2020.
DOI:10.1007/s41660-020-00108-9
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Zuniga-Vasquez, D.A.; Sun, O.; Fan, N.; Sproul, E.; Summers, H.M.; Quinn, J.C.;
Khanal, S.; Gutierrez, P.; Mealing, V.A.; Landis, A.E.; Seavert, C.; Teegerstrom,
T.; Evancho, B. 2021. Integrating Environmental and Social Impacts into Optimal
Design of Guayule and Guar Supply Chains. Computers and Chemical Engineering.
DOI: 10.1016/j.compchemeng.2021.107223
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Ledesma, J.*; Ossanna, L; Pacido, D.; El-Shikha, D.E.; Dong, C.; Ponciano, G.;
McMahan, C.; Maier, R.M.; Neilson, J.W. 2020. Associations between soil
rhizosphere bioavailable phosphorus, phosphorus solubilizing microorganisms, and
guayule growth stage and rubber production. Senior Capstone Thesis, University of
Arizona, Tucson, Arizona.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Singh, Jagdeep. 2020. Guar growth and development under pre-irrigation and inseason
irrigation management in the Southern High Plains. Master of Science Thesis,
New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Dehghanizadeh, M.*; Brewer, C.E. 2020. Guayule resin: chemistry, extraction, and
applications, 2020 ASABE Annual International Meeting, Virtual. 13-15 July. DOI:
10.13031/aim.202001143.
|
Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/20
Outputs
Target Audience:During this reporting period, SBAR continued to reach its defined target audiences including industry representatives across the United States (aviation fuel segment, rubber industry, guar industry); Native American and Hispanic Farmer communities of the Southwest; regional independent growers (specifically in Arizona and New Mexico); environmental sustainability groups; water conservation groups; federal and non-federal researchers; extension professionals; educators; university graduate and undergraduate students; high school interns; and under-served K-12 youth. EFFORTS Specific efforts undertaken that reach the target audiences listed above: Outreached to stakeholders to fill stragetic gaps on the Advisory Board; welcomed 2 new Board members. Conference presentations at multiple professional research meetings in the United States (Angadi et al. 2019; Angadi et al. 2019; Audu et al. 2019; Cheng et al. 2019; Cheng et al. 2019; El-Shikha et al. 2019; Garcia et al. 2019; Gonzalez et al. 2019; Grover et al. 2019; Hoare et al. 2019; Khanal et al. 2019; Levy et al. 2019; Lewis et al. 2019; Maqsood et al. 2019; Marinez et al. 2019; McMahan et al. 2019; Mealing et al. 2019; Ossanna et al. 2019; Ponciano et al. 2019; Pruitt et al. 2019; Rogstad 2019; Rosalez et al. 2019; Sapkota et al. 2019; Singh J. et al. 2019; Soliz et al. 2019; Soto et al. 2019; Sproul et al. 2019; Sproul et al. 2019; Summers et al. 2019; Usrey et al. 2019; Wang et al. 2019; Wright et al. 2019; Zuniga-Vasquez 2019) Conference presentations at multiple professional research meetings outside of the United States - Canada (Mealing et al. 2019) Presentations at regional and local grower workshops, symposia, and meetings (Brown et al. 2019; Evancho 2019; Garcia et al. 2019; Idowu et al. 2019; Khanal et al. 2019; Singh J. et al. 2019) Presentations at local seminar events (Bayat et al. 2019; Brown et al. 2019; Dehghanizadeh et al. 2019; Dong et al. 2019; El-Shikha et al. 2019; Evancho 2019; Evancho et al. 2019; Gonzalez et al. 2019; Huynh et al. 2019; Khanal et al. 2019; Leo 2019; Lewis 2019; McMahan 2019; Mealing 2019; Neilson 2019; Rodriguez-Uribe 2019; Sun 2019; Zuniga-Vasquez 2019) Presentations at local Extension events geared to growers and/or producers (Evancho 2019; Gloria et al. 2019; Grover 2019; McCloskey 2019; Singh J. et al. 2019) Presentations at local Extension events geared to 4-H participants and/or youth (Grover 2019; Grover 2019) Distributed fact sheets on guayule and guar through tabling events at Extension Field Days, grower conferences, and through one-on-one contacts. Hosted a 4-H youth biofuel camp in Tucson, Arizona for XX under-served youth (Hispanic and Native American). Sponsored and facilitated an internship program for high school students interested in pursuing bioenergy-related, agricultural-related, or agricultural science careers or college programs. Hosted a teacher professional development week-long, biofuel/bioenergy training camp for K-12 teachers to train them on related curriculum and ways to incorporate activities and lessons into existing course plans. Selected second cohort of SBAR Graduate Fellows in Arizona and New Mexico, who are teamed with professional educator mentors, and participate in program implementation for at least one full year. Teams design curriculum focused on SBAR topics like arid land agriculture, guayule, guar, and bioeconomies. Changes/Problems:FEEDSTOCK DEVELOPMENT & PRODUCTION Although no variance occurred for the reporting period (Jan-Dec 2019), some field trial and greenhouse activities were halted in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This limits the ability to complete field plantings and monitoring trials, and reduces the greenhouse and transformation experiments to "keeping the plants alive". Some feedstock development and production experiments have been put on hold until access to fields, greenhouses and laboratories can be safely restored. POST-HARVEST LOGISTICS & CO-PRODUCTS Although no variance occurred for the reporting period (Jan-Dec 2019), nearly all laboratory activities were halted in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This severely limits the ability to perform separation, characterization, and testing experiments. Research efforts have been temporarily refocused on result dissemination and literature review activities until access to the laboratories can be safely restored. SYSTEM PERFORMANCE & SUSTAINABILITY Although no variance occurred for the reporting period (Jan-Dec 2019), beginning in March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted individual team members. Many System Performance and Sustainability researchers are now working hard to balance additional personal commitments and responsibilities, but it is not expected to impact productivity. As the System Performance and Sustainability team is primarily a modeling team, there has been relatively minimal impact to the on-going research. However, closures of partner facilities and research labs increases the response time for obtaining necessary data, which impacts the overall modeling work. EXTENSION & OUTREACH Although no variance occurred for the reporting period (Jan-Dec 2019), processing the field harvest data from the guar demonstration trials was affected by COVID-19 pandemic due to the closure of our field processing laboratories in the middle of March 2020. This will likely result in the delay of results compilation for the demonstration trials that were conducted in 2019. It is hoped that the laboratory processing of the harvest produce will be completed as soon as the lockdown is lifted. Further, as a result of the pandemic responses enacted in March, Extension workshops, trainings, internships, and 4-H activities were either cancelled, moved to virtual meetings/activities, or postponed to later dates. This may affect Year 4 outcomes, especially since we are uncertain how excited or not excited students and volunteers may be in regards to doing something like an "On-Line 4-H Camp." EDUCATION Although no variance occurred for the reporting period (Jan-Dec 2019), school closures and the shift to remote learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic have reduced the feasibility of in-person activities starting in March 2020. This includes in-class lessons by SBAR Fellows, in-class vetting of hands-on activities, and in-person afterschool programs. Recruitment of youth and teachers for summer 2020 activities is likely to be substantially limited. