Engineering Commons^™

Drivers Of On-Farm Performance Of Irrigation Water Management Practices: Empirical Evidence From Eastern Arkansas, Jacob Askey

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Unsustainable agricultural practices are putting a strain on freshwater supplies in many parts of the world. More efficient irrigation techniques are going to be critical to feed a growing population. Data from the 2016 Arkansas Irrigation Survey was used to assess the adoption of three Irrigation Water Management (IWM) practices: multiple inlet rice irrigation, tailwater recovery, and storage reservoirs. Results indicate that these practices do not always lead to reported pumping time reductions, a proxy for water use savings. Large variations in pumping time reduction are observed across producers for all three practices. A Tobit model was used to examine …

Nematode Populations As Affected By Residue And Water Management In A Long-Term Wheat-Soybean Double Crop In Eastern Arkansas, Lucia Emperatriz Escalante Ortiz

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Soybeans (Glycine max) are one of the major row crops in the United States, particularly in Arkansas. Soybean cyst nematode (SCN, Heterodera glycines) and southern root-knot nematode (RKN, Meloidogyne incognita) are two of the most damaging pests that cause major economic losses in soybeans. Little is known concerning the effects of common and alternative agronomic practices on nematodes in fields with nematode population densities below threshold levels. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the combination of tillage (conventional tillage and no-tillage), irrigation (irrigated and non-irrigated), wheat (Triticum aestivum) residue burning (burned and no burned), …

Diseño De Un Sistema De Captación Y Recuperación De Aguas De Fertirriego, Natalia Pulgarin Arandia, Stefany Alejandra Rodríguez Chirivi

Ingeniería en Automatización

En el presente trabajo de grado se diseñó una alternativa de solución para un factor que impacta significativamente, el ciclo de productividad de los cultivos y el recurso hídrico como es el de los lixiviados. Estos son los residuos líquidos producidos después del proceso de fertirriego en plantas. Por ello se realiza el diseño de un sistema de captación y recuperación de manera cíclica de lixiviados en un sistema de fertirriego con el objeto de hacer uso adecuado y una filtración parcial de los mismos, es decir, que el agua una vez usada en el cultivo pasa por un proceso …

Investigations Of Thermal Treatment Of Softwood Kraft Lignin Under Fractional And Ablative Pyrolytic Conditions, Dideolu J. Daniel

LSU Master's Theses

Lignin is second to cellulose in abundance among polymers in nature. Research studies on the development of new products and material combinations in which lignin degradation/conversion products are involved are still in their infancy, because fundamental knowledge about its structure, reactivity, and material and polymer behavior, is still lacking.

The objective of this research study was to investigate the complex thermal deconstruction and mechanistic behavior of a type of technical lignin, known as Kraft lignin, under depolymerization and to develop operating conditions for parameters influencing resulting product yields and operation of pyrolysis reactors.

Softwood Kraft lignin (s-KL) and methanol-fractionated (ex-KL) …

Purification Of Biomass Hydrolyzates For The Promotion Of Xylose Diester Formation, Laura Fernandez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The application of a novel xylose isolation procedure using phenyl boronic acid esterification has been limited to the hydrolyzates of low extractive biomasses like hardwoods and agricultural resides. Hydrolyzates with lower sugar and higher extractive concentrations, like softwoods, have not yielded xylose, or even xylose diester (XDE), the first intermediate product in the new process, under the same conditions. This research applied evaporation concentration, adsorbent separation and membrane filtration to these lower performing biomass hydrolyzates to maximize the yield of the XDE formation step of the new xylose extraction process. Lab-scale tests of these techniques were applied to pine hydrolyzate …

Diseño De Un Sistema Semiautomático Para La Recolección De Fruto Suelto De Palma De Aceite, Roberto Antonio Niño Eraso

Ingeniería en Automatización

El siguiente trabajo de grado aborda el diseño de un sistema semiautomático para la recolección de fruto suelto de palma de aceite. Para llevar a cabo este proyecto se investiga el proceso de cosecha de palma de aceite, centrándose en la etapa de recolección de fruto suelto, indagando sobre los diferentes métodos de recolección de fruto suelto. El diseño consta de cuatro sub procesos que componen la recolección de fruto suelto como la agrupación y levantamiento de fruto desde el suelo, transporte al contenedor, almacenamiento y descarga del contenedor de fruto cosechado. La aplicación fundamental de este proyecto es mejorar …

A Feasibility Study Of Industrial Hemp On Virginia Commercial Poultry Production, Aaron Sloss

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

This project sought to characterize industrial hemp as a potential competitive agricultural commodity for the state of Virginia. Specifically, industrial hempseed was evaluated as a feedstock for the commercial broiler (meat-chickens) industry in Virginia.

