A group of professional scientists, farmers, county extension agents, area universities and Pittsburg High school students have been working collaboratively to brainstorm and develop realistic solutions to issues happening in the agricultural sector.
The collaboration which started after a three-day workshop afforded the researchers and scientists the opportunity to devise solutions to the information given by the farmers on some difficulties faced on the farm.
The Kansas Polymer Research Centre at Pittsburg State University organized the workshop in collaboration with K-State county extension agents, as well as some representatives from two leading science centres, namely; the Macromolecules Innovation Institute at Virginia Tech and the Biodesign Centre for Sustainable Macromolecular Materials and Manufacturing at Arizona State.
The Executive Director of Kansas Polymer Research Centre, Tim Dawsey said, “This program started out with us and Virginia Tech in 2020, and although it was cancelled last year due to the pandemic, it keeps building momentum. Arizona State is now interested, and we plan to have Wichita State next year.”
According to Mr. Dawsey, the workshop enlightened researchers and scientists what they may not know about crop production and animal farming with key focus on how to address relevant issues through material science.
“We are really learning from the farmers, and there has been a lot of great education from it. Recycling and waste materials are always constant issues, as well as pesticides and herbicides,” Dawsey added.
He further added, “We made a whole list of topics that went into buckets, and then we are going to sort out who is interested in what, collaborate and write proposals for funding to drive research into those areas.”
An associate professor at Virginia Tech, Abby Whittington also stated at the workshop that, “We train students about the whole range of polymers-from synthesis to processing to characterization to application.”
“Students are really exposed to the areas of polymers, plastics and adhesives, what their applications can be used for, how to make them and classify them,” she further added.
“The workshop enlightened researchers and scientists what they may not know about crop production and animal farming”
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