Seed Lubricant Made from Soybeans Brings Multiple Benefits To Farmers

ABOVE: Traditional lubricants can be dirty, or even downright dangerous. DUST™ is a soy-based replacement that is cleaner and safer. (DUST™ on left, graphite on right)

Farming has many things that can be improved – one of those things is the reliance on talc and graphite-based products. By looking at this problem with fresh eyes, a new solution is available with a lot of work and development. Most farmers hate talc and graphite blowing in their faces and getting it on their clothes, equipment, and family members.

Low Mu Tech, an Iowa-based company, founded by multi-generational farmers Dave Kloostra and Brian Tulley, created the patented product that is a direct replacement for talc and graphite. Soybean Check-Off Dollars from the United Soybean Board are used to commercialize DUST™ to increase demand for soybeans.

The utilization of this eco-friendly, renewable resource contributes to a greater demand for U.S.-grown soybeans. Using DUST™ creates a greater need for a “Made in America” ag product. Low Mu Tech is proud to feature U.S. soybeans in DUST™.

DUST™ was first introduced at Commodity Classic in 2018. Since then, DUST™ has been used on acres stretching from Washington state and the Dakotas, through the Midwest, and down to the Delta. Research trials were conducted at The Ohio State University, the University of Missouri, and the University of Tennessee.

“DUST™ isn’t a hammered or milled product – it’s manufactured to produce tiny round particles, which is why it works so well,” Tulley explained. “DUST™ is 20 times less abrasive than traditional graphite and talc, helping maintain seed treatment coatings.”

Lo Mu Tech’s DUST™ product is not only a healthier and cleaner product for farmers, but it has some additional environmental benefits. With DUST™ being 100% soy protein, once it’s in the ground, it is metabolized by microbes in the soil and leaves no trace after 28 days. Microbes are energized by the protein and encourage more above- and below-ground growth, helping plants do better in the early growth stages.

“We’ve replaced a product that nobody likes using, and it works just as well,” Tulley said. “It’s just a matter of showing how it works. With a new generation coming up in farming, they are questioning more and looking for better alternatives.”

Tulley said, “We are giving farmers the opportunity to use a product they’re growing on their farm, something they do quite well, and it has the potential to increase their revenue. If we can capture even 40% of the graphite and talc market, we can increase soybean usage by 2.5 million bushels of U.S. soybeans.”

Kloostra and Tulley hope to continue their partnership with the United Soybean Board and state checkoffs to develop more products to benefit farmers.
“We have several other projects in progress right now and are going to continue working with USB,” Kloostra said. “We wouldn’t be where we are today without the partnership and help from checkoff dollars. Brian and I both grew up in agriculture and believe that this is exactly the kind of thing they had in mind; these are checkoff dollars working on behalf of soybean farmers to advance soy products.”

Visit www.lowmutech.com for more information and to find a dealer.