Life Sciences Commons^™

Physio-Chemical And Functional Properties Of Nine Proso Millet Cultivars, Manjot Singh, Akinbode A. Adedeji, Dipak Santra

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Evaluation of the postharvest properties of nine proso millet cultivars was carried out to determine their physical and engineering properties, which are very useful for designing appropriate systems for process operations such as sorting, drying, heating, cooling, and milling. Nine cultivars of proso millet comprising waxy and non-waxy types, namely Cope, Earlybird, Huntsman, Minco, Plateau, Sunrise, Rise, Dawn, and Panhandle, were obtained from the Panhandle Research and Extension Center, University of Nebraska, Scottsbluff. Results showed significant (p < 0.05) differences in their physical properties, such as sphericity, volume, bulk density, porosity, and angle of repose, which ranged from 0.86 to 0.91, from 3.94 to 5.14 mm³, from 765.49 to 809.67 kg m^-3, from 42.49% to 44.20%, and from 22.98° to 25.74°, respectively. The cultivars were …

Stored Grain Pack Factor Measurements For Soybeans, Grain Sorghum, Oats, Barley, And Wheat, Rumela Bhadra, Mark E. Casada, Aaron P. Turner, Michael D. Montross, Sidney A. Thompson, Samuel G. Mcneill, Ronaldo G. Maghirang, Josephine M. Boac

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Grain and oilseed crops stored in bins undergo compaction due to overbearing pressure of the grain inside the structure. Thus, volume measurements of grain in bins need to be combined with the amount of packing (usually called pack factor) in addition to the initial density so that the mass in the structure can be calculated. Multiple pack factor prediction methods are in use in the grain industry, but they have only been validated in the literature and compared with field data for corn and hard red winter wheat. Predictions from WPACKING, the program in ASABE Standard EP413.2, and two standard …

Field-Observed Angles Of Repose For Stored Grain In The United States, Rumela Bhadra, Mark E. Casada, Sidney A. Thompson, Josephine M. Boac, Ronaldo G. Maghirang, Michael D. Montross, Aaron P. Turner, Samuel G. Mcneill

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Bulk grain angle of repose (AoR) is a key parameter for inventorying grain, predicting flow characteristics, and designing bins and grain handling systems. The AoR is defined for two cases, piling (dynamic) or emptying (static), and usually varies with grain type. The objective of this study was to measure piling angles of repose for corn, sorghum, barley, soybeans, oats, and hard red winter (HRW) wheat in steel and concrete bins in the United States. Angles were measured in 182 bins and 7 outdoor piles. The piling AoR for corn ranged from 15.7° to 30.2° (median of 20.4° and standard deviation …

A Method For Reflectance Index Wavelength Selection From Moisture-Controlled Soil And Crop Residue Samples, Ali Hamidisepehr, Michael P. Sama, Aaron P. Turner, Ole O. Wendroth

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Reflectance indices are a method for reducing the dimensionality of spectral measurements used to quantify material properties. Choosing the optimal wavelengths for developing an index based on a given material and property of interest is made difficult by the large number of wavelengths typically available to choose from and the lack of homogeneity when remotely sensing agricultural materials. This study aimed to determine the feasibility of using a low-cost method for sensing the moisture content of background materials in traditional crop remote sensing. Moisture-controlled soil and wheat stalk residue samples were measured at varying heights using a reflectance probe connected …

Equilibrium Moisture Content Of Kabuli, Chickpea, Black Sesame, And White Sesame Seeds, Paul R. Armstrong, Elizabeth B. Maghirang, Bhadriraju Subramanyam, Samuel G. Mcneill

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Sesame and chickpea are important crops in Ethiopia because both are major export crops that generate much revenue for both small farmers and the country as a whole. However, there is a lack of information about the fundamental equilibrium moisture content (EMC) relationships among these crops, which would help facilitate better monitoring and storage. Therefore, EMC adsorption and desorption prediction models based on temperature (T) and relative humidity (RH) were developed for the modified Chung-Pfost and modified Henderson models for Kabuli chickpea (KC), black sesame (BS), and white sesame (WS) seeds. The samples for conducting the adsorption and desorption tests …

Correlating Bulk Density (With Dockage) And Test Weight (Without Dockage) For Wheat Samples, Rumela Bhadra, Mark E. Casada, Josephine M. Boac, Aaron P. Turner, Sidney A. Thompson, Michael D. Montross, Ronaldo G. Maghirang, Samuel G. Mcneill

