Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering Commons^™

Field-Based Scoring Of Soybean Iron Deficiency Chlorosis Using Rgb Imaging And Statistical Learning, Geng Bai, Shawn Jenkins, Wenan Yuan, George L. Graef, Yufeng Ge

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Iron deficiency chlorosis (IDC) is an abiotic stress in soybean that can cause significant biomass and yield reduction. IDC is characterized by stunted growth and yellowing and interveinal chlorosis of early trifoliate leaves. Scoring IDC severity in the field is conventionally done by visual assessment. The goal of this study was to investigate the usefulness of Red Green Blue (RGB) images of soybean plots captured under the field condition for IDC scoring. A total of 64 soybean lines with four replicates were planted in 6 fields over 2 years. Visual scoring (referred to as Field Score, or FS) was conducted …

Unmanned Aerial Systems-Based Remote Sensing For Monitoring Sorghum Growth And Development, Sanaz Shafian, Nithya Rajan, Ronnie Schnell, Muthukumar Bagavathiannan, John Valasek, Yeyin Shi, Jeff Olsenholler

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Systems (UAV or UAS) have become increasingly popular in recent years for agricultural research applications. UAS are capable of acquiring images with high spatial and temporal resolutions that are ideal for applications in agriculture. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of a UAS-based remote sensing system for quantification of crop growth parameters of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) including leaf area index (LAI), fractional vegetation cover (f_c) and yield. The study was conducted at the Texas A&M Research Farm near College Station, Texas, United States. A fixed-wing UAS equipped with a …

Rapeseed Seedling Stand Counting And Seeding Performance Evaluation At Two Early Growth Stages Based On Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Imagery, Biquan Zhao, Jian Zhang, Chenghai Yang, Guangsheng Zhou, Youchun Ding, Yeyin Shi, Dongyan Zhang, Jing Xie, Qingxi Liao

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and image processing algorithms for field-based phenotyping offers a non-invasive and effective technology to obtain plant growth traits such as canopy cover and plant height in fields. Crop seedling stand count in early growth stages is important not only for determining plant emergence, but also for planning other related agronomic practices. The main objective of this research was to develop practical and rapid remote sensing methods for early growth stage stand counting to evaluate mechanically seeded rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) seedlings. Rapeseed was seeded in a field by three different seeding devices. A …

Towards Characterizing Lnapl Remediation Endpoints, Kaveh Sookhak Lari, John L. Rayner, Greg B. Davis

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Remediating sites contaminated with light non-aqueous phase liquids (LNAPLs) is a demanding and often prolonged task. It is vital to determine when it is appropriate to cease engineered remedial efforts based on the long-term effectiveness of remediation technology options. For the first time, the long term effectiveness of a range of LNAPL remediation approaches including skimming and vacuum-enhanced skimming each with and without water table drawdown was simulated through a multi-phase and multi-component approach. LNAPL components of gasoline were simulated to show how component changes affect the LNAPL's multi-phase behaviour and to inform the risk profile of the LNAPL. The …

Field-Scale Multi-Phase Lnapl Remediation: Validating A New Computational Framework Against Sequential Field Pilot Trials, Kaveh Sookhak Lari, Colin Johnson, John Rayner, Greg Davis

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Remediation of subsurface systems, including groundwater, soil and soil gas, contaminated with light non-aqueous phase liquids (LNAPLs) is challenging. Field-scale pilot trials of multi-phase remediation were undertaken at a site to determine the effectiveness of recovery options. Sequential LNAPL skimming and vacuum-enhanced skimming, with and without water table drawdown were trialled over 78 days; in total extracting over 5 m³ of LNAPL. For the first time, a multi-component simulation framework (including the multi-phase multi-component code TMVOC-MP and processing codes) was developed and applied to simulate the broad range of multi-phase remediation and recovery methods used in the field trials. …

A Multi-Criteria And Dynamic Sustainability Assessment Of Crop Rotation Alternatives, Saturnina Fabian Nisperos

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Theses & Dissertations

With the food security challenge faced by nations globally, agriculture sustainability has been a significant consideration for concerned agencies. Sustainability assessments are significant tools in providing support to stakeholders in their crop production planning. Agricultural sustainability assessment, however, is complex and it involves numerous criteria that can be conflicting. Limitations on crop rotation sustainability assessment methods include: non-dynamic assessment; lack of regard to cover crops and to the individual crop production preferences of farmers; and focused only on single-year and single-crop rotation. We sought to address these limitations by developing a multi-criteria and dynamic sustainability assessment model that considers the …

Toxicity Screening Of Biochar-Mineral Composites Using Germination Tests, Jan Mumme, Josephine Getz, Munoo Prasad, Ulf Lüder, Kern Jurgen, Ondrej Masek, Wolfram Buss