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?TRAINING A variety of training activities occurred during Year 3 - mostly one-on-one discussions, site tours, and "shadow" opportunities provided by industry representatives to SBAR research colleagues. As new students and technicians were brought into the project, they were trained in existing protocols for implementing specific research tasks (either laboratory or field tasks). PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT A summer professiona development (PD) opportunity over 2 weeks in July were hosted for SBAR Teacher Mentors, graduate student fellows and other educators, which reached over 30 participants. The sessions were hosted at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM (1-3 July) and at the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ (8-13 July). Both sessions were also provided virtually via Zoom to participants in each state that were unable to travel. The summer PD allowed for the teachers and fellows to work collaboratively, plan for the year and develop a draft lesson plan. The NM workshop was more focused on advanced scientific concepts and the AZ PD was more focused on collaborative co-design. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Year 3 results from the SBAR project have been disseminated through presentations at various meetings, workshops, and conferences. Additional outreach has occurred through extension-focused newsletters, through press releases and general media coverage. The SBAR website has also been utlized as a tool for wider dissemination of progress made, it provides details about upcoming events and planned project activites, as well as highlights of on-going research and activities. There were 3,764 unique website sessions from January - December 2019. Page views occurred in 61 different countries this year (top two: USA and India), including 41 countries that had not visited the website previously. Even though website visitors are diversifying, visitors from the USA, India, Iran, China, Mexico, and Pakistan account for about 90% of site visits overall.The SBAR webpage was visited by people in 15 different US states between July and December, 2018, and in 41 different US states during the 2019 calendar year. Project researchers have presented on SBAR-related topics (planned activities, accomplishments, outcomes, etc.) in Albany, CA; Boston, MA; Casa Grande, AZ; Clovis, NM; Denver, CO; Eloy, AZ; Fort Collins, CO; Golden, CO; Las Cruces, NM; Los Lunas, NM; Marana, AZ; Maricopa, AZ; Orlando, FL; Pasco, WA; Portland, OR; San Antonio, TX; Snowbird, UT; Tucson, AZ; Vancouver, Canada; and Washington, DC. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?FEEDSTOCK DEVELOPMENT & PRODUCTION Planned Year 4 Activities Monitor growth and yield of guayule breeding, agronomic, and irrigation field trials in Arizona including soil health and microbe sampling. Conduct second year of guar yield tests at three (3) locations: two locations in New Mexico, and one location in Arizona. Recover genetically modified guayule plants and evaluate phenotypes: flowering, rubber and resin production, etc. Evaluate chemical, physical, and biological properties of guayule field plants harvested to assess plant "dormancy." Continue irrigation experiments to determine effective watering regimes for maintaining optimum guayule and guar production rates, and develop sensors and models for irrigation optimization. Continue herbicide application studies on guayule working toward labeling compounds for production. Screen guayule germplasm for salt tolerance; increase and retest progeny of tolerant plants. Continue tests to evaluate guayule's growth response to nitrogen and phosphorus. POST-HARVEST LOGISTICS & CO-PRODUCTS Planned Year 4 Activities Support guayule and guar agronomic trials and sustainability modeling efforts by providing metabolite, resin, and bagasse characterization analyses and conversion yields. Conduct guayule resin separation, characterization, and application testing experiments to identify technically and economically feasible chemical co-products. Perform guayule metabolite biotransformation studies to understand guayule secondary metabolism and to identify products with anti-cancer and antimicrobial properties. SYSTEM PERFORMANCE & SUSTAINABILITY Planned Year 4 Activities Sensitivity, Scenario, and Monte Carlo analysis leveraging the integrated TEA/LCA model. Detailed co-product evaluation and value add propositions that support guayule biorefinery industry concepts. Dissemination of results and information to rural communities and industry focusing on developing a guayule- and guar-based economy. Improved modeling fidelity with results used to continue to focus R&D efforts. Integration of field trial data into sustainability modeling. EXTENSION & OUTREACH Planned Year 4 Activities Continue with on-station and on-farm guar and guayule demonstration trials in New Mexico (Las Cruces, Los Lunas, and Clovis Agricultural Science Centers). Organize a one-day workshop focused on alternative crops for the arid Southwest, specifically guar and guayule. Development and publication of quarterly newsletters and extension articles that highlight guar and guayule research. Complete appropriate modifications to SBAR curriculum for 4-H audiences, create new 4-H and FFA curriculum, and recruit/train adult 4-H staff and volunteers. Organize and implement a SBAR/4-H Summer workshop (tentatively titled: "Searching for Alternative Crops for Arid Regions"). Train middle-school Agriculture teachers and students in New Mexico using the SBAR FFA Curriculum. EDUCATION Planned Year 4 Activities Refine and prepare lessons and modules for online access. These will include tutorials and all accompanying presentation files, activity instructions, and (digital) lab demonstrations. Record videos of researchers, growers, and extension experts to accompany lessons and represent different careers. Record videos of lab demonstrations, field trips, and tutorials with fellows and teachers. Offer digital lesson training over summer and support teachers with lesson execution via graduate student fellows. Fellows will offer presentations, Q&A sessions, and content research support.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
SBAR is a multi-level research project that is cultivating two desert-dwelling crops, guayule and guar, for a sustainable bioeconomy. Combined, guayule (perennial) and guar (annual) feedstocks can provide biomass year round for biofuel production. Scaling up to profitable production, however, requires feedstock improvements, expansion of cultivation, agronomic knowledge and practices, and economic crop residue utilization. Growers across the Southwest will then need to be informed about new opportunities for enhancing their farm economies. Further, disseminating newly learned information through traditional (K-12 schools) and non-traditional (4-H Youth Groups, FFA agricultural education, and internships) educational networks is critical for training the next generation in biofuel production for long-term sustainability. FEEDSTOCK DEVELOPMENT & PRODUCTION The Feedstock Development and Production Team focuses on improving biomass quantity and quality through traditional breeding and high-throughput phenotyping characteristics; improving agronomic production practices for guayule and guar; developing comprehensive and broadly applicable irrigation apps; and developing soil quality and soil health knowledge for long-term environmental sustainability. In 2019, the research team concentrated efforts on the establishment and monitoring of guayule and guar in field evaluations. Bioengineering experiments were performed aimed at reduced or eliminated flowering in guayule, expected to improve natural rubber content. Major Year 3 Accomplishments Monitor growth of guayule in seven (7) field trials across Arizona and New Mexico, including soil health and microbe sampling. Conduct