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

In grain bins, the compaction of stored grain is caused by the overbearing pressure of the bulk material in the bin. To predict the amount of grain in the bin, compaction values must be determined based on the average bulk density (BD) of the stored material. However, BD is determined following the Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) guidelines for measuring test weight (TW), which require that dockage be removed prior to measuring wheat TW. Thus, this creates a problem for predicting grain compaction and conducting inventory studies, because the average BD of the grain in a bin for these calculations …

Pack Factor Measurements For Corn In Grain Storage Bins, Rumela Bhadra, Aaron P. Turner, Mark E. Casada, Michael D. Montross, Sidney A. Thompson, Josephine M. Boac, Samuel G. Mcneill, Ronaldo G. Maghirang

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Shelled yellow corn is commonly stored in concrete or corrugated steel bins. Granular materials compact under their own weight, primarily due to particle rearrangement, leading to an increase in bulk density and a change in volume when stored. Reliable grain pack factors are needed to estimate storage capacities and to accurately monitor grain inventories. A science-based model (WPACKING) of pack factors is available that uses the differential form of Janssen's equation and takes into account the variation in density caused by pressure variation with height and moisture content of the grain and accounts for the effects of grain type, test …

Stored Grain Pack Factors For Wheat: Comparison Of Three Methods To Field Measurements, Josephine M. Boac, Rumela Bhadra, Mark E. Casada, Sidney A. Thompson, Aaron P. Turner, Michael D. Montross, Samuel G. Mcneill, Ronaldo G. Maghirang

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Storing grain in bulk storage units results in grain packing from overbearing pressure, which increases grain bulk density and storage unit capacity. This study compared pack factors of hard red winter (HRW) wheat in vertical storage bins using different methods: the existing packing model (WPACKING), the USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA) method, and the USDA Farm Service Agency Warehouse Licensing and Examination Division (FSA-W) method. Grain bins containing HRW wheat were measured in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Packing was measured in corrugated steel bins and reinforced concrete bins with diameters ranging from 4.6 to 31.9 m (15.0 to 104.6 ft) …

Laboratory Performance Of A Mass Flow Sensor For Dry Edible Bean Harvesters, Rodrigo S. Zandonadi, Timothy S. Stombaugh, Scott A. Shearer, Daniel M. Queiroz, Michael P. Sama

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Due to the importance of yield monitoring, researchers have been developing systems for crops such as tomatoes, forage, sugar cane, citrus, and coffee. A yield monitoring system for pull type dry edible beans harvester has not yet been developed. The goal of this project was to design and test a drive torque measurement device on a clean grain bucket elevator of a dry bean harvester, and evaluate its potential to be used as a mass flow sensor. Tests were conducted in the Yield Monitor Test Facility (YMTF) of University of Kentucky following the recommendation of ASABE Standard S578 (2007) The …

Estimating Water Application Efficiency For Drip Irrigation Emitter Patterns On Banana, Alisson Jadavi Pereira Da Silva, Eugênio Ferreira Coelho, Jarbas Honorio De Miranda, Stephen Ray Workman

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

The objective of this work was to evaluate root and water distribution in irrigated banana (Musa sp.), in order to determine the water application efficiency for different drip irrigation emitter patterns. Three drip emitter patterns were studied: two 4-L h^-1 emitters per plant (T1), four 4-L h^-1 emitters per plant (T2), and five 4-L h^-1 emitters per plant (T3). The emitters were placed in a lateral line. In the treatment T3, the emitters formed a continuous strip. The cultivated area used was planted with banana cultivar BRS Tropical, with a 3-m spacing between rows and a …

Packing Factors Of Feed Products In Storage Structures, Samuel G. Mcneill, Michael D. Montross, Sidney A. Thompson, I. Joseph Ross, Thomas C. Bridges

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Experiments were conducted to measure the changes in bulk density of cracked corn, corn meal, soybean meal, cotton seed meal, and distillers dried grain (without solubles) when subjected to simulated overburden pressures. All materials were tested at two moisture content levels (approximately 8% and 12% w.b.) and seven pressures between 0 and 69 kPa (0 and 10 psi). A mathematical model was fitted to the data to predict the bulk density of each feed ingredient as a function of pressure and moisture content. These relationships were inserted into a previously developed computer model to predict ingredient packing within conventional storage …

