Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering Commons^™

Initial Changes In Species Cover Following Savanna Restoration Treatments In Western Iowa, David A. Mckenzie, Thomas B. Bragg, David M. Sutherland

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

Study areas in the Iowa Loess Hills were used to evaluate short-term responses of understory species to three treatment methods designed to facilitate restoration of Quercus macrocarpa savanna. Treatments included burning alone, burning with thinning, and burning with clear-cutting. Plant abundance and diversity were compared before treatment and one year after treatment. Ninety-nine plant species were identified during the study, of which 40 were new following treatment, although most of these were forest associates. Increases in diversity of understory species were observed after treatment, particularly in plots with combined burning and thinning. The forb group was most consistent in response …

Characterizing Physical Properties Of Gas-Phase Biofilter Media, Guilherme Del Nero Maia, G. Tatiana Sales, George B. Day V, Richard S. Gates, Joseph L. Taraba

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Gas-phase biofiltration is an effective technology for reduction of odors and trace-gas contaminants. Significant contributions to the technical literature regarding the characterization of biofilter media have been generated in the past two decades. Nevertheless, the information produced has not been systematically organized. The objective of this study is to demonstrate and document methods for physical characterization of gas-phase compost biofilters (GPCB). The inclusion of moisture content, compaction, and particle size effects in the determination of media bulk density and porosity, field capacity, drying rate analysis, water sorption isotherms, and resistance to airflow is demonstrated. Results indicated that: (1) higher moisture …

Sbx7 Flow Rate Measurement Compliance For Agricultural Irrigation Districts, Charles M. Burt, Evan Geer

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

Senate Bill x7-7 (SBx7-7) requires documented volumetric accounting to individual turnouts for water deliveries. Section 597.3 of the bill lists two very different requirements for devices. This document examines the requirements of SBx7 and the implications for agricultural irrigation districts. The definitions and impacts of flow rate and volumetric accuracy are defined. Example scenarios and solutions are offered, as well as descriptions of applicable devices.

Water And Energy Conservation Grow System: Aquaponics And Aeroponics With A Cycle Timer, Roger Hancock

Electrical Engineering

What some experts call the “blue gold”; water is a major issue in this world. There is only so much water and the reliability and cleanliness of water is what many developing countries are dealing with today. Countries around the world are facing problems with reliable water to grow enough food for their villages and homes. Is there is a way to minimize water consumption while optimizing growth in plants for food? One solution can be seen through both Aeroponics and Aquaponics. This project explores the potential of providing larger quantities of food to areas where water may be in …

Effects Of Sprinkler, Partial Sprinkler/Drip, And Drip Only Irrigation On Strawberry Transplants 2011-2012, Stuart Styles

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

The Cal Poly Irrigation Training and Research Center (ITRC), in collaboration with academic, water district, and industry partners, proposes to evaluate new strategies for drip irrigation on strawberries to minimize runoff during transplant establishment.

The most common method used for irrigating strawberries is a mix of sprinkler irrigation and drip. Growers use sprinkler irrigation for bed preparation and salinity control, then eventually switch to drip irrigation after transplanting, but continue to use sprinkler irrigation as an insurance policy (for bonding between plant roots and soil bonding, washing off the leaves, controlling salinity, and frost). However, field observations have shown that …

Hydrologic Evaluation Of Established Rain Gardens In Lincoln, Nebraska, Andrew R. Anderson, Thomas G. Franti, David P. Shelton

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Increased urbanization has resulted in water quality and flooding problems for many receiving waters in the United States. Rain gardens are one type of best management practice commonly used in low impact development (LID). Many studies have evaluated large engineered bioretention cells in research settings. There is little information on the effectiveness of homeowner-maintained rain gardens that rely on deep percolation as the method for water exfiltration. Repeatable controlled experiments are very rare in hydrologic studies due to the inherent variability of weather data. The objective of this study was to evaluate the hydrologic properties of twelve established rain gardens …

Dynamics Of Depression Storage During Sprinkler Irrigation And Precipitation Events, Michael B. Mckinney

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

Surface depression storage (D_s) is the volume of precipitation excess which is stored by surface microrelief features of soils. The volume of water stored in surface depressions when precipitation rate exceeds infiltration rate reduces the amount of runoff generated. Because Ds is dependent on soil microrelief, land slope, and crop residue, tillage and management practices can have a considerable impact on the magnitude of this value.