guar yield tests at three (3) locations: two locations in New Mexico, and one location in Arizona. Recover genetically modified guayule plants and evaluate phenotypes: flowering, rubber and resin production, etc. Evaluate chemical, physical, and biological properties of guayule field plants harvested to assess plant "dormancy." Continue irrigation experiments to determine effective watering regimes for maintaining optimum guayule and guar production rates. POST-HARVEST LOGISTICS & CO-PRODUCTS The Post-Harvest Logistics and Co-Products Team focuses on evaluating how seasonality, processing, and storage affect product distribution and quality, conversion efficiency, and economics; demonstrate feasibility of farm to fuel conversion of bagasse; identify economic coproducts in guayule and guar; and provide analytical support for feedstock development. In year three of the project (2019), the research team concentrated efforts on literature review of guayule resin chemistry and applications, analysis of guar-soil interactions (nodules), and characterization of guayule plant tissue and resin products for applications. Major Year 3 Accomplishments Supported guayule and guar agronomic trials and sustainability modeling efforts by providing metabolite, resin and bagasse characterization analyses and conversion yields. Developed separation and high-resolution characterization methods for guayule resin composition. Performed chemical and biological transformations of guayule resin compounds for highvalue/medicinal applications. Designed experiments for testing guayule resin for adhesive, insect repellent, and polymer applications. Evaluated co-hydrothermal liquefaction of guayule bagasse and wastewater treatment algae for biofuel production. SYSTEM PERFORMANCE & SUSTAINABILITY The System Performance and Sustainability team focuses on evaluating the economic and environmental impact of guayule- and guar-based biorefining. The work is founded on a scalable and modular engineering process model for crop production processing. This foundation is coupled with Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) and Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) to understand the economic impact to rural communities through input-output methods; integrating regionally appropriate metrics and combining results from SBAR-developed data into sustainability models to provide a path to commercialization of biofuels and bioproducts; and interfacing with regional growers to de-risk production of guayule and guar in the United States while evaluating social impacts. In the third year of the project (2019), the research team focused on leveraging an integrated TEA/LCA model to identify critical areas and performance targets for experimental systems. The model includes modularity at the farm level to evaluate the impact of rotating in guayule and guar with traditional farming systems, feedstock logistics for biomass delivery from the farm to processing, and modular downstream processing for the evaluation of various biorefining pathways. The work planned for Year 4 will be focused on continuing to provide guidance to the SBAR team on the metrics of sustainability while expanding effort to disseminate information to reach rural communities and industry. Major Year 3 Accomplishments Model fidelity improvement with expanded capabilities to include multiple scenarios and pathways. Provide research direction and performance targets to the SBAR team based on sustainability targets. Continued presentation and dissemination of results through peer review channels. EXTENSION & OUTREACH The Extension & Outreach Team focuses on producing extension bulletins and web materials to inform growers of agronomic and irrigation requirements; holding workshops throughout the region on sustainable practices to expand crop production to new rural regions and Native Nation lands; and involving youth in internships, 4-H projects, and STEM summer camps. In the third year of the project (2019), the Extension & Outreach Team concentrated efforts on implementing field demonstration trials, and coordinating a summer internship program for high school youth. Major Year 3 Accomplishments Conduct on-station guar demonstration trials in New Mexico (Las Cruces, Los Lunas, and Clovis Agricultural Science Centers). Conduct on-station guayule demonstration trial in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Implement one large on-farm demonstration trail for guar and guayule (5-10 acre per site), and multiple small-scale demonstration trials for guar (0.5-1 acre per site). Continue to increase awareness to New Mexico and Arizona growers and stakeholders about the potential for guayule and guar as possible future crops. Produce quarterly newsletter on SBAR progress and next steps to inform growers and stakeholders. Design and implement a workshop/conference focused on guar and guayule in New Mexico (winter 2020). EDUCATION The Education Team focuses on training teams of graduate student fellows and teacher mentors with a strategic effort with rural populations and under-represented groups; and develops and disseminates agricultural bioenergy and bioproduct K-12 learning modules. In the third year of the project (2019), the Education Team reintroduced their 2-week summer training for the second cohort of graduate fellow-teacher mentor teams, launched the second graduate fellowship program (with minor revisions) that immersed students in middle school classrooms, and worked with cohort 1 graduate fellow-teacher mentor teams to refine and edit the lessons developed for individual classrooms. The revision process was in preparation for digital publication. In Fall 2019, the recording schedule of graduate students and teachers' "explainer videos" for future digital dissemination was initiated. Major Year 3 Accomplishments Expanded the number of graduate student-teacher mentor teams to 10 (6 in Arizona, 4 in New Mexico) to develop and vet activities in additional schools. Specifically recruited two educators working with Native American communities in Arizona. Strengthened the relationship with Tohono O'odham community to expand SBARrelated lesson adoption. Expanded resources available through SBAR website.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Cheng, F.; Jarvis, J.M.; Yu, J.; Jena, U.; Nirmalakhandan, N.; Schaub, T.M.;
Brewer, C.E. 2019. Bio-crude oil from hydrothermal liquefaction of wastewater microalgae in a pilot-scale continuous flow reactor, Bioresource Technology, 294, 122184, DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2019.122184
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Cheng, F.; Le-Doux, T.; Treftz, B.; Miller, J.; Woolf, S.; Yu, J.; Jena, U.; Brewer, C.E. 2019. Modification of a pilot-scale continuous flow reactor for hydrothermal liquefaction of wet biomass. MethodsX, 6, 2793-2806, DOI:
10.1016/j.mex.2019.11.019.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Luo, Z.; Thorp, K.R., Abdel-Haleem, H. 2019. A high-throughput quantification of resin and rubber contents in Parthenium argentatum using near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. Plant Methods 15, 154 (2019) doi:10.1186/s13007-019-0544-3.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Nelson, A.D. L.; Ponciano, G.; McMahan, C.; Ilut, D.C.; Pugh N.A.; Elshikha, D.E.; Hunsaker, D.J.; Pauli. D. 2019. Transcriptomic and evolutionary analysis of the mechanisms by which P. argentatum, a rubber producing perennial, responds to drought. BMC Plant Biology. 19:494.
https://bmcplantbiol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12870-019-2106-2
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Audu, M.; Dehghanizadeh, M.; Cheng, F.; Bayat*, H.; Holguin, O.; Jena, U.;
Brewer, C.E. 2019. Co-Products and Biofuels from Guar and Guayule Processing
Residues. 2019 ASABE Annual International Meeting. Boston, Massachusetts. 8 July. Paper #1900361.
