Engineering Commons^™

Can Agricultural Management Induced Changes In Soil Organic Carbon Be Detected Using Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy?, Jonathan Sanderman, Kathleen Savage, Shree R.S. Dangal, Gabriel Duran, Charlotte Rivard, Michel A. Cavigelli, Hero T. Gollany, Virginia L. Jin, Mark A. Liebig, Emmanuel Chiwo Omondi, Yichao Rui, Catherine Stewart

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

A major limitation to building credible soil carbon sequestration programs is the cost of measuring soil carbon change. Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) is considered a viable low-cost alternative to traditional laboratory analysis of soil organic carbon (SOC). While numerous studies have shown that DRS can produce accurate and precise estimates of SOC across landscapes, whether DRS can detect subtle management induced changes in SOC at a given site has not been resolved. Here, we leverage archived soil samples from seven long-term research trials in the U.S. to test this question using mid infrared (MIR) spectroscopy coupled with the USDA-NRCS Kellogg …

Real-Life Conundrums In The Struggle For Institutional Transformation, Julia Mcquillan, Nestor Hernandez

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Intersecting systems of inequality (i.e., gender and race/ethnicity) are remarkably resistant to change. Many universities, however, seek National Science Foundation Institutional Transformation awards to change processes, procedures, and cultures to make science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) departments more inclusive. In this article we describe a case study with observations for eight years of before (2000–2007), five during (2008–2013), and seven after (2014–2020) intensive efforts to increase women through reducing barriers and increasing access to women. Finally, we reflect on flawed assumptions built into the proposal, the slow and uneven change in the proportion of women over time, the strengths …

Comparison Of Three Commercial Automatic Boom Height Systems For Agricultural Sprayers, Travis A. Burgers, John D. Gaard, Brian J. Hyronimus

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Automatic boom height systems reduce the variability of agricultural sprayer boom height. Consistent boom height is important for three key reasons: to reduce uneven spray dispersion if the boom is too low, to reduce spray droplet drift if the boom is too high, and to reduce damage to the boom or crop if the boom is too low. No data is available comparing commercial boom height systems. Three leading North American automatic boom height systems were compared: John Deere BoomTrac Pro (System A), Raven AutoBoom® XRT (System B), and Norac UC5TM Passive Roll (System C) on a John Deere R4045 …

A Bibliometric Analysis Of Plant Disease Classification With Artificial Intelligence Based On Scopus And Wos, Shivali Amit Wagle, Harikrishnan R

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The maneuver of Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques in the field of agriculture help in the classification of diseases. Early prediction of the disease benefits in taking relevant management steps. This is an important step towards controlling the disease growth that will yield good quality products to fulfill the global food demand. The main objective of this paper is to study the extent of research work done in this area of plant disease classification. The paper discusses the bibliometric analysis of plant disease classification with AI in Scopus and Web of Science core collection (WOS) database in analyzing the research by …

Impacts Of The Pandemic In Metropolitan Nebraska: 2021 Nebraska Metro Poll Results, Rebecca J. Vogt, Heather Akin, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Bradley Lubben, L. J. Mcelravy, Timothy L. Meyer, Steven A. Schulz

Rural Futures Institute: Publications

Most metropolitan Nebraskans felt various impacts from the pandemic. While many metropolitan Nebraskans had someone in their household that quarantined because of possible coronavirus exposure or who contracted COVID-19, most have friends or family in their community that quarantined or contracted the virus. Many metropolitan Nebraskans also have friends or family both inside and outside their community who were hospitalized as a result of COVID-19.

Most metropolitan Nebraskans say the following were affected a fair amount or a great deal by the pandemic: their socialization with others, their life overall, their company/ workplace and their mental health. Conversely, most rural …

Trust In Media, Institutions, And Health Information In Metropolitan Nebraska: 2021 Nebraska Metro Poll Results, Rebecca J. Vogt, Heather Akin, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Bradley Lubben, L. J. Mcelravy, Timothy L. Meyer, Steven A. Schulz

Rural Futures Institute: Publications

Overall, most metropolitan Nebraskans have confidence in their local institutions (public safety agencies in their community, public schools in their community, and voting and election systems in their county). However, many have very little confidence in many national institutions (the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives and the Presidency) as well as the Governor.

Metropolitan Nebraskans most trust information received from friends/family/ acquaintances, local news sources (TV and newspapers), public sources (PBS and public radio) and state newspapers. They least trust information from social networking sites, Internet blogs, and Fox News.

