Engineering Commons^™

Development Of A Machine Learning System For Irrigation Decision Support With Disparate Data Streams, Eric Wilkening

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In recent years, advancements in irrigation technologies have led to increased efficiency in irrigation applications, encompassing the adoption of practices that utilize data-driven irrigation scheduling and leveraging variable rate irrigation (VRI). These technological improvements have the potential to reduce water withdrawals and diversions from both groundwater and surface water sources. However, it is vital to recognize that improved application efficiency does not necessarily equate to increased water availability for future or downstream use. This is particularly crucial in the context of consumptive water use, which refers to water consumed and not returned to the local or sub-regional watershed, representing a …

Water-Energy-Food Linkages In Community Smallholder Irrigation Schemes: Center Pivot Irrigation In Rwanda, Ankit Chandra, Derek M. Heeren, Lameck O. Odhiambo, N. Brozovic

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

Water, energy, and food are linked in intricate ways in irrigated agriculture and understanding the interplay of these components is crucial for sustainable and profitable crop production, particularly in smallholder setting such as in sub-Saharan Africa. This study evaluates water-energy-food linkages, engineering and economic performance, irrigation decision making, and challenges faced around water management in a community-based mechanized irrigation scheme in Rwanda. The research is the first to analyze such as scheme, which uses technology typically used by large farmers in a smallholder setting. The study investigates the variation in water requirements and the relationship and impacts of this variability …

Downstream Hydrochemistry And Irrigation Water Quality Of The Syr Darya, Aral Sea Basin, South Kazakhstan, Bagdat Satybaldiyev, Baimurat Ismailov, Nurbek Nurpeisov, Kairat Kenges, Daniel D. Snow, Arindam Malakar, Omirzhan Taukebayev, Bolat Uralbekov

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

New hydrochemical measurements from the Syr Darya provide insights into factors affecting the composition and quality of a major freshwater source replenishing the Aral Sea. This river is heavily used for power and irrigation and crosses territories of four Central Asia republics. It is intensely managed, draining several major tributaries, many reservoirs, and numerous irrigation distribution systems and canals. Analysis of seasonal changes in dissolved ion concentrations using geochemical diagrams, elemental ratios, statistical correlation, and equilibrium modeling allowed the characterization of mineral formation processes that control the dissolved chemical composition. Measured water hydrochemistry and composition type differs substantially from previous …

A Graduate-Level Field Course In Irrigation And Agricultural Water Management For An Immersive Learning Experience, Derek M. Heeren, Laszlo G. Hayde, Dean Eisenhauer, Peter G. Mccornick, Ali T. Mohammed, Aaron R. Mittelstet, Alan L. Boldt, Xin Qiao, David Mabie, Francisco Munoz-Arriola

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Effective irrigation and agricultural water management (IAWM) is critical for food security and water security. A key requirement in designing, implementing and operation of IWM is the necessary knowledge and capacity on the farm, in the service industry and within the supply chain. Educational opportunities that not only teach the relevant principles of irrigated agriculture, but also the necessary applied skills are essential. An Irrigation Field Course was initiated by the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education (IHE Delft) and was later developed as a joint field course with IHE Delft, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), and the Daugherty Water …

Crop Response To Thermal Stress Without Yield Loss In Irrigated Maize And Soybean In Nebraska, Sandeep Bhatti, Derek M. Heeren, Steven R. Evett, Susan A. O'Shaughnessy, Daran Rudnick, Trenton E. Franz, Yufeng Ge, Christopher M.U. Neale

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Thermal sensing provides rapid and accurate estimation of crop water stress through canopy temperature data. Canopy temperature is highly dependent on the transpiration rate of the leaves. It is usually assumed that any reduction in crop evapotranspiration (ET) leads to crop yield loss. As a result, an increase in canopy temperature due to a decrease in crop ET would indicate crop yield loss. This research evaluated the hypothesis that crop water stress could be detected using canopy temperature measurements (increased leaf temperature) from infrared thermometers (IRTs) before incurring crop yield loss. This would be possible in a narrow range when …

Comparison Of Stationary And Mobile Canopy Sensing Systems For Irrigation Management Of Maize And Soybean In Nebraska, Sandeep Bhatti, Derek M. Heeren, Susan A. O’Shaughnessy, Steven R. Evett, Mitchell S Maguire, Suresh Pradhyun Kashyap, Christopher M. U. Neale