Articles

This study assessed the properties and toxicity (water cress germination trials) of 38 waste-derived, novel biochar-mineral composites (BMCs) produced via slow pyrolysis and hydrothermal carbonization (hydrochars). The biochars were produced from sewage sludge and compost-like output (CLO) by varying the type of mineral additive (zeolite, wood ash and lignite fly ash), the mineral-to-feedstock ratio and the carbonization process. While pure hydrochars completely inhibited germination of water cress, this effect was ameliorated by mineral additives. Seedlings grew best in pyrolysis chars and while wood ash addition decreased plant growth in many cases, 1:10 addition to CLO doubled germination rate. The factors …

Characteristics Of Activated Carbons Produced From Herbaceous Biomass Feedstock, Oluwatosin Jerry Oginni

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Energy security and environmental protection are at the forefront of research due to the forecasted depletion of fossil fuel reserves and the growing concern of its adverse environmental impacts. The use of renewable sources for energy applications has centered on the use of biomass feedstocks and this include from herbaceous, woody, agricultural waste, forest residues and municipal wastes. The thermochemical conversion (pyrolysis) of these biomass feedstocks has potential to produce liquid fuel, a solid residue (biochar) and non-condensable gas. The biochar is primarily composed of renewable porous carbon and other inorganic compounds. The biochar is used for soil amendment, adsorption …

Scada System Maintenance: An Often Overlooked Necessity, Charles M. Burt, Kyle Fesit

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

The design and implementation of a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system is typically undertaken by expert engineers and integration contractors. In order to provide a robust and reliable SCADA system, good design and installation practices are required. Preserving the initial SCADA system reliability requires good maintenance. Unfortunately, SCADA maintenance is often overlooked or underestimated. There are two potential providers for SCADA maintenance activities. Some SCADA maintenance activities are best provided by the developer or installer of the SCADA system, before closing out a project contract. Other SCADA maintenance requirements are best provided by the irrigation district or SCADA …

Development And Testing Of An Agricultural Nozzle Clog Detection Device Prototype, Chin Nee Vong

Student Theses and Dissertations

Nozzle clogging during spray application results in poor weed management and increased cost in re-spraying. A device that can detect nozzle clogging during the spraying operation is necessary. A novel method and device for detecting clogged nozzles that is externally attachable to each nozzle on the sprayer’s boom has been developed in the Precision Application Technology Lab at Arkansas State University. The study’s objectives include developing prototypes of this device and comparing the spray droplet size and spray pattern in controlled condition and spray coverage in field condition with and without using the device. The research demonstrated that this new …

High Throughput Phenotyping Of Sorghum For The Study Of Growth Rate, Water Use Efficiency, And Chemical Composition, Piyush Pandey

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

Plant phenotyping using digital images has increased the throughput of the trait measurement process, and it is considered to be a potential solution to the problem of the phenotyping bottleneck. In this study, RGB images were used to study relative growth rate (RGR) and water use efficiency (WUE) of a diverse panel of 300 sorghum plants of 30 genotypes, and hyperspectral images were used for chemical analysis of macronutrients and cell wall composition. Half of the plants from each genotype were subjected to drought stress, while the other half were left unstressed. Quadratic models were used to estimate the shoot …

Thermodynamic Limitations To Agricultural Productivity And Food Security: Livestock In Sub-Saharan Africa, Calvin Harman

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

By 2050, to feed a nearly tripling and more urbanized population in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) will require significant increases in crop productivity throughout the region’s agricultural systems, if a greater reliance on imports is to be avoided. Increases in crop yields to maximum potential productivity (closure of crop yield gaps) can produce more calories and protein, but may be insufficient to sustain the burgeoning human population according to recent analysis (van Ittersum et al., 2016). In this thesis, alternative management options (i.e. crop allocation and crop substitutions) are found to increase total energy productivity and the thermodynamic efficiency of food …

Cultivation Of Chlorella Sorokiniana Using Beef Feedlot Runoff Holding Pond Effluent, Mitchell Klaus Goedeken

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

A study was conducted to test the suitability of utilizing beef feedlot runoff holding pond effluent for cultivating algae. The algae strain used, Chlorella sorokiniana, was previously identified as a potential energy feedstock for cattle. The previous research was initiated in pursuit of a goal to develop a cycle of utilizing nutrients from beef manure to cultivate algae and then utilizing dewatered algae as a feed supplement for beef cattle.