- Type:
Book Chapters
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Abdell-Haleem H.; Luo Z.; Ray, D. 2019. Chapter 6. Genetic Improvement of
Guayule (Parthenium argentatum A. Gray): An Alternative Rubber Crop. In. J. Al-Khayri (ed.). Advances in Plant Breeding Strategies: Industrial and Food Crops. Springer Nature Switzerland AG (Invited Book Chapter). p.151-178.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Cruz, V.M.V.; Lynch, A.; Wang, G.S.; Dittmar, S.; Sullivan, T.; Prock, R.; Niaura, W.; Dierig, D.A. 2019. Guayule germplasm characterization for variation in ploidy and biomass production. In: 31st Annual Meeting Program and Abstracts of the Association for the Advancement of Industrial Crops. Cruz, V.M.V. and Berti, M. (eds.).Tucson, Arizona. 8-11 September. p. 36.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Dehghanizadeh, M.*; Cheng, F.; Jarvis, J.M.; Holguin, F.O.; Brewer, C.E. 2019. High Resolution Mass Spectrometry for Characterization of Resin from Guayule (Parthenium argentatum). In: 31st Annual Meeting Program and Abstracts of the Association for the Advancement of Industrial Crops. Cruz, V.M.V. and Berti, M. (eds.). Tucson, Arizona. 8-11 September. p. 39.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Dierig, D.A.; Wang, G.S.; El-Shikha, D.E.M.; Sullivan, T.; Dittmar, S.; Cruz, V.M.V.
2019. Guayule growth and yield over time at two locations at high and low irrigation
treatments. In: 31st Annual Meeting Program and Abstracts of the Association for the
Advancement of Industrial Crops. Cruz, V.M.V. and Berti, M. (eds.).Tucson, Arizona.
8-11 September. p. 31.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Dong, C.; Ponciano, G.; Wang, Y.; Huo, N.; Hunsaker, D.; El-Shikha, D.E.M.; Gu,
Y.Q.; McMahan, C. 2019. Gene expression of guayule field plants under drought
stress: A comparative RNA-Seq study. In: 31st Annual Meeting Program and Abstracts
of the Association for the Advancement of Industrial Crops. Cruz, V.M.V. and Berti, M.
(eds.).Tucson, Arizona. 8-11 September. p. 35.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
El-Shikha, D.E.M.*; Waller, P.M.; Hunsaker, D.J.; Dierig, D.A.; Wang, G.S.; Cruz,
V.M.V.; Thorp, K.R.; Bronson, K.F.; Katterman, M.E. 2019. Growth and yield of
direct-seeded guayule under SDI and furrow irrigation. In: 31st Annual Meeting
Program and Abstracts of the Association for the Advancement of Industrial Crops.
Cruz, V.M.V. and Berti, M. (eds.).Tucson, Arizona. 8-11 September. p. 30.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Khanal, S.; Robbs, J.; Acharya, R.; Gutierrez, P. 2019. Import demand and potential
for domestic production of guar. In: 31st Annual Meeting Program and Abstracts of the
Association for the Advancement of Industrial Crops. Cruz, V.M.V. and Berti, M.
(eds.).Tucson, Arizona. 8-11 September. p. 43.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Maqsood, H.; Waller, P.; El-Shikha, D.E.M.; Hunsaker, D.; Katterman, M.E.; Dierig,
D.A.; Wang, G.S.; Ogden, K. 2019. Assessment of irrigation requirement for guayule
using WINDS model. In: 31st Annual Meeting Program and Abstracts of the
Association for the Advancement of Industrial Crops. Cruz, V.M.V. and Berti, M.
(eds.).Tucson, Arizona. 8-11 September. p. 32.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Maqsood, H.; Angadi, S.; El-Shikha, D.E.M.; Waller, P.; Singh, J.; Hunsaker, D.;
Barau, B. 2019. Evaluating crop water status for guar using WINDS model. In: 31st
Annual Meeting Program and Abstracts of the Association for the Advancement of
Industrial Crops. Cruz, V.M.V. and Berti, M. (eds.).Tucson, Arizona. 8-11 September.
p. 42.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
McCloskey, W.; Wang, G.S. 2019. Guayule (Parthenium argentatum A. Gray)
seedling tolerance to topically applied carfentrazine-ethyl herbicide. In: 31st Annual
Meeting Program and Abstracts of the Association for the Advancement of Industrial
Crops. Cruz, V.M.V. and Berti, M. (eds.). Tucson, Arizona. 8-11 September. p. 34.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Placido, D.F.; Dong, N.; Pham, T.; Huynh, T.; Amer, B.; Baidoo, E.; McMahan, C.
2019. Down-regulation of squalene synthase in guayule (Parthenium argentatum). In:
31st Annual Meeting Program and Abstracts of the Association for the Advancement of
Industrial Crops. Cruz, V.M.V. and Berti, M. (eds.).Tucson, Arizona. 8-11 September.
p. 37.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Seavert, C.; Teegerstrom, T.*; Gutierrez, P.; Khanal, S. 2019. Whole farm analysis
tool for evaluating the adoption of guayule and guar into southwest producers current
operation. In: 31st Annual Meeting Program and Abstracts of the Association for the
Advancement of Industrial Crops. Cruz, V.M.V. and Berti, M. (eds.).Tucson, Arizona.