Corn Stover Availability And Collection Efficiency Using Typical Hay Equipment, Robert M. Prewitt, Michael D. Montross, Scott A. Shearer, Timothy S. Stombaugh, Stephen F. Higgins, Samuel G. Mcneill, Shahab Sokhansanj

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Corn stover has been identified as a potential feedstock for the production of fermentable sugars and thermochemical processes. The availability and efficiency of typical hay equipment for collecting corn stover has not been well quantified. Corn stover was collected for two years on a central Kentucky farm near Louisville. Six different harvesting treatments, using traditional hay equipment, were used to harvest corn stover. A rotary mower, rotary scythe (flail-type mower with windrow-forming shields), parallel bar rake, and a round baler were utilized. The average stover moisture content prior to grain harvest was above 40%, and field drying was required before …

Spatial Variation Of Protein, Oil, And Starch In Corn, Samuel G. Mcneill, Michael D. Montross, Scott A. Shearer

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Significant spatial yield variations are known to exist in cornfields with different soil types, topsoil depth, and other variables. Similarly, variations might also be found among the highly valued chemical components (oil, protein, and starch) in corn kernels due to local differences in soil type, fertility, acidity/pH, organic matter, etc. This study quantified the spatial variability of protein, oil, and starch content of corn from two conventional cornfields and two high-oil cornfields. Whole ears were harvested by hand from 20 to 40 randomly selected locations within each field. A differential global positioning system (DGPS) receiver recorded the location of each …

Airflow Resistance Of Seeds At Different Bulk Densities Using Ergun's Equation, Marek Molenda, Michael D. Montross, Samuel G. Mcneill, Jozef Horabik

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Airflow resistance of grains and oilseeds has been extensively studied. Traditionally the data has been presented using Shedd’s curves. However, this assumes that airflow resistance is independent of grain depth. Grain undergoes compaction during storage that changes the bulk density, porosity, and therefore the airflow resistance. Ergun’s equation is a function of particle size and porosity of the granular material. Airflow resistance by Ergun’s equation was used to predict the pressure drop across a column of corn, soft white winter wheat, soft red winter wheat, and soybeans at three moisture content levels and two bulk densities. The maximum root mean …

Permeability Of Corn, Soybeans, And Soft Red And White Winter Wheat As Affected By Bulk Density, Michael D. Montross, Samuel G. Mcneill

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Darcy’s law is a function of viscosity, permeability, and velocity and can be used to predict the airflow resistance in granular materials at low air velocities. Permeability also governs the magnitude of natural convection currents during periods of non-aerated grain storage. The permeability of corn, soybeans, soft white winter wheat, and soft red winter wheat were measured as a function of bulk density and moisture content. Air was passed through a column of grain and the flow rate and pressure drop measured. Bulk density and kernel density were also measured to determine the porosity of grain in the test column. …

Crop Yield Response To Precision Deep Tillage, Larry G. Wells, Timothy S. Stombaugh, Scott A. Shearer

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Experimental precision deep tillage was applied at three sites in central Kentucky with relatively well-drained silt loam soils in no-till crop production. Fields were divided into 0.4 ha (1 ac) grid cells using DGPS mapping. Assessment of soil compaction by machinery traffic was made using multiple soil cone penetrometer measurements and expressed as cone index (CI). Corn, wheat, and soybean yields were depressed in grid cells with CI_avg ≥ 1.5 MPa (218 psi) prior to application of tillage treatments at sites 1 and 3, whereas at site 2, where most of the highest average CI values ranged from 1.44 …

Aeration Strategies And Fan Cost Comparisons For Wheat In Mid-South Production Regions, Thomas C. Bridges, Michael D. Montross, Samuel G. Mcneill

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Numerous factors influence the sizing of aeration fans for summer-harvested crops. Thirty years of weather data for Lexington, Kentucky, were analyzed and the cost of aeration was compared for two axial fans (afan1, afan2) and one centrifugal fan (cfan1). Aeration costs were defined as the sum of the following components: the cost of owning the fan, the cost of electricity for operating the fan, a cost for wheat shrinkage during aeration, and a cost for dry matter loss (DML). The fans were selected to deliver airflow rates of approximately one, two, and three times the recommended aeration rate of 0.11 …