Most metropolitan Nebraskans trust local health professionals for …

Life In Metropolitan Nebraskan Communities: 2021 Nebraska Metro Poll Results, Rebecca J. Vogt, Heather Akin, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Bradley Lubben, L. J. Mcelravy, Timothy L. Meyer, Steven A. Schulz

Rural Futures Institute: Publications

By many different measures, metropolitan Nebraskans are positive about their community. Most metropolitan Nebraskans rate their community favorably on its social dimensions. Overall, respondents rate their communities as friendly, trusting and supportive. Most metropolitan Nebraskans say it would be difficult to leave their community.

Most metropolitan Nebraskans have a positive attachment to their community. Most metropolitan Nebraskans agree that they can get what they need in their community, the community helps them fulfill their needs, they feel like a member of their community, they belong in their community, they have a good bond with others in their community and feel …

Software And Data Visualization Platform For Groundwater Level And Quality Monitoring System, Carlos M. Oppus, Ma. Aileen Leah G. Guzman, Maria Leonora C. Guico, Jose Claro N. Monje, Mark Glenn F. Retirado, John Chris T. Kwong, Genevieve C. Ngo, Annael J. Domingo

Electronics, Computer, and Communications Engineering Faculty Publications

Rapid urbanization and increasing population come with the increased extraction and use of groundwater resources. To track the effect of these activities on groundwater level and quantity; a system for real-time monitoring is devised. In this paper; we present a software system design that enables a locally-developed groundwater level and water quality monitoring hardware setup to gather water quality parameter data; send it to a cloud server; and present organized data for better visualization. The hardware setup consists of an Arduino microcontroller. Upon deployment; the hardware setup is linked to an Android application that connects to the web-based platform.

Covid-19 And Biocybersecurity's Increasing Role On Defending Forward, Xavier Palmer, Lucas N. Potter, Saltuk Karahan

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The evolving nature of warfare has been changing with cybersecurity and the use of advanced biotechnology in each aspect of the society is expanding and overlapping with the cyberworld. This intersection, which has been described as “biocybersecurity” (BCS), can become a major front of the 21st-century conflicts. There are three lines of BCS which make it a critical component of overall cybersecurity: (1) cyber operations within the area of BCS have life threatening consequences to a greater extent than other cyber operations, (2) the breach in health-related personal data is a significant tool for fatal attacks, and (3) health-related misinformation …

Hu Aquaponics Monitoring And Control System : European Annual Edunet Conference 2020, Rachel L. Fogle, Glenn P. Williams, Josh R. Krug

Presidential Research Grants

The functional purpose of the HU Aquaponics Monitoring and Control System Project is to develop an environmental and plant monitoring and control system for the HU Aquaponics Lab, located in the Student Union. The project involves the design and implementation of technology that will regularly take measurements from the environment (e.g., air temperature, water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, etc). PLCnext Technology will systematically collect, store, and web-publish the measurement data for HU researchers and the public to use for scientific research.

Development Of A Grass Measurement Optimisation Tool To Efficiently Measure Herbage Mass On Grazed Pastures, D. J. Murphy, B. O'Brien, Michael D. Murphy

Publications

Accurate and efficient estimation of herbage mass is essential for optimising grass utilisation and increasing profit for pasture farming. There is no definitive sampling protocol for grass measurement on Irish pastures. This paper presents the Grass Measurement Optimisation Tool (GMOT), designed to generate measurement protocols that optimise for time and accuracy. The GMOT was designed in the form of a decision support tool that generates interactive paddock maps that guide the farmer on how to optimally measure their pastures in a random stratified manner based on GPS co-ordinates, resulting in accurate non-biased estimations of mean herbage mass. Rising plate meter …

Nebraska State And Federal Tax Issues: Opinions Of Rural Nebraskans, John C. Allen, Sam Cordes, Amy M. Smith, Matt Spilker, Amber Hamilton

Rural Futures Institute: Publications

Includes

Executive summary

Introduction

Methodology

Respondent profile

Findings

Nebraska Tax Issues

Federal Government Deficit Reduction

Federal Taxation Options

Federal Program Reduction Alternatives

Conclusions

Resilience In Nonmetropolitan Nebraska: Capacity To Overcome Disasters And Hardships. 2020 Nebraska Rural Poll Results, Rebecca Vogt, Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel, Brad Lubben, L.J. Mcelravy, Timothy Meyer, Steve Schulz, Jason L. Weigle

