National Ag Day: Advanced Clean Diesel Feeds the World

WASHINGTON, March 20, 2018 -- As the U.S. recognizes National Ag Day, America’s farmers are buying more of the cleanest and most advanced equipment, including clean diesel technologies, making the U.S. agricultural sector one of the most productive in the world.

Under the hood of most of this equipment lives clean diesel technology, one of the most advanced engine technologies on the market today. Clean diesel technology comes with advanced controls designed to reduce operating time, save fuel, reduce emissions and boost productivity.

“National Ag Day gives us the opportunity to pause and thank America’s farmers for all the hard work they put into feeding the world,” said Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum. “The diesel industry is proud to be the fuel of choice for farmers who seek to boost their productivity while reducing emissions to near-zero levels. Today’s clean diesel technologies help deliver emission reduction benefits to many agricultural communities in the United States.

Diesel engines now power more than 75 percent all large agricultural machines and equipment, transport 90 percent of agricultural products and pump one-fifth of irrigation water in the United States. Since 2014, the latest clean diesel technologies have been developed and integrated into farm and agricultural equipment. Depending on the horsepower required, the latest generation of clean diesel technologies meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s “Tier 4” emissions standards. This means today’s ag equipment reduce fine particle and nitrogen oxides emissions by more than 90 percent.

Coupling advanced clean diesel technologies with advanced biofuels offers further opportunities for farmers to improve the emission outlooks for their farms. A drop-in replacement for regular ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel, renewable diesel enables an 85 to 90 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

“From tilling the field, planting seed, fertilizing and harvesting crops, bailing hay, sorting produce and many other activities, no other fuel can match diesel’s energy density for powering the large pieces of equipment required for productive agriculture,” said Schaeffer. “Over the next decades, clean diesel’s role in agriculture will become even more important. Within the next 30 years, the world’s population is estimated to grow to 9.8 billion people. This boom in population will require farmers to produce 70 percent more food, on a global basis. Clean diesel technologies and fuels will help farmers worldwide meet this demand in a sustainable, environmentally responsible manner.”

Between July and September 2017, U.S. farmers, ranchers, fisherman and other agricultural producers contributed $171 billion to the American economy, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. All this economic activity helped put food on tables both here in the United States and abroad. For example, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that almost half of U.S. soybean production is destined for markets abroad, and U.S. cattlemen exported more than 3 billion pounds of beef to meet growing overseas demand.

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About The Diesel Technology Forum
The Diesel Technology Forum is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of diesel engines, fuel and technology. Forum members are leaders in clean diesel technology and represent the three key elements of the modern clean-diesel system: advanced engines, vehicles and equipment, cleaner diesel fuel and emissions-control systems. For more information, visit www.dieselforum.org.

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A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/51269c07-7f05-4547-8215-bbe9e99a456f

Sarah Dirndorfer
Diesel Technology Forum
301-668-7230
[email protected]