8-11 September. p. 40. Best Oral Presentation Award for the Rubber and Resin
Division.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Wang, G.S.; Dierig, D.A.; Ray, D.T. 2019. Guayule response to plant population. In:
31st Annual Meeting Program and Abstracts of the Association for the Advancement of
Industrial Crops. Cruz, V.M.V. and Berti, M. (eds.). Tucson, Arizona. 8-11 September.
p. 38.
|
Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/19
Outputs
Target Audience:TARGET AUDIENCES REACHED During the reporting period, the SBAR Project continued to reach its defined target audiences including industry representatives across the United States (aviation fuel segment, rubber industry, guar industry); Native American and Hispanic Farmer communities of the Southwest; regional independent growers (specifically in Arizona and New Mexico); environmental sustainability groups; water conservation groups; federal and non-federal researchers; extension professionals; educators; university graduate and undergraduate students; high school interns; and under-served K-12 youth. EFFORTS Specific efforts undertaken that reach the target audiences listed above: Outreached to a variety of groups and experts to identify Advisory Board members from specific stakeholder groups to fill identified gaps on the Board. Conference presentations at multiple professional research meetings in the United States (Brewer 2018; Cheng et al. 2018; Garcia et al. 2018; Garcia et al. 2018; Godfrey et al. 2018; Grover 2018; Lopez 2018; Lopez et al. 2018; Mealing 2018; Mealing et al. 2018; Ogden 2018; Ogden et al. 2018; Rogstad 2018; Sun 2018; Summers et al. 2018; Willmon et al. 2018). Conference presentations at multiple professional research meetings outside of the United States - Bosnia, India (Angadi et al. 2018) Presentations at regional grower workshops, symposia, and meetings (Angadi 2018; Brown et al. 2018; Evancho et al. 2018; Garcia et al. 2018; Gloria et al. 2018; Grover 2018; Grover and Garcia 2018; Idowu 2018; Mi et al. 2018; Singh et al. 2018) Presentations at local seminar events (Brown and Neilson 2018; Cheng 2018; El-Shikha 2018; Evancho 2018; Fan 2018; Garcia et al. 2018; Gloria et al. 2018; Godfrey et al. 2018; Hoare 2018; Maqsood 2018; McCloskey 2018; McMahan 2018; Niu 2018; Sun 2018; Sun and Fan 2018; Waller 2018; Willmon et al. 2018) Presentations at local Extension events geared to youth (Brewer 2018; Grover 2018; Rock and Brassill 2018; Skuse et al. 2018) Distributed fact sheets on guayule and guar through tabling events at Extension Field Days, grower conferences, and through one-on-one contacts. Hosted a 4-H Youth biofuel camp in Tucson, AZ, for 9 under-served youth (Hispanic and Native Americans). Sponsored and facilitated an internship program for high school students interested in pursuing bioenergy-related, agricultural-related, or agricultural science careers or college programs. Hosted a teacher professional development week-long, biofuel/bioenergy training camp for K-12 teachers to train them on related curriculum and ways to incorporate activities and lessons into existing course plans. Selected second cohort of SBAR Graduate Fellows, who will be teamed with professional educator mentors, and participate in program implementation for at least one full year. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?TRAINING A variety of training activities occurred during Year 2 - mostly one-on-one discussions, site tours, and "shadow" opportunities provided by industry representatives to SBAR research colleagues. As new students and technicians were brought into the project, they were trained in existing protocols for implementing specific research tasks (either laboratory or field tasks). PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT A one-week professional development opportunity was provided in June 2018 for twelve (12) professional teachers from Arizona and New Mexico. The intent of the professional development session was to provide teachers with biofuel-related lessons and activities so that they could be incorporated into existing classroom materials. Additional training was provided during this professional development session for the SBAR Graduate Fellows and teachers in communication skill development related to biofuel/bioenergy lessons. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Year 2 results from the SBAR project have been disseminated through presentations at various meetings, workshops, and conferences. Additional outreach has occurred through the SBAR website, which provides details about upcoming events and planned project activities, and through press releases and general media coverage. Project researchers have presented on SBAR-related topics (planned activities, accomplishments, outcomes, etc.) in Albany, CA; Albuquerque, NM; Artesia, NM; Auburn, AL; Baltimore, MD; Clovis, NM; Fort Collins, CO; Golden, CO; Jahorina, Bosnia; Lakewood, CO; Las Cruces, NM; Las Vegas, NV; Laughlin, NV; Los Lunas, NM; Maricopa, AZ; Phoenix, AZ; Pittsburg, PA; Provo, UT; Tucson, AZ; Udaipur, India; and Washington, DC. The project PI (Dr. Kimberly Ogden) was an invited speaker at the Southwest Indian Agricultural Association meeting that occurred in January 2018, where a number of Tribes were represented through their Tribal Growers (target audience). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?FEEDSTOCK DEVELOPMENT & PRODUCTION Planned Activities - Year 3 Monitor growth of guayule in seven (7) field trials across Arizona and New Mexico, including soil health and microbe sampling. Conduct guar yield tests at three (3) locations: two locations in New Mexico, and one location in Arizona. Recover genetically modified guayule plants and evaluate phenotypes: flowering, rubber and resin production, etc. Evaluate chemical, physical, and biological properties of guayule field plants harvested to assess plant "dormancy." Continue irrigation experiments to determine effective watering regimes for maintaining optimum guayule and guar production rates. POST-HARVEST LOGISTICS & CO-PRODUCTS Planned Activities - Year 3 Develop high-resolution and high-throughput screening methods for guayule resin composition. Conduct guayule resin extraction and separation to identify fractions for value-added applications. Support guayule and guar agronomic trials by providing metabolite, resin, and bagasse characterization analyses. Evaluate co-hydrothermal liquefaction of guayule bagasse and wastewater treatment algae. Add life cycle assessment and social factors into logistics model for overall biomass supply chain. SYSTEM PERFORMANCE & SUSTAINABILITY Planned Activities - Year 3 Model fidelity improvement with expanded capabilities to include multiple scenarios and pathways. Provide research direction and performance targets to the SBAR team based on sustainability targets. Continued presentation and dissemination of results through peer review channels. EXTENSION & OUTREACH Planned Activities - Year 3 Conduct on-station guar demonstration trials in New Mexico (Las Cruces, Los Lunas, and Clovis Agricultural Science Centers). Conduct on-station guayule demonstration trial in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Implement one large on-farm demonstration trail for guar and guayule (5-10 acre per site), and multiple small scale demonstration trials for guar (0.5-1 acre per site). Continue to increase awareness to New Mexico and Arizona growers and stakeholders about the potential for guayule and guar as possible future crops. Produce quarterly newsletter on SBAR progress and next steps to inform growers and stakeholders. Design and implement a workshop/conference focused on guar and guayule in New Mexico (winter 2020). EDUCATION Planned Activities - Year 3 Expand the number of graduate student-teacher mentor teams to 10 (6 in Arizona, 4 in New Mexico) to develop and vet activities in additional schools. Specifically target 2 educators working with Native American communities in Arizona. Strengthen relationship with the Tohono O'odham community to expand SBAR-related lesson adoption. Recruit a PhD student from an Education Department to provide pedagogical support to SBAR Fellows and to translate some SBAR activities from middle school to elementary school levels. Expand resources available through SBAR website.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