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Accurate knowledge of plant and field characteristics is crucial for irrigation management. Irrigation can potentially be better managed by utilizing data collected from various sensors installed on different platforms. The accuracy and repeatability of each data source are important considerations when selecting a sensing system suitable for irrigation management. The objective of this study was to compare data from multispectral (red and near-infrared bands) and thermal (long wave thermal infrared band) sensors mounted on different platforms to investigate their comparative usability and accuracy. The different sensor platforms included stationary posts fixed on the ground, the lateral of a center pivot …

High-Frequency Unmanned Aircraft Flights For Crop Canopy Imaging During Diurnal Moisture Stress, Suresh Pradhyun Kashyap

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Previous research has used unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology for calculating CWSI (Crop Water Stress Index) values in the context of irrigation scheduling. Typically, these estimations were taken at one time of day, usually near shortly after solar noon. A significant limitation with these CWSI values is that the UAV thermal imagery captured at this point in time can be affected by various factors like atmospheric air temperature, solar radiation, wind speed, relative humidity, and other micrometeorological disturbances in the air. In order to address these temporal effects, high-frequency UAV flights were conducted over different daylight hours to analyze and …

Inter-Relationships Between Water Depletion And Temperature Differential In Row Crop Canopies In A Sub-Humid Climate, Jasreman Singh, Yufeng Ge, Derek M. Heeren, Elizabeth Walter-Shea, Christopher M.U. Neale, Suat Irmak, Wayne Woldt, Geng Bai, Sandeep Bhatti, Mitchell S. Maguire

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Irrigation has a great impact on global food security as it contributes to the majority of the world’s agricultural food supply. It is essential to judiciously utilize water resources through efficient irrigation management since the majority of U.S. groundwater aquifers are rapidly depleting. Thus, quantification of the relationships between water depletion and environmental factors is important for understanding crop response to varying levels of water stresses that depletion can cause. The objectives of this research were to: 1) investigate the relationship between root zone water depletion (D_rw) and canopy temperature differential (ΔT) at different ranges of D_{rw …}

Leveraging Unmanned Aerial System Remote Sensing To Inform Energy And Water Balance Models For Spatial Soil Water Content Monitoring And Irrigation Management, Mitchell S. Maguire

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Irrigation has provided a means to produce more food and fiber throughout the world, converting low producing land into high yielding cropping systems in certain scenarios. The managing of irrigation has taken on various approaches as different locations have been constrained by different factors. Certain areas have significant ground and surface water available for irrigation while other areas struggle to meet irrigation demands due to limited water resources. These factors, along with the desire to increase crop water use efficiency, has provided the motivation to better understand crop water demands spatially within a field. A sub-field scale irrigation management study …

Using Infrared Radiometry Thermometer For Irrigation Management Of Dry Edible Beans In Western Nebraska, Isabella Presotto Possignolo

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Proper irrigation management requires farmers to determine the right timing and amount to irrigate. Soil water sensors are one of the most popular sensor-based approach used by farmers to decide when and how much to irrigate. However, installation and retrieval of soil water sensors require excavation of soil and can be challenging. Other than soil water sensors, there are plant-based water stress monitoring technologies that are less soil disturbing such as infrared radiometry thermometer (IRT). Using canopy temperature measured from IRT, researchers can calculate thermal-based indices such as crop water stress index (CWSI) for many crops around the world. Yet …

Development And Application Of A Performance And Operational Feasibility Guide To Facilitate Adoption Of Soil Moisture Sensors, Meetpal S. Kukal, Suat Irmak, Kiran Sharma

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Soil moisture sensors can be effective and promising decision-making tools for diverse applications and audiences, including agricultural managers, irrigation practitioners, and researchers. Nevertheless, there exists immense adoption potential in the United States, with only 1.2 in 10 farms nationally using soil moisture sensors to decide when to irrigate. This number is much lower in the global scale. Increased adoption is likely hindered by lack of scientific support in need assessment, selection, suitability and use of these sensors. Here, through extensive field research, we address the operational feasibility of soil moisture sensors, an aspect which has been overlooked in the past, …

Soil Structure And Texture Effects On The Precision Of Soil Water Content Measurements With A Capacitance-Based Electromagnetic Sensor, Jasreman Singh, Derek M. Heeren, Daran Rudnick, Wayne Woldt, Geng Bai, Yufeng Ge, Joe D. Luck