Rural Futures Institute: Publications

The definition of resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. Synonyms include toughness, perseverance and grit. Last spring’s severe weather events and this year’s ongoing COVID-19 pandemic are likely testing the resilience of rural Nebraskans. Given that, how do rural Nebraskans rate their communities on dimensions that measure their resiliency? How confident are they that the federal government or local emergency management authorities can contain infectious disease outbreaks? How do they rate their ability to help their community handle adversities? How prepared are rural Nebraskans to deal with financial emergencies? This paper provides a detailed analysis of these …

Differences In Soil Water Changes And Canopy Temperature Under Varying Water × Nitrogen Sufficiency For Maize, Tsz Him Lo, Daran Rudnick, Kendall C. Dejonge, Geng Bai, Hope Njuki Nakabuye, Abia Katimbo, Yufeng Ge, Trenton E. Franz, Xin Qiao, Derek M. Heeren

West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte

Crop nitrogen (N) status is known to affect crop water status and crop water use. To investigate further the N effects on soil water changes and on canopy temperature, three water levels × four N levels were imposed on two growing seasons of maize in west central Nebraska, USA. Soil water changes were measured using a neutron probe, whereas canopy temperature was measured using infrared thermometers on a ground-based mobile platform. At all water levels, soil water losses over monthlong intervals were generally greater as N levels increased. Given equal water levels, early afternoon canopy temperatures were usually lower with …

Severe Weather In Nebraska: Impacts On Nonmetropolitan Nebraskans. 2020 Nebraska Rural Poll Results, Rebecca J. Vogt, Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel, Bradley Lubben, L. J. Mcelravy, Tim Meyer, Steve Schulz, Jason L. Weigle

Rural Futures Institute: Publications

In March 2019, a bomb cyclone produced a historic blizzard as well as flooding that impacted many counties in Nebraska. Given that, did rural Nebraskans experience extreme weather events or natural disasters in 2019? To what extent were they harmed by these weather events? What personal impacts did they experience? How concerned are they about weather events? This paper provides a detailed analysis of these questions. This report details 1,979 responses to the 2020 Nebraska Rural Poll, the 25th annual effort to understand rural Nebraskans’ perceptions. Respondents were asked a series of questions about weather events. Comparisons are made among …

Past, Present And Future Of Irrigation On The U.S. Great Plains, Steve R. Evett, Paul D. Colaizzi, Freddie R. Lamm, Susan A. O'Shaughnessy, Derek M. Heeren, Thomas J. Trout, William L. Kranz, Xiaomao Lin

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Motivated by the need for sustainable water management and technology for next-generation crop production, the future of irrigation on the U.S. Great Plains was examined through the lenses of past changes in water supply, historical changes in irrigated area, and innovations in irrigation technology, management, and agronomy. We analyzed the history of irrigated agriculture through the 1900s to the present day. We focused particularly on the efficiency and water productivity of irrigation systems (application efficiency, crop water productivity, and irrigation water use productivity) as a connection between water resource management and agricultural production. Technology innovations have greatly increased the efficiency …

Effects Of Temperature And Antioxidants On The Oxidation Of Biodiesel Derived From Waste Vegetable Oil, Randy L. Maglinao, Torrey J. Wagner, Keegan Duff

Faculty Publications

Biodiesel offers several environmental benefits and improvements to some fuel performance properties, but its poor oxidative stability has been a major concern. Currently, the accepted practice to improve biodiesel oxidative stability is the addition of antioxidants; numerous antioxidants have been studied but their effectiveness in inhibiting biodiesel oxidation is difficult to predict due to variation with resonance stability, solubility, reactivity, and volatility. To improve prediction efforts, this study explored the Rapid Small-Scale Oxidation Test (RSSOT) as a means to investigate how biodiesel oxidation is affected by antioxidant concentration and temperature, and compared its results with the oxidative stability index test. …

On-Site And External Energy Harvesting In Underground Wireless, Usman Raza, Abdul Salam