SBAR is a multi-level research project that is cultivating two desert-dwelling crops, guayule and guar, for a sustainable bioeconomy. Combined, guayule (perennial) and guar (annual) feedstocks can provide biomass year round for biofuel production. Scaling up to profitable production, however, requires feedstock improvements, expansion of cultivation, agronomic knowledge and practices, and economic crop residue utilization. Growers across the Southwest will then need to be informed about new opportunities for enhancing their farm economies. Further, disseminating newly learned information through traditional (K-12 schools) and non-traditional (4-H Youth Groups and internships) educational networks is critical for training the next generation in biofuel production for long-term sustainability. FEEDSTOCK DEVELOPMENT & PRODUCTION This Component Team focuses on improving biomass quantity and quality through traditional breeding and high-throughput phenotyping characteristics; improving agronomic production practices for guayule and guar; developing comprehensive and broadly applicable irrigation apps; and developing soil quality and soil health knowledge for long-term environmental sustainability. In the second year of the project (2018), the research team concentrated efforts on the establishment of guayule and guar stands for evaluation field trials, and conducted lab analysis of existing samples to isolate flowering genes. Major Year 2 Accomplishments Growth of guayule and guar was monitored in seven (7) field trials across Arizona and New Mexico, including soil health and microbe sampling. Crop coefficients for guar in New Mexico were generated using irrigation experiments. The WINDS program and automated WINDS sensor and control systems have been developed; final trouble-shooting is in process. A variety of preemergence herbicide application studies on guayule were completed. Data synthesis and manuscripts are in process. Genetically transformed guayule to reduce flowering; plant evaluation continues in the laboratory. Screened guayule accessions for root rot resistance; added tolerant lines to the breeding programs. Crossed two elite guar lines to partial male-sterile guar plants to develop new genetic combinations from which to make selections. POST-HARVEST LOGISTICS & CO-PRODUCTS This Component Team focuses on evaluating how seasonality, processing, and storage affect product quality, conversion efficiency, and economics; develop and optimize system-level logistics models for demand-driven harvest; demonstrate feasibility of farm to fuel conversion of bagasse; and identify economic co-products in guayule and guar. In the second year of the project (2018), the research team concentrated efforts on conducting comprehensive literature reviews to establish standard operating protocols, and on laboratory analysis of guayule resin and plant material. Major Year 2 Accomplishments Supported guayule agronomic trials and rubber extraction studies by providing metabolite, resin, and bagasse characterization analyses. Screened isolated and identified resin fractions and metabolites for antimicrobial, antioxidant, and other activity for high-value applications. Conducted guayule and guar bagasse hydrothermal liquefaction trials with and without co-solvents and algal co-feedstocks to characterize fuel potential of conversion products. Down-selected bagasse-to-fuel conversion routes based on characterization data, transportation and conversion process models, and economic and sustainability predictions. SYSTEM PERFORMANCE & SUSTAINABILITY This Component Team focuses on developing a scalable engineering process model for crop production and processing that is coupled with Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) and Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) to understand the economic impact to rural communities through input-output methods; integrating regionally appropriate metrics and combining results from SBAR-developed data into sustainability models to provide a path to commercialization of biofuels and bioproducts; and interfacing with regional growers to de-risk production of guayule and guar in the United States while evaluating social impacts. In the second year of the project (2018), the research team concentrated efforts on conducting comprehensive literature reviews to establish social, environmental and economic parameters to formulate the Comprehensive Life Cycle dataset, and initial development of a Whole Farm Economic Analysis for guayule and guar production, as well as generation of downstream processing models. Major Year 2 Accomplishments Assembled production costs/prices to develop enterprise budget for guayule and guar to be used in the development of farm-level scenarios for Arizona and New Mexico. Model integration with preliminary results for the viability and environmental impact of various processing pathways. Process model validation with data from industrial partners integrated. Provided data feedback to team members for focused research and development driving towards commercial viability and sustainable production. Presentation and dissemination of results through peer review conference presentations and manuscript submissions. EXTENSION & OUTREACH The Extension & Outreach Team focuses on producing extension bulletins and web materials to inform growers of agronomic and irrigation requirements; holding workshops throughout the region on sustainable practices to expand crop production to new rural regions and Native Nation lands; and involving youth in internships, 4-H projects, and STEM summer camps. In the second year of the project (2018), the Extension & Outreach Team concentrated efforts on data gathering through a grower-focused needs assessment tool, and coordinating a summer 4-H biofuels camp program. Major Year 2 Accomplishments Continued to increase awareness to growers and stakeholders about the potential for guayule and guar as a future crop to New Mexico and Arizona. Used the Extension Field Station demonstration trials as a tool during field meetings and workshops. Identified farmer demonstration site hosts in New Mexico and Arizona to showcase potential guayule and guar production. Developed extension bulletins and outreach materials to highlight SBAR-focused research results and tools (irrigation app, economic models, etc.). Conducted evaluation of on-going SBAR extension-related activities. Selected second SBAR cohort of six (6) high school/undergraduate student interns for project work during summer 2019. EDUCATION The Education Team focuses on training teams of students and teacher mentors with a focus on rural and under-represented groups; and develops and disseminates agricultural bioenergy and bioproduct K-12 modules. In the second year of the project (2018), the education team concentrated efforts on identifying existing biofuel curriculum and activities, and hosting a summer 2-week training for the first cohort of graduate student-teacher mentor teams. Major Year 2 Accomplishments Placed graduate students in classrooms with mentor teachers; designed and tested lessons; and compiled teacher/fellow lesson modules. Developed and led a graduate student seminar during the academic year for Graduate Fellows related to teaching skills and biofuel lessons. Expanded website content to include a gallery of lessons, videos, and Fellow vignettes about teaching concepts or lab demonstrations. Developed and hosted additional learning activities for teachers during the academic year and for Summer 2019.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Duncan, C.M. 2018. SBAR USDA-NIFA graduate student fellowship: UA Students. One page promotional flyer. February and March.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Duncan, C.M. 2018. SBAR USDA-NIFA graduate student fellowship: NMSU Students. One page promotional flyer. February and March.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Duncan, C.M. 2018. SBAR call for middle and high school science teachers. One page promotional flyer. February and March.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Duncan, C.M. 2018. SBAR 4-H summer camp: Biofuels powering your world. One page promotional flyer. March.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Grover, K. 2018. Guar A potential alternative crop in New Mexico. Two page informational handout. January.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Kiela, C. 2018. Guayule. SBAR Project two-page fact sheet. March.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Kiela, C. 2018. Guar. SBAR Project two-page fact sheet. April.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Kiela, C. 2018. History of Guayule. SBAR Project two-page fact sheet. April.