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

The physical properties of soil, such as structure and texture, can affect the performance of an electromagnetic sensor in measuring soil water content. Historically, calibrations have been performed on repacked samples in the laboratory and on in situ soils in the field, but little research has been done on laboratory calibrations with intact (undisturbed) soil cores. In this study, three replications each of disturbed and undisturbed soil samples were collected from two soil texture classes (Yutan silty clay loam and Fillmore silt loam) at a field site in eastern Nebraska to investigate the effects of soil structure and texture on …

Effect Of Limited Water Supplies On Center Pivot Performance, Derrel Martin, Derek M. Heeren, Steve Melvin, Troy Ingram

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Conference Presentations and White Papers

When appropriately designed and operated, center pivot irrigation systems can efficiently irrigate many crops grown on diverse soil and terrain conditions. However, a significant number of pivots are not supplied with an adequate water to operate as envisioned.

We simulated the hydraulics of a center pivot irrigation system, including the pump curve, flow rate, pipeline hydraulics, pressure regulators, nozzle flow rate, and irrigation application uniformity. This was used to analyse the performance of a center pivot for a sloping field for both adequate and inadequate water flow rate. The performance was simulated for a range of inlet pressures when pressure …

Actual Evapotranspiration And Crop Coefficients Of Irrigated Lowland Rice (Oryza Sativa L.) Under Semiarid Climate, Koffi Djaman, Daran R. Rudnick, Yonnelle D. Moukoumbi, Abdoulaye Sow, Suat Irmak

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Lowland irrigated rice is the predominant crop produced in the Senegal River Valley characterized by very low annual rainfall, high temperatures, and low relative humidity. The Senegal River is shared by Senegal, Mali, Mauritania, and Guinea, and serves as the main source of irrigation water for the adopted double rice cropping system. Developing appropriate resource management strategies might be the key factor for the sustainability of rice production in the region. This study aims to estimate rice seasonal evapotranspiration (ETa), irrigation water requirement, and to develop rice growth stage specific crop coefficients (Kc) to improve rice water productivity. Field experiments …

Identifying Advantages And Disadvantages Of Variable Rate Irrigation – An Updated Review, S. A. O’Shaughnessy, Steve R. Evett, Paul D. Colaizzi, Manuel A. Andrade, Thomas H. Marek, Derek M. Heeren, Freddie R. Lamm, Jacob L. Larue

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Variable rate irrigation (VRI) sprinklers on mechanical move irrigation systems (center pivot or lateral move) have been commercially available since 2004. Although the number of VRI, zone or individual sprinkler, systems adopted to date is lower than expected there is a continued interest to harness this technology, especially when climate variability, regulatory nutrient management, water conservation policies, and declining water for agriculture compound the challenges involved for irrigated crop production. This article reviews the potential advantages and potential disadvantages of VRI technology for moving sprinklers, provides updated examples on such aspects, suggests a protocol for designing and implementing VRI technology …

Numerical Modeling Of The Effects Of Land Use Change And Irrigation On Streamflow Depletion Of Frenchman Creek, Nebraska, Moussa Guira

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

A three-dimensional Control Volume Finite Difference-based numerical groundwater flow model was constructed to assess the effects of agricultural irrigation and land use change on streamflow depletion. The study area is Frenchman Creek basin located in southwestern corner of the State of Nebraska, USA. This area was subject to an increased proliferation of groundwater abstraction for agricultural purposes since industrial revolution. It has also been subject to land use change from native rangeland to dry and irrigated cropland. The groundwater flow model was spatially discretized using Voronoi cells in unstructured grid built with the USGS MODFLOW-6. Temporal discretization defined 151 time …

An Evaluation Of Unmanned Aerial System Multispectral And Thermal Infrared Data As Information For Agricultural Crop And Irrigation Management, Mitch Maguire

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Spatial irrigation management has been steadily advancing over the last several years. A current issue with managing irrigation spatially on sub-field scale is the inability to readily collect the spatial field data necessary to properly manage irrigation. Multispectral and thermal infrared imagery used in informing irrigation management decisions was previously collected by satellite and manned aircraft remote sensing platforms. These remote sensing platforms pose issues concerning economic feasibility, revisit intervals, and weather factors that inhibit the collection of data. Recent developments in unmanned aerial systems, which provide an additional means of collecting multispectral and thermal infrared data, have the potential …

Irrigation Pumps - Preserving Performance, Derrel L. Martin

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Conference Presentations and White Papers

This paper describes how pumps must be matched to operating conditions and power units to provide the desired performance and efficiency. We have recently seen installations where one or more components are not properly matched causing higher than necessary pumping costs. Inspection and maintenance of systems and measurement of flow and pressure will go a long way toward monitoring if the proper conditions are being met. This paper also covers types of pumps, pump components, pump curves, impeller speed and trim, pump staging, affinity laws, pump drives, power units, cavitation, and net positive suction head.