When modeling irrigation systems and surface hydrology, depression storage is often treated as a static abstraction, meaning that maximum storage volume must be filled before runoff occurs. However, several researchers have documented …

Life Cycle Boundaries And Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Beef Cattle, Quentin M. Dudley

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

Beef cattle are estimated to directly contribute 26% of U.S. agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and future climate change policy may target reducing these emissions. Life cycle assessment (LCA) of GHG emissions from U.S. feedlot beef cattle was conducted to compare methods of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with a more complete evaluation of emissions. The inclusion of emissions from crop production for feed, associated land use change, and other minor factors nearly doubled GHG emissions associated with beef feedlots from the EPA Annual Inventory estimate of 1611 kgCO₂e hd^-1 yr^-1 to 3182 ± 167 …

Implementation Of Magnetic Meters For Irrigation Volumetric Measurement, Stuart Styles, Lynn Groundwater

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

The irrigation industry is experiencing a growth in the use of magnetic meters for measuring the flow rate and volume in irrigation pipelines. Historically, propeller meters have been the device selected by users. New legislation in California (SB7x7) will require measurement devices at key locations for irrigation water delivery. Some users are very interested in the magnetic meter for making the measurement at the turnout or farm gate. The key feature of the new meter is the ability for the device to work in less than ideal flow conditions. Electromagnetic meters have been tested by the Irrigation Training and Research …

Observations Of Localised Effects Of The Busselton Compensating Basins On Surface Water, Groundwater And Soil Salinity, D L. Bennett, Richard J. George Dr

Resource management technical reports

Between 2001 and 2009 the Water Corporation constructed three flood-compensating basins on farmland in the Vasse and Sabina river catchments, upstream of in the city of Busselton. The basins are designed to reduce the risk of flooding in urban areas of Busselton by temporarily storing and then regulating runoff during flood events. This report fulfils the reporting requirements of a contract between the Water Corporation and the Department of Agriculture and Food. Data relating to the local groundwater and surface-water dynamics, salinity, nutrients and pH, plus changes to shallow and deep-soil salinity (from repeat ground-based electromagnetic induction [EM] surveying), was …

Irrigation System Evaluation And Pump Efficiency, Gregory Borges

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

This project encompasses the Evaluation of a drip irrigation system for a Pistachio orchard in Tulare, Ca. The project parameters were decided on by Borges Farms. After the evaluation suggestions are to be made for improving the system’s efficiency. These suggestions must be approved by the grower and show whether they are cost efficient. The irrigation system cannot be modified to fit the pump chosen.

Research for the project encompasses drip irrigation systems, irrigation pump efficiency, irrigation management, well reclamation techniques and pistachio water requirements. A Distribution Uniformity evaluation was performed to understand how sand has affected the system. I …

Evaluation, Design, And Testing Of Plc Data Logging System On Modified Pulling Tractor, Jared Evers

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

This senior project involves the design and implementation of a data logging system on a modified pulling tractor, Mustang Fever. The project starts out a continuation of a previous project. The original goal of the project was to keep the Cal Poly Tractor Pull on the leading edge of innovation. The implementation of a sensor array and logging system on a modified pull tractor assists with the maintenance and tuning of the machine. The collected data is stored on a USB drive to allow analysis in the future.

