CNH, the parent company of CaseIH and New Holland Agriculture, has donated a methane-powered tractor to Kansas State University’s Southwest Research-Extension Center in Garden City. The innovative technology will create new opportunities for applied research in sustainable agricultural waste-to-fuel technology.
With this gift of a New Holland T6.180 tractor, K-State will evaluate the functionality, versatility and compatibility of the methane-powered equipment with a range of implements and attachments while comparing cost efficiency and performance with that of diesel. The university will also support related educational opportunities and producer outreach.
“This gift gives our researchers and students access to technology that could help shape the future of sustainable production agriculture,” said Bryan Olson, department head of the Western Kansas Research-Extension Centers. “By studying the tractor here, we can better understand the versatility of this equipment and determine how it might perform for Kansas farmers and ranchers per K-State’s land-grant promise.”
The tractor runs on compressed natural gas, including biomethane produced from manure through anaerobic digestion and gas upgrading. And due to the availability of feedlot manure in southwestern Kansas, the Garden City area is an ideal location for the production and utilization of biofuels.
New Holland describes the tractor as a production-ready innovation that can help farms with biodigesters and municipalities with airports, parks or athletic fields to maintain increase their energy self-sufficiency and lower emission footprints.
“This partnership is a great opportunity for CNH to invest in research that’s directly connected to Kansas agriculture and explore how new technologies can be applied in ways that are meaningful for producers,” said Jake Kentzler, CNH sales manager in Wichita and a 2019 graduate of K-State’s biological and agricultural engineering program. “At the same time, we’re excited to collaborate with students and educators at a university that truly understands both the promise and the practicality of agricultural innovation.”
As Kansas State University’s strategic partner for philanthropy, the KSU Foundation inspires and guides philanthropy toward university priorities to boldly advance K-State.