Faculty Publications

Energy efficiency is vital for uninterrupted long-term operation of wireless underground communication nodes in the field of decision agriculture. In this paper, energy harvesting and wireless power transfer techniques are discussed with applications in underground wireless communications (UWC). Various external wireless power transfer techniques are explored. Moreover, key energy harvesting technologies are presented that utilize available energy sources in the field such as vibration, solar, and wind. In this regard, the Electromagnetic(EM)- and Magnetic Induction(MI)-based approaches are explained. Furthermore, the vibration-based energy harvesting models are reviewed as well. These energy harvesting approaches lead to design of an efficient wireless underground …

Maize Growth, Yield, Water Productivity And Evapotranspiration Response To Different Irrigation Methods And Amounts And Different Timing And Methods Of Nitrogen Applications, Ali T. Mohammed

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations and Theses

Declining the quantity and quality of freshwater resources in many parts of the world, including Midwestern USA, especially in the light of rapidly growing world’s population and changing climate, imposes significant and, in some cases imminent, challenges for producers, policy- and decision-makers to produce more yield with less water and other inputs, particularly in water scarcity regions.

There is not comprehensive previous research has quantified and evaluated coupled impacts of irrigation rates and nitrogen timing management strategies and their interactions on maize (Zea mays L.) productivity and its various attributed efficiency index metrics under different irrigation methods under the same …

Thoroughbred Racehorse Welfare Through The Lens Of ‘Social License To Operate—With An Emphasis On A U.S. Perspective, Camie Heleski, C. Jill Stowe, Julie Fiedler, Michael L. Peterson, Colleen Brady, Carissa Wickens, James N. Macleod

Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

This review addresses the question of whether Thoroughbred horse racing is sustainable in the context of current social values. A recently acknowledged framework, known as ‘Social License to Operate’ (SLO), provides us with a lens through which to view and assess racehorse welfare. In multiple surveys of the general public, the horse owning public, and university students, the primary topics of concern regarding Thoroughbred racing show considerable concordance: concern about catastrophic injuries—particularly as related to track surfaces, concern over the racing of two-year-olds, whip use by jockeys, drug/medication policies, and aftercare opportunities for retired Thoroughbred racehorses. Legitimacy of an industry, …

Exploring The Nebraska Rural Poll, 2020, Rebecca Vogt, Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel, Bradley Lubben, L.J. Mcelravy, Tim Meyer, Steve Schulz, Jason L. Weigle

Rural Futures Institute: Publications

The Nebraska Rural Poll was initiated in 1996. Over the past 24 years, input has been gathered from over 64,000 nonmetropolitan Nebraskans. 102 separate reports have been produced covering 31 unique topics

Trend Analysis

Subgroup Comparisons

Some questions have been repeated at various intervals of time

Internet Of Things In Agricultural Innovation And Security, Abdul Salam

Faculty Publications

The agricultural Internet of Things (Ag-IoT) paradigm has tremendous potential in transparent integration of underground soil sensing, farm machinery, and sensor-guided irrigation systems with the complex social network of growers, agronomists, crop consultants, and advisors. The aim of the IoT in agricultural innovation and security chapter is to present agricultural IoT research and paradigm to promote sustainable production of safe, healthy, and profitable crop and animal agricultural products. This chapter covers the IoT platform to test optimized management strategies, engage farmer and industry groups, and investigate new and traditional technology drivers that will enhance resilience of the farmers to the …

Internet Of Things In Water Management And Treatment, Abdul Salam

Faculty Publications

The goal of the water security IoT chapter is to present a comprehensive and integrated IoT based approach to environmental quality and monitoring by generating new knowledge and innovative approaches that focus on sustainable resource management. Mainly, this chapter focuses on IoT applications in wastewater and stormwater, and the human and environmental consequences of water contaminants and their treatment. The IoT applications using sensors for sewer and stormwater monitoring across networked landscapes, water quality assessment, treatment, and sustainable management are introduced. The studies of rate limitations in biophysical and geochemical processes that support the ecosystem services related to water quality …

Effect Of Urea Fertilizer Deep Placement Days After Transplanting Using Brri Prilled Urea Applicator On Transplanted Boro Rice Yield, Muhammad Rashed Al Mamun, K. Naher, Md Towfiqur Rahman, Md Anwar Hossen

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Rice is the most important crop in the developing countries of Asia. In the south and south-east Asia, rain-fed and irrigated transplanted rice occupies nearly two-thirds of the rice-growing area and produces more than 80% of the rough rice. In these areas, prilled urea conventionally applied by farmers is very insufficient in the transplanted rice field, where severe losses occur (up to 60% of applied N) via NH₃volatilization, denitrification, leaching, and runoff. Considering loss minimization, an experiment was conducted during the Boro season at Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) in Sylhet to evaluate the performance of BRRI Prilled …