The parameters collected by the system are: pressures, temperatures, and rotational speeds. …

Design, Construction, And Testing Of An Almond Harvester Pick-Up Belt Tensioning Mechanism, Brandon Eller

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

This senior project presents the design, fabrication, and testing of a tensioning mechanism for an almond harvester pick-up belt system. This tensioner was intended to reduce belt tension spikes when obstructions are encountered in the system, and was tested on a previously fabricated pick-up belt test stand. The result of this project is a prototype tensioner mechanism that was tested with favorable results. Also, the project includes a results and discussion section that presents an improved design based on the testing results.

Design, Construction And Testing Of A Walnut Cracker, Michael Dasso

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

This senior project involves the design, construction and testing of a walnut cracker for Beecher Lane Walnut of Stockton California. This prototype cracker is one piece of a walnut processing system to package walnuts. Beecher Lane Walnut currently utilizes a conical cracker design whereas this new design entails a twin barrel configuration.

The goal of this project was to design, construct and test a prototype walnut cracker that would help determine the variables necessary to yield the highest percentage of walnut halves.

The testing of this walnut cracker involved two varieties: Eureka and Chandler. Testing indicated the optimal output of …

Design And Fabrication Of A Concrete Washout Bin, Bryce Allen Dafonte

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

The project encompassed the design and fabrication of a concrete washout bin. The design parameters were provided by feedback from multiple professors who have used the current concrete washout area, and would like a newer, more effective washout bin to use for multiple lab sessions throughout the school year. The concrete washout bin needed to be large enough to hold excess amounts of waste materials, yet include a low profile to aid the students in being able to clean multiple mixers and tools. A liner will be held in place to ensure that water does not leak out, but also …

Solid Set Sprinkler Design For An Apricot Orchard, Kyle Moeller

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

The goal of this project was to design a solid set sprinkler system as well as a cost analysis for a 60 acre field. This allows for water to be distributed throughout an entire field at low flow rates allowing water to be used more efficiently and effectively. Completing a design such as this will allow some cost saving by the farmer throughout the systems use.

Implementation, Design, And Cost Analysis Of A Concrete Washout System, Omar Adina

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

With the increase of environmental pollution in today’s world, many strategies and regulations are being enforced. These enforcements come from the state and federal governments, but public awareness is often overlooked. Stormwater regulations here in California have dramatically changed over the last decade, as the topic is investigated more often.

This senior project encompassed the design prototype and cost analysis of a permanent concrete washout station for the BioResource and Agricultural Engineering Department at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. The design parameters given were to construct a steel bin for the excess concrete to be dumped into during …

Bivariate Drought Analysis Using Entropy Theory, Zengchao Hao, Vijay P. Singh

2011 Symposium on Data-Driven Approaches to Droughts

Drought duration and severity are two properties that are usually needed for drought analysis. To characterize the correlation between the two drought properties, a bivariate distribution is needed. A new method based on entropy theory is proposed for constructing the bivariate distribution that is capable of modeling drought duration and severity with different marginal distributions. Parameters of the joint distribution are estimated with Newton’s method. Monthly streamflow data from Brazos River at Waco, Texas, are employed to illustrate the application of the proposed method to model drought duration and severity for drought analysis.

The Effect Of Chlorine And Ozone In Controlling Microbes On Organically Grown Cilantro And Carrots, Adam Holtz

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

This senior project investigates the relative efficacy of ozonated water and chlorinated water for the purpose of sanitizing freshly-harvested organic produce. The aim of this study was to assist the Cal Poly Organic Farm in deciding whether or not to invest in an ozone generator. The crops used for testing were grown organically in the same field. Carrots and cilantro were harvested and promptly treated with 5 ppm ozone solution or 25 ppm sodium hypochlorite solution. Carrots were sampled at 0, 7, and 14 days storage to determine microbial populations. Cilantro was similarly tested at 0, 6, and 12 days …

Engineering Design Of A Prototype Ammonia Absorption Tower, Andrew Warren Calogero

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.