A Reduced–Cost Mechanized System For Handling And Curing Mechanically–Harvested Burley Tobacco, Greg A. Camenisch, Larry G. Wells, Timothy D. Smith, George A. Duncan

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

An experimental system was tested in which mechanically harvested burley tobacco plants placed onto steel slotted receivers were retrieved from a field, transported to a field curing structure, and placed onto the structure for air curing by a single worker. The system consisted of a tractor–towed, trailer mechanism that engaged and hoisted loads of approximately 360 burley plants of approximately 1 Mg mass. Ten slotted steel rails, 3.05 m long, holding 36 notched plants were placed onto parallel wooden beams suspended at a height of 2.13 m by wooden posts set in the ground. Burley tobacco was cured in this …

Reconditioning Corn And Soybeans To Optimal Processing Moisture Contents, Michael D. Montross, Dirk E. Maier

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Experimental trials were carried out to evaluate the technical feasibility of reconditioning overly dry corn and soybeans to optimal market and processing moisture contents. Data obtained from experimental trials were used to validate an aeration simulation model. This model was used to evaluate the feasibility of reconditioning soybeans and corn. Reconditioning of grain was feasible at low airflow rates (0.11 m³ min^–1 t^–1) over a six-month period when an automatic aeration controller was used. Using downflow aeration and monthly unloading of the bin allowed for the greatest net economic gain. Predicted reconditioning in Des Moines, Iowa, …

Simulated Performance Of Conventional High-Temperature Drying, Dryeration, And Combination Drying Of Shelled Corn With Automatic Conditioning, Michael D. Montross, Dirk E. Maier

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Combination drying, based on computer simulation, was evaluated as an alternative drying technique to traditional high-temperature drying and dryeration. Simulation models of high-temperature crossflow drying and in-bin drying and conditioning were used to evaluate the performance of conventional crossflow drying and full-heat crossflow drying followed by dryeration or natural-air drying for Indianapolis, Indiana, and Des Moines, Iowa. Energy costs from propane, electricity, moisture shrink below the market moisture content, and dry matter loss were estimated to find the total average drying cost over 29 years. Dryeration and combination drying reduced the total drying cost by approximately 10% compared to conventional …

Evaporation Reduction Potential In An Undisturbed Soil Irrigated With Surface Drip And Sand Tube Irrigation, Masoud Meshkat, Richard C. Warner, Stephen R. Workman

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

The efficiency of drip irrigation is highly dependent on evaporation losses occurring from the constantly saturated soil beneath emitters. Advent of subsurface drip irrigation is in part an approach to curb this inefficiency. An irrigation method, Sand Tube Irrigation (STI), is proposed to increase the efficiency of “Normal” surface applied drip Irrigation (NI method) on permanent tree crops without the need for burying the irrigation tubing. The sand tube consists of removing a soil core beneath the emitter and filling the void with coarse sand. A weighing lysimeter was constructed in the laboratory and instrumented to directly measure temporal evaporation …

Manipulation Of High Spatial Resolution Aircraft Remote Sensing Data For Use In Site-Specific Farming, Gabriel B. Senay, Andrew D. Ward, John G. Lyon, Norman R. Fausey, Sue E. Nokes

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Three spatial data sets consisting of high spatial resolution (1 m) remote sensing images acquired in 12 spectral bands, an on-the-go yield map, and a Digital Elevation Model were co-registered and evaluated for spatial variability studies in a Geographic Information Systems environment. Separate on-the-go yield maps were developed for 3, 5, and 12 statistically significant mean yield classes. For each yield class, the corresponding mean spectral and elevation data were extracted. The relationship between mean spectral and yield data was strongly linear (r = 0.99). Also, a strong linear relationship between mean yield and elevation data (r = 0.92) was …

Evaluation Of The Crop Growth Component Of The Root Zone Water Quality Model For Corn In Ohio, Sue E. Nokes, Feliks M. Landa, Jon D. Hanson

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

The Root Zone Water Quality Model (RZWQM) is a computer model developed to simulate water, chemical, and biological processes in the root zone of agricultural management systems. As of this writing RZWQM is in the beta-testing phase of development. This article reports on a parameterization and evaluation study performed in Ohio on field corn for the crop growth component of RZWQM. The generic crop growth model in RZWQM had not previously been parameterized or tested on field corn. This article reports the results of such a study. One year of data was used to calibrate RZWQM, and two additional years …