Wind Power Forecasting Methods Based On Deep Learning: A Survey, Xing Deng, Haijian Shao, Chunlong Hu, Dengbiao Jiang, Yingtao Jiang

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Research

Accurate wind power forecasting in wind farm can effectively reduce the enormous impact on grid operation safety when high permeability intermittent power supply is connected to the power grid. Aiming to provide reference strategies for relevant researchers as well as practical applications, this paper attempts to provide the literature investigation and methods analysis of deep learning, enforcement learning and transfer learning in wind speed and wind power forecasting modeling. Usually, wind speed and wind power forecasting around a wind farm requires the calculation of the next moment of the definite state, which is usually achieved based on the state of …

A Decade Of Unmanned Aerial Systems In Irrigated Agriculture In The Western U.S., Jose L. Chavez, Alfonso F. Torres-Rua, Wayne E. Woldt, Huihui Zhang, Christopher Robertson, Gary W. Marek, Dong Wang, Derek M. Heeren, Saleh Taghvaeian, Christopher M. U. Neale

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Several research institutes, laboratories, academic programs, and service companies around the United States have been developing programs to utilize small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) as an instrument to improve the efficiency of in-field water and agronomical management. This article describes a decade of efforts on research and development efforts focused on UAS technologies and methodologies developed for irrigation management, including the evolution of aircraft and sensors in contrast to data from satellites. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations for UAS operation in agriculture have been synthesized along with proposed modifications to enhance UAS contributions to irrigated agriculture. Although it is feasible …

Remediating Soil For Successful Vegetation Establishment Along Nebraska Highways, Shad Mills, Martha Mamo, Walt Schacht, Humberto Blanco-Canqui

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

Vegetation along roadsides is important to prevent soil erosion, provide habitat, and filter water running off the road. Vegetation close to the pavement along highways in Nebraska does not readily establish and persist. It is thought that the sodium and bulk density are the driving factors behind the lack of vegetation. After a construction project the shoulder is seeded into the compacted soil, and during winter salts can accumulate in the soil because of deicing agents being used. The purpose of our study was to determine if the sodium and bulk density are the driving factors of the vegetation cover. …

Establishment Of Wildflower Islands To Enhance Roadside Health And Aesthetics, Walter Schacht, Judy Wu-Smart

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

Wildflowers are crucial in the ecological function of the low-input roadside plant communities in terms of water andnutrient cycling, nutrient inputs such as nitrogen, total plant canopy cover, stand longevity, and provision of habitat for numerous small animals. Further, wildflowers provide critical foraging and nesting resources for birds, insects, and other wildlife. Unfortunately, habitat loss from agricultural and urban development has led to rapid population declines in wild bees and other pollinators across the US, thereby jeopardizing not only food production but also the sustainability of our natural landscapes (Kearns & Inouye, 1997). One way to mitigate wild bee decline …

Perceptions Of Higher Education In Nonmetropolitan Nebraska: Research Report 19‐4, Rebecca Vogt, Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel, Randolph L. Cantrell, Bradley Lubben, L. J. Mcelravy, Tim L. Meyer, Jason L. Weigle

Rural Futures Institute: Publications

Some recent national polls have shown a decline in confidence in higher education. The cited reasons for this decline are concerns about affordability, access and the political culture on campuses. Given these national trends, how do rural Nebraskans view the impacts of their education? Do they view higher education as important for individuals and the economy? Have these views changed over the past four years? What types of higher education institutions have their households attended? This paper provides a detailed analysis of these questions. This report details 1,776 responses to the 2019 Nebraska Rural Poll, the 24th annual effort to …

Development Of An Autonomous Aerial Toolset For Agricultural Applications, Terrance Life

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

According to the United Nations, the world population is expected to grow from its current 7 billion to 9.7 billion by the year 2050. During this time, global food demand is also expected to increase by between 59% and 98% due to the population increase, accompanied by an increasing demand for protein due to a rising standard of living throughout developing countries. [1] Meeting this increase in required food production using present agricultural practices would necessitate a similar increase in farmland; a resource which does not exist in abundance. Therefore, in order to meet growing food demands, new methods will …