Pumping Plant Performance, Derrel L. Martin, William Kranz, Suat Irmak, Daran Rudnick, Chuck Burr, Steve Melvin

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Conference Presentations and White Papers

Irrigation accounts for a large portion of the energy used in Nebraska agriculture. This paper describes a method to estimate the cost of pumping water and compares the amount of energy used by a properly designed and well-maintained pumping plant, represented by the Nebraska Pumping Plant Performance Criteria (NPPPC). The results can help determine the feasibility of repairing the pumping plant. Methods to compare energy sources are also presented. We recommend that you periodically arrange with a well drilling company to test the efficiency of your pump. Worksheets for pumping plant performance are included in the appendix.

A Compact To Revitalise Large-Scale Irrigation Systems Using A Leadership-Partnership-Ownership 'Theory Of Change', Bruce Lankford, Ian Makin, Nathanial Matthews, Peter G. Mccornick, Andrew Noble, Tushaar Shah

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

In countries with transitional economies such as those found in South Asia, large-scale irrigation systems (LSIS) with a history of public ownership account for about 115 million ha (Mha) or approximately 45% of their total area under irrigation. In terms of the global area of irrigation (320 Mha) for all countries, LSIS are estimated at 130 Mha or 40% of irrigated land. These systems can potentially deliver significant local, regional, and global benefits in terms of food, water and energy security, employment, economic growth, and ecosystem services. For example, primary crop production is conservatively valued at about US$355 billion. However, …

Quantification Of Variable Rate Irrigation Benefits And Spatial Variability In Root Zone Water Holding Capacity, Tsz Him Lo

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Variable rate irrigation (VRI) investment decisions require field-specific knowledge of benefits. The objective of this research was to help producers and consultants consider and quantify potential benefits of VRI. First, a conceptual model was developed for evaluating the public and/or private gain from adopting VRI where irrigation water supply is non-restrictive. Potential benefits were classified into three categories and were attributed to ten reasons. In the Central Plains at current prices, a small improvement in corn (maize) yield would make a large contribution to VRI profitability. Second, the potential irrigation withdrawal reduction from adapting VRI to spatial heterogeneity of root …

The Applicability Of Vri For Managing Variability In Infiltration Capacity And Plant-Available Water: A Preliminary Discussion And Gis Study, Tsz Him Lo, Luciano Mateos, Derek M. Heeren, Joe D. Luck

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Although variable rate irrigation (VRI) has been researched and marketed for a number of years, research that quantifies the magnitude of VRI’s potential benefits and that are translatable to unmonitored fields is lacking. The potential reduction in seasonal irrigation is proposed as the criterion for beginning to evaluate the use of VRI to improve agricultural water management when infiltration capacity and plant-available water are spatially variable inside a field. An initial geographic information system study using publicly available geospatial data was conducted to examine soil and topographic properties associated with such variability within 1100 center pivots across 11 counties. The …

Development And Evaluation Of Ordinary Least Squares Regression Models For Predicting Irrigated And Rainfed Maize And Soybean Yields, Vivek Sharma, Daran R. Rudnick, Suat Irmak

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Understanding the relationships between climatic variables and soil physical and chemical properties with crop yields on large scales is critical for evaluating crop productivity to make better assessments of local and regional food security, policy, land and water resource allocation, and management decisions. In this study, ordinary least squares(OLS) regression models were developed to predict irrigated and rainfed maize and soybean yields at the county level as a

function of explanatory variables [precipitation (P), actual crop evapotranspiration (ETa), organic matter content (OMC), cation exchange capacity (CEC), clay content (CC), and available soil water capacity (ASW)] of the dominant soil type …

Seepage And Stability Of A Dam In An Artesian Setting, Sean A. Parks

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Willow Creek Dam is located in a unique region on the boundary of a confined aquifer, where artesian conditions exist. Recently, groundwater levels have exceeded the elevation of the downstream berm well above anticipated piezometric elevations. It was presumed from limited evidence that these high piezometric levels resulted from pressure in the aquifer rather than from seepage out of the reservoir. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the relative contributions of the reservoir and the regional groundwater to observed piezometric levels and how these levels affect seepage exit gradients and slope stability of the dam.