Runoff holding pond effluent samples were collected from commercial beef production operations in Nebraska during spring 2016. Equal portions of samples from each cooperating farm were composited and then aliquoted …

Use Of Long Term Weather Data And Spatially Delineated Field Attributes To Predict Water And Energy Conservation From Variable Rate Irrigation, Sahil Sharma

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

The declining levels of the Ogallala aquifer calls for more judicious use of water. Studies have shown that VRI has the potential for water savings. But adoption of VRI is still very low. The major reason is lack of information on the returns from the VRI systems and its feasibility in different fields. Also, a quantification of the required reduction in prices of VRI is necessary. So, an economic return analysis of VRI strategies was done to compare it to uniform irrigation management (UIM) using a water balance model based on long term weather data and field properties for a …

Design And Development Of An Electronic Granular Urea Applicator As An Attachment With Rice Transplanter, Md Towfiqur Rahman

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

In rice production system, transplanting and fertilizer application are tedious, time consuming and laborious task, and mostly done manually in Bangladesh. Mechanical planting of rice and granular urea placement have distinctive advantages over manual operation. Mechanical planting of rice becoming popular in the country in recent years and few machines have been developed for guti-urea deep placement, however having some limitations. Considering precise guti-urea placement along with rice transplanting, an attempt was under taken to design and fabricate an electronic control guti-urea applicator to be attach with a 4-row walk behind type rice transplanter. Fabrication of the electronic guti-urea applicator …

Performance Assessment Of Electromagnetic Soil Water Sensors In Different Soil Textural, Temperature, And Salinity Conditions, Jasreman Singh

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

Determination of accurate and continuous measurements of volumetric water content (θ_v) is extremely valuable for irrigation management and other agronomic decisions. Lately, electromagnetic (EM) sensors are being widely used to monitor θ_v continuously which also offer the benefits of ease of installation, fewer regulatory and safety concerns, and cost effectiveness. However, the accuracy of parameters [soil temperature, electrical conductivity (EC_a), dielectric permittivity (ε_ra), and θ_v] reported by EM sensors need to be evaluated for them to be utilized for agricultural water management. In the current study, the accuracy of a wide …

Setback Distance Requirements For Removal Of Swine Slurry Constituents In Runoff, John E. Gilley, Shannon L. Bartelt-Hunt, Kent M. Eskridge, Xu Li, Amy M. Schmidt, Daniel D. Snow

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The use of setback distances for manure application on cropland areas adjacent to surface water bodies could serve a function similar to vegetative filter strips. However, little information currently exists to identify the setback distances necessary to effectively reduce the transport of contaminants in runoff. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of setback distance and runoff rate on concentrations of selected constituents in runoff following land application of swine slurry to a no-till cropland area in southeast Nebraska. The study site had a residue cover of 7.73 Mg ha-1 and a slope gradient of 4.9%. The …

A Risk-Based Method For Estimating The Carbon Sequestration Budget For A Mixed Hardwood Forest, Erin Cooper

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) levels in the atmosphere have risen from approximately 310 ppm in the 1950’s to over 400 ppm as of 2015. This rise in CO₂ has likely resulted in the observed warming trend of the earth’s atmosphere in the same time frame, causing significant concern in the scientific community. Several mitigation strategies have arisen to combat the upward trend of CO₂ emissions in recent decades, among them being carbon sequestration- the process of capturing CO₂ from the atmosphere and holding it for an extended period of time. This study used the U.S. Forest …

Quantifying Effectiveness Of Streambank Stabilization Practices On Cedar River, Nebraska, Naisargi Dave, Aaron R. Mittelstet

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Excessive sediment is a major pollutant to surface waters worldwide. In some watersheds, streambanks are a significant source of this sediment, leading to the expenditure of billions of dollars in stabilization projects. Although costly streambank stabilization projects have been implemented worldwide, long-term monitoring to quantify their success is lacking. There is a critical need to document the long-term success of streambank restoration projects. The objectives of this research were to (1) quantify streambank retreat before and after the stabilization of 18 streambanks on the Cedar River in North Central Nebraska, USA; (2) assess the impact of a large flood event; …

Morphological, Thermal And Oxygen Barrier Properties Plasticized Film Polylactic Acid, Kurniawan Yuniarto, Bruce A. Welt, Foliatini -, Hanafi -, Candra Irawan

Journal of Applied Packaging Research

Introducing plasticizer poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG400) was applied into poly(lactic acid) (PLA) to produce film matrix packaging by direct casting. Non mechanical properties were carried out plasticized PLA including morphology, crystallinity structure and degree, thermal properties and oxygen barrier properties. Plasticized PLA revealed improving surface structure of PLA film matrix form fractures and homogenous film were achieved at 5% PEG 400. Chromatogram PLA and plasticized PLA were categorized crystal structure an α-form crystal. Intercalated and exfoliated structure did not occur significantly due to dispersion PEG 400 in the matrix but indicated dispersion structure. Thermal properties did not improve plasticized PLA significantly …