Each month, the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI) holds its AURI Connects webinar to actively engage the value chain on topics related to value-added agricultural opportunities and challenges. The vision of the program is to improve the competitiveness of agricultural producers, businesses and entrepreneurs through the ongoing, purposeful connection of resources and partners along the value chain and increased knowledge of opportunities, technologies and trends.
This week’s episode featured AURI microbiologist Jimmy Gosse, who presented on the ag-based asphalt preservation solution, RePlay Agricultural Oil Seal and Preservation Agent, which was partially funded by the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council (MSR&PC) and the soybean checkoff.
MSR&PC Director Jim Willers, who chairs the organization’s product development action team, joined the webinar to highlight the Council’s support.
“Biobased road treatment technologies present a unique opportunity to reduce overall maintenance costs by extending surface life and delaying costly repairs,” Willers said. “To that end, the Council has been proud to partner with AURI for this ongoing study.”
With more than 120 participants on the webinar, Gosse took a road trip through the five-year AURI case study.
“Roads are complex,” he said. “They involve local county and state jurisdiction as well as federal, and there is always more problems than funds.”
Replay works by utilizing a spray application to asphalt in good condition to help preserve and maintain quality of the road for over five years.
It penetrates up 1.25 inches and helps restore binder and adds to polymer matrix. Additionally, Replay utilizes 100 soybean bushels per lane mile. To date, more than 400 applications of RePlay have been applied across Minnesota on city streets, parking lots, trails and county roads.
A preview of the soon-to-be-released independent Life Cycle Cost Analysis by SRF Consulting Group will be provided. To learn more, visit www.auri.org/webinar-wednesday.