Comparing the head …

Evaluation Of Soil Salinity Leaching Requirement Guidelines, John Letey, Glenn J. Hoffman, Jan W. Hopmans, Stephen R. Grattan, Donald Louis Suarez, Dennis L. Corwin, Jim D. Oster, Laosheng Wu, Christopher Amrhein

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Water for irrigation is a major limitation to agricultural production in many parts of the world. Use of waters with elevated levels of salinity is one likely option to meet the supply of increased demands. The sources of these waters include drainage water generated by irrigated agriculture, municipal wastewater, and poor quality groundwater. Soil salinity leaching requirements that were established several decades ago were based on steady-state conditions. Recently transient-state models have been developed that potentially can more correctly predict the dynamics of the chemical–physical–biological interactions in an agricultural system. The University of California Center for Water Resources appointed a …

Reducing The Cost Of Pumping Irrigation Water, Derrel L. Martin, William L. Kranz, Tom W. Dorn, Steve R. Melvin, Alan J. Corr

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Conference Presentations and White Papers

Irrigation accounts for a large portion of the energy used in Nebraska agriculture. The cost to pump irrigation water depends on the type of energy used to power the pumping unit. This document describes a method to estimate the cost of pumping water and to compare the amount of energy used to that for a well maintained and designed pumping plant. The results can help determine the feasibility of repairing the pumping plant.

Updating The Nebraska Pumping Plant Performance Criteria, William Kranz, Derrel L. Martin, Dean Patterson, Jerry Hudgins, Simon Van Donk, C. Dean Yonts

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Conference Presentations and White Papers

Irrigation water is removed from groundwater storage using deep well turbine pumps powered by electric motors or diesel, gasoline, propane, ethanol, or natural gas internal combustion engines. For best operating efficiency irrigation power units are selected to specifically meet the requirements of the irrigation system that include how deep the water in the well is under pumping conditions, the water pressure required at the pump outlet, and the system flow rate. The evaluation of pumping plants to establish pumping plant performance dates back into the 1950’s when researchers at the University of Nebraska were unable to directly compare the operation …

Estimating The Savings From Improving Pumping Plant Performance., Derrel L. Martin

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Conference Presentations and White Papers

This brochure describes a method to estimate the cost of pumping water and to compare the amount of energy used to that for a well maintained and designed pumping plant. The results can help determine the feasibility of repairing the pumping plant.

Measurement And Analyses Of Growth And Stress Parameters Of Viburnum Odoratissimum (Ker-Gawl) Grown In A Multi-Pot Box System, Suat Irmak, Dorota Z. Haman, Ayse Kilic, James W. Jones, Kenneth L. Campbell, Thomas L. Crisman

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Two colors (white and black) of a recently introduced irrigation-plant production system [multi-pot box system (MPBS)] for container-grown nurseries were researched and results were compared with those obtained from the sprinkler-irrigated conventional (control) system (CS). Experiments were carried out in summer and fall of 2001 in Gainesville, Fla. Plant growth [growth index (GI), growth rate (GR), and dry matter] and stress parameters[stomatal resistance (r_s), crop water stress index (CWSI), plant water potential (PWP), and substrate temperature (ST)] were measured and analyzed for Viburnum odoratissimum (Ker-gawl). In both seasons, plants grown in the white MPBS has significantly higher GI …

Testing Of A Water Loss Distribution Model For Moving Sprinkler Systems, Allen L. Thompson, Derrel L. Martin, John M. Norman, Judy A. Tolk, James R. Gilley, Arlan D. Schneider

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Field water balance measurements using monolithic lysimeters were used in validating the Cupid-DPE model for predicting water loss partitioning during sprinkler irrigation from a moving lateral system fitted with impact sprinklers and spray nozzles. The model combines equations governing water droplet evaporation and droplet ballistics with a comprehensive plant-environment energy balance model. Comparisons indicate good agreement between measured and modeled transpiration, and the measured and modeled soil evaporation during the day of irrigation. Total predicted evapotranspiration during the day of irrigation was greater than measured totals using the monolithic lysimeters. However, part of this difference was because the lysimeters could …