Curling Burley Tobacco From An Automated Harvesting System, Linus R. Walton, Larry G. Wells, James H. Casada

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

If burley tobacco can be successfully cured at high density under waterproof covers in the field, a producer can expand production without the necessity of building new curing barns and can thereby more easily justify investment in the automated burley tobacco harvesting system (Wells et al., 1990a, b). Curing under waterproof covers in the field and curing on frames in the barn were evaluated over three curing seasons using two varieties (KY 14 and TN 86), two plant densities (32 and 43 plants/m², 3 and 4 plants/ft²), position of tobacco on the frame (four levels ranging …

Elliptical Combing Motion For Harvesting Bell Peppers, J. H. Wilhoit, George A. Duncan, Larry G. Wells

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

A new concept for mechanically harvesting bell peppers, intended specifically for multiple-pass harvesting, utilized spaced horizontal fingers combing vertically upward through plant foliage in an elliptical path alternating from both sides of the row. An apparatus based on this concept was designed and built, and harvest tests were conducted to determine the effect of two main machine operating parameters, vertical picking speed and disk angle. Harvesting performance was evaluated in terms of harvest efficiency, fruit damage, and plant damage as it related to multiple-pass harvesting. Fruit removal, both harvestable size and immature, increased significantly as vertical picking speed increased. Branch …

Automated Harvesting Of Burley Tobacco I. System Development, Larry G. Wells, George B. Day V, Timothy D. Smith

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

A fully automated system for harvesting and handling mature buriey tobacco has been developed. This article identifies the operations essential to this harvesting concept and describes the development of the mechanisms by which they were accomplished. The system detaches, inverts and places mature plants into portable holders for air curing under waterproof covering without requiring any manual handling of the crop. Manual labor currently required to harvest buriey tobacco would be reduced by 80-85% and the system would eliminate the drudgery associated with manual handling. The harvesting system has an approximate capacity of 1.4 to 2.0 ha/day (3.5 to 5.0 …

Automated Harvesting Of Burley Tobacco Ii. Evaluation Of System Performance, Larry G. Wells, George B. Day V, Timothy D. Smith

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

A prototype system for fully automated harvesting of burley tobacco has been developed and tested. Three years of field testing has shown that mechanical losses associated with the system were only slightly higher than via conventional methods. The system performed reliably at a sustained harvesting rate of approximately 1.4 ha/day (3.4 acre/day), while indicating that a rate of 2 ha/day (5 acre/day) should be easily achievable. The system is operated by two workers and reduces conventional labor requirement by approximately 80-85%.

Automated Sorting Of Oriented Tobacco Leaves, Larry G. Wells, M. J. Bader

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

A mechanism has been developed which removes cured burley tobacco leaves from plants so that midribs are oriented parallel. A photosensor was utilized to count leaves as they were removed and a microprocessor determined the number of leaves allocated to each of three grades. Experiments indicated that 84% of leaves removed could be correctly sorted with a 2.4% material loss at an effective rate of approximately 2.4 times that of conventional methods.

An Aeration Duct Design Model For Flat Grain Storage, Thomas C. Bridges, Douglas G. Overhults, Samuel G. Mcneill, G. M. White

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Traditionally most grain is stored in circular type bins which provide a convenient means for handling and management. With the excess grain production and government loan programs of the past few years, some producers have used rectangular structures and covered piles to complement their round storages. The recommended management practices used with round bins are still required in those alternative storages and may be more critical in obtaining a quality end product.

One such recommended practice used with round bins is aeration. This practice is used to maintain a uniform temperature in the grain mass, preventing condensation and "hot" spots …

Production Of Aflatoxin On Damaged Corn Under Controlled Environmental Conditions, D. M. Wieman, G. M. White, Joseph L. Taraba, I. J. Ross, Clair L. Hicks, Bruce E. Langlois

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Aflatoxin B₁ production by Aspergillus flavus (NRRL 6432) was determined on physically damaged corn stored at 35,25 and 20°C and at relative humidities of 97 and 92%. Production at lower relative humidities of 80 and 85% were also tested at 25°C. Production lag times were significantly different for all test conditions. Lag times ranged from 46 h at 97% relative humidity and 35°C to 173. 8 h at 20°C and 92% relative humidity. Aflatoxin B, concentration doubled every 6 to 10 hours after a level of 10 ppb had been reached. Production rate constants were not significantly different between …