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Progress 09/01/17 to 08/31/18
Outputs
Target Audience:TARGET AUDIENCES REACHED The SBAR Project activities reached included industry representatives across the United States (many of whom are also represented on the project Advisory Board) including the aviation fuel segment, rubber industry, guar industry; Native American and Hispanic Farmer communities of the Southwest; regional independent growers (specifically in AZ and NM); environmental sustainability groups; water conservation groups; federal and non-federal researchers; extension professionals; educators; university graduate and undergraduate students; high school interns; and under-served K-12 youth. EFFORTS Specific efforts undertaken that reached the target audiences: Outreached to a multitude of groups to identify Advisory Board members from a wide variety of stakeholder groups. Multiple conversations with stakeholders to identify appropriate individuals that could provide adequate guidance for the project. Conference presentations at the Southwest Indian Agricultural Association Meeting (Ogden, 2018) -- multiple Tribal farmers from across the region attend to learn about new innovations and technologies that they may want to adopt for future use/implementation. Conference presentations at multiple professional research meetings (Brewer 2018; Deirig 2017; Godfrey et al. 2018; Grover 2017; Lopez 2018; Ogden, White and Brewer 2018; Willmon et al. 2018). Presentations at regional grower workshops, symposia, and meetings (Brown et al. 2018; Brown and Neilson 2018; Grover and Garcia 2018; Idowu 2018; Niu 2018; Mealing 2018; Ogden 2017; Rock and Brassill 2018; Sun and Fan 2018; and Summers et al. 2017) Presentations through national webinars (Ogden 2017) Developed multiple 2-page fact sheets for dissemination on guayule and guar. Hosted a 4-H youth biofuel camp for 12 under-served youth. (Hispanic and Native Americans) in June (Tucson, Arizona). Sponsored and facilitated an internship program for high school students interested in pursuing bioenergy-related, agricultural-related, or agricultural science careers or college programs. Hosted a teacher professional development week-long, biofuel/bioenergy training camp for K-12 teachers to train them on related curriculum and ways to incorporate activities and lessons into existing course plans. Selected first cohort of SBAR Graduate Fellows, who will participate in program implementation for at least one full year. Changes/Problems:Original Proposed Budget and Associated Tasks The original proposed project scope included bagasse conversion and upgrading to jet, biodiesel and gasoline via pyrolysis at Iowa State University, for a budgeted cost of $110,000. This was to be provided to Iowa State University via a sub-award agreement from the University of Arizona. Change Requested & Justification Remove $110,000 from total originally proposed budget. Remove Iowa State University as an official collaborator to the SBAR Project. The SBAR Project was approved at a lesser amount ($14.81M) than what was originally proposed ($14.99M). As a result, adjustments to the project scope and tasks is necessary. Because the pyrolysis of bagasse was identified as a stand-alone task that would occur in the later years of the project (years 3-4), we are requesting that this portion be removed from the deliverables and budget at this time. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?TRAINING A variety of training activities occurred during Year 1 - mostly one-on-one discussions, site tours, and "shadow" opportunities provided by industry representatives to SBAR research colleagues. As new students and technicians were brought into the project, they were trained in existing protocols for implementing specific research tasks (either laboratory or field tasks). PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT A one-week professional development opportunity was provided in June 2018 for six (6) professional teachers from Arizona and New Mexico. The intent of the professional development session was to provide teachers with biofuel-related lessons and activities so that they could be incorporated into existing classroom materials. Additional training was provided during this professional development session for the SBAR Graduate Fellows and teachers in communication skill development related to biofuel/bioenergy lessons. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Year 1 results from the SBAR project have been disseminated through presentations at various meetings, workshops, and conferences. Additional outreach has occurred through the SBAR website, which provides details about upcoming events and planned project activities, and through press releases and general media coverage. Project researchers have presented on SBAR-related topics (planned activities, accomplishments, outcomes, etc.) in Albany, CA; Albuquerque, NM; Fort Collins, CO; Golden, CO; Lakewood, CO; Las Cruces, NM; Laughlin, NV; Los Lunas, NM; Provo, UT; Tucson, AZ; Washington, DC; and Yuma, AZ. The project PI (Dr. Kimberly Ogden) was an invited speaker at the Southwest Indian Agricultural Association meeting that occurred in January 2018, where a number of Tribes were represented through their Tribal Growers (target audience). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?FEEDSTOCK DEVELOPMENT & PRODUCTION Monitor growth of guayule and guar in seven (7) field trials across Arizona and New Mexico, including soil health and microbe sampling. Irrigation experiment results will be used to develop crop coefficients for guar in New Mexico. Continue to develop the WINDS app and automate the WINDS sensor and control system. Compile and generate/publish results from a variety of herbicide application studies on guayule. Genetically transform guayule to reduce flowering; evaluate plants in the laboratory. Screen guayule accessions for root rot resistance; add tolerant lines to the breeding programs. Cross two elite guar lines to partial male-sterile guar plants to develop new genetic combinations from which to make selections. POST-HARVEST LOGISTICS & CO-PRODUCTS Support guayule agronomic trials and rubber extraction studies by providing metabolite, resin, and bagasse characterization analyses. Screen isolated and identified resin fractions and metabolites for antimicrobial, antioxidant, and other activity for high-value applications. Conduct guayule and guar bagasse hydrothermal liquefaction trials with and without cosolvents and catalysts to characterize fuel potential of conversion products. Down-select bagasse-to-fuel conversion routes based on characterization data, transportation and conversion process models, and economic and sustainability predictions. SYSTEM PERFORMANCE & SUSTAINABILITY Assemble production costs/prices to develop enterprise budget for guayule and guar to be used in the development of farm-level scenarios for Arizona and New Mexico. Model integration with preliminary results for the viability and environmental impact of various processing pathways. Data feedback to team members for focused research and development driving towards commercial viability and sustainable production. EDUCATION Place graduate students in classrooms with mentor teachers; begin to design and test lessons; and begin compiling teacher/fellow lesson modules. Develop and lead a graduate student seminar during the academic year for Graduate Fellows related to teaching skills and biofuel lessons. Expand website content to include a gallery of lessons, videos, and Fellow vignettes about teaching concepts or lab demonstrations. Develop and host additional learning activities for teachers during the academic year and for Summer 2019. EXTENSION & OUTREACH Continue to increase awareness to growers and stakeholders about the potential for guayule and guar as a future crop to New Mexico and Arizona. Use the Extension Field Station demonstration trials as a tool during field meetings and workshops. Farmer demonstration site hosts will be identified in New Mexico and Arizona to showcase potential guayule and guar production. Develop extension bulletins and outreach materials to highlight SBAR-focused research results and tools (irrigation app, economic models, etc.). Conduct evaluation of on-going SBAR extension-related activities. Select second SBAR cohort of six (6) high school/undergraduate student interns for project work during summer 2019.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
SBAR is a multi-level research project that is cultivating two desert-dwelling crops, guayule and guar, for a sustainable bioeconomy. Combined, guayule (perennial) and guar (annual) feedstocks can provide biomass year round for biofuel production. Scaling up to profitable production, however, requires feedstock improvements, expansion of cultivation, agronomic knowledge and practices, and economic crop residue utilization. Growers across the Southwest will then need to be informed about new opportunities for enhancing their farm economies. Further, disseminating newly learned information through traditional (K-12 schools) and non-traditional (4-H Youth Groups and internships) educational networks is critical for training the next generation in biofuel production for long-term sustainability. FEEDSTOCK DEVELOPMENT & PRODUCTION This Component Team focuses on improving biomass quantity and quality through traditional breeding and high-throughput phenotyping characteristics; improving agronomic production practices for guayule and guar; developing comprehensive and broadly applicable irrigation apps; and developing soil quality and soil health knowledge for long-term environmental sustainability. In 2018, the research team concentrated efforts on the establishment of guayule and guar stands for evaluation field trials, and conducted lab analysis of existing samples to isolate flowering genes. Major Year 1 Accomplishments Field trial methodologies and protocols were determined for planting and establishment of guayule and guar, as well as sampling methodologies for soil health and environmental parameters. Guayule and guar irrigation field experiments were established in three (3) locations in Arizona and New Mexico to compare irrigation application methods and rates. The WINDS (irrigation) model was converted to python, and soil moisture probes, infrared cameras, and other sensors were programmed to provide feedback on irrigation, crop and soil status. Guayule and guar field trials were established in seven (7) different locations across Arizona and New Mexico for evaluating accession lines under varying conditions. Four (4) preemergence herbicide studies were initiated, using two (2) herbicide incorporation methods; five (5) herbicide application studies were started to examine topical application on guayule seedlings. Twenty-eight (28) unique candidate guayule genes were identified as promising targets for genetic modification of guayule to improve crop yield. POST-HARVEST LOGISTICS & CO-PRODUCTS This Component Team focuses on evaluating how seasonality, processing, and storage affect product quality, conversion efficiency, and economics; develop and optimize system-level logistics models for demand-driven harvest; demonstrate feasibility of farm to fuel conversion of bagasse; and identify economic co-products in guayule and guar. In 2018, the research team concentrated efforts on conducting comprehensive literature reviews to establish standard operating protocols, and on laboratory analysis of guayule resin and plant material. Major Year 1 Accomplishments Completed literature review for modeling and algorithm development to address feedstock logistics supply chain and transportation-related questions. Constructed preliminary mixed-integer harvest and economic models to serve as a basis for later large-scale algorithms. Initiated chemical characterization of guayule resin, which identified 17 major terpenes in the resin, including several new never-described compounds. Identified standard operating protocols for extraction and isolation of primary and secondary metabolites in guayule and guar. Isolated and characterized major metabolites in guayule. Completed literature review of bagasse-to-fuel conversion routes. Established protocols and processes for characterization of guar and guayule bagasse. SYSTEM PERFORMANCE & SUSTAINABILITY This Component Team focuses on developing a scalable engineering process model for crop production and processing that is coupled with Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) and Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) to understand the economic impact to rural communities through input-output methods; integrating regionally appropriate metrics and combining results from SBAR-developed data into sustainability models to provide a path to commercialization of biofuels and bioproducts; and interfacing with regional growers to de-risk production of guayule and guar in the United States while evaluating social impacts. In 2018, the research team concentrated efforts on conducting comprehensive literature reviews to establish social, environmental and economic parameters to formulate the Comprehensive Life Cycle dataset, and initial development of a Whole Farm Economic Analysis for guayule and guar production, as well as generation of downstream processing models. Major Year 1 Accomplishments Literature review for identifying social, environmental and economic parameters was completed, which will formulate the Comprehensive Life Cycle dataset. Initiated and diagrammed the sub-process models for guar and guayule processing, including detailed unit operation analysis of feedstock to intermediate products. Initiated development of a farm-level economic analysis that characterizes the impact of internal and external factors influencing production and profitability for growing guayule and guar. EDUCATION The Education Team focuses on training teams of students and teacher mentors with a focus on rural and under-represented groups; and develops and disseminates agricultural bioenergy and bioproduct K-12 modules. In 2018, the education team concentrated efforts on identifying existing biofuel curriculum and activities, and preparing to host a summer 2-week training for the first cohort of graduate student-teacher mentor teams. Major Year 1 Accomplishments Comprehensive review of existing classroom lessons and activities completed; identification of curriculum that can be easily adapted for use in Arizona and New Mexico. Complete run-through of existing bioenergy modules with a high school agriculture classroom to identify issues and challenges. Finalized the summer workshop design and coordinated development of a graduate student course for the academic year. First cohort of graduate student fellows and teacher mentors were recruited and trained for integrating biofuel curriculum modules into K-12 classrooms beginning in Fall 2018. Initiated development of graduate student opportunities at the University of Arizona around the theme of sustainable bioeconomy including course and project development. EXTENSION & OUTREACH The Extension & Outreach Team focuses on producing extension bulletins and web materials to inform growers of agronomic and irrigation requirements; holding workshops throughout the region on sustainable practices to expand crop production to new rural regions and Native Nation lands; and involving youth in internships, 4-H projects, and STEM summer camps. In 2018, the Extension & Outreach Team concentrated efforts on data gathering through a growerfocused needs assessment tool, and coordinating a summer 4-H biofuels camp program. Major Year 1 Accomplishments A Needs Assessment for growers was developed and depolyed in Arizona and New Mexico to determine gaps in information and how best to generate interest around guayule and guar production. Began introducing guayule and guar as a potential crop for biofuel production in the Southwest. Presentations and tabling events were conducted reaching over 1,095 growers and interested stakeholders. Extension Advisory Committees (comprised of growers and producers) have been established in New Mexico. Selected first SBAR cohort of four (4) high school/undergraduate student interns for project work during summer 2018. In collaboration with the Education Team, designed and hosted a one-week biofuel summer camp for 4-H participants in Tucson, Arizona.
Publications
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