Data were gathered to identify both the advantages and disadvantages of industrial hempseed as a nutritional resource for broilers. Key nutritional compositions were identified, quantified, and compared to several common feed ingredients, such as soybean, wheat, corn, and sorghum. Hempseed (whole seed) was found to have a considerably high amino acid content, protein, fiber, and metabolizable energy – making it an attractive alternative to conventional feedstuffs. …

The Impacts Of Administering Metabolites Of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae On Broiler Performance, Yields And Salmonella Content Of Component Portions, Bill Douglas Potter

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The impacts of using health-promoting Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation metabolites in poultry production and processing can be measured in respect to multiple measures of success. Traditionally this yeast-based compound has been administered to poultry, livestock, poultry, and other species to improve animal performance and production volume output. In addition, Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation metabolites have also been shown in more recent research to reduce colonization of pathogenic bacteria in the host organism’s gastro-intestinal tract. In this dissertation, the impacts of administering a functional ingredient containing Saccharomyces cerevisiae metabolites on broiler performance measures and pathogen reduction were measured. One of the studies in …

Design Of Remote Datalogger Connection And Live Data Tweeting System, Zachary Wofford

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Low-Impact Development (LID) is an attempt to sustainably respond to the potential hazards posed by urban expansion. Green roofs are an example of LID design meant to reduce the amount of runoff from storm events that are becoming more intense and less predictable while also providing insulation to buildings. LID has not yet been widely adopted as it is often a more expensive alternative to conventional infrastructure (Bowman et. al., 2009). However, its benefits are apparent. The University of Arkansas Honors College awarded a grant to research the large green roof atop Hillside Auditorium. One part of this grant is …

Simulating Delayed Flood And Alternate Wetting And Drying Rice Production In Arkansas Using Apex, Jaden Tatum

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Rice is a staple food for billions of people, and rice production will need to grow with global populations. One potential solution to decrease the environmental impacts associated with rice production is alternate wetting and drying (AWD) management which, as opposed to sustained flooding, allows a reduction of water use and methane emissions. Studies into AWD have shown that yield levels may be conserved when using this practice, which would be necessary for widespread implementation. Modeling AWD management changes successfully would help to determine where and to what extent this practice may be effective in the US. The management and …

Internal Design Of A Hydroponics Greenhouse For Tri Cycle Farms, Sarah Gould

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Hydroponics is the agricultural technique of growing plants without soil, using other growing media and added nutrients in a solvent. It is an attractive agricultural method over conventional agriculture because it is more water efficient, is less labor intensive, yields higher quality crops in less time, and is easier to control. According to the Digital Journal, “hydroponics crop value is anticipated to grow to USD 27.29 Billion by 2022 at an estimated CAGR of 6.39% from 2015 to 2020” (Sawant, 2016). Alongside this growing market acceptance for hydroponics, there is also a local demand that requires only a small transportation …

Lighting And Economic Considerations For A Hydroponic S-Based Greenhouse At Tri Cycle Farms, Laura Gray

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Hydroponics is an agricultural technology that involves growing plants without soil, instead using other growth media with added nutrients, typically inside a controlled facility such as a greenhouse. Hydroponics-based agriculture has a number of benefits, namely that it is more water efficient, requires less intensive labor, yields higher quality crops consistently in shorter time, and is easier to control. It also has the potential to be economically advantageous, due to its ability to grow certain crops in the off-season. In Fayetteville, Arkansas, a non-profit urban farm known as Tri Cycle Farms has been seeking a way to design, build, and …

Rating Curve Development For The Upper James Fork, Lower James Fork And Hinkle Jones Creek In The Upper Poteau River Watershed In Arkansas, Meagan O'Hare

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Stream discharge is necessary to estimate loads and calibrate and validate watershed models. Access to long-term water quality data and discharge measurements allows for modeling of water quality changes across a watershed over time. However, discharge monitoring stations are often expensive to install and maintain, particularly in small rivers. A more cost-effective method for monitoring streamflow has been implemented in the Upper Poteau River Watershed (UPRW) in Arkansas. This method consists of an SonTek acoustic doppler instrument for measuring storm stream flow, with is combined with manual baseflow discharge measurements. The combined stormflow and baseflow measurements are combined with a …

Influence Of Mechanical Properties Of Paper Coating On The Crack At The Fold Problem, Seyyed Mohammad Hashemi Najafi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Paper coating layers are subject to various stresses and deformations in many converting processes such as calendering, printing, slitting, and folding of the paper. In some cases, products may crack during folding to generate a defect called cracking at the fold (CAF). The parameters that influence these defects are not well understood. The overall goal of this thesis is to better understand the CAF behavior as related to material properties of the coating layer.

A method was developed to produce free-standing pigmented coating layers thick enough to be tested in bending as well as tension. The mechanical properties of these …

Effectiveness Of Titanium And Iron Nanoparticles In Treating M. Aeruginosa For Harmful Algal Bloom Remediation, Natalie Von Tress

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) are a growing issue worldwide, posing harm to both aquatic ecosystems and drinking water quality. This issue could be potentially mitigated using nanoparticle (NP) treatment, simultaneously removing cyanobacteria and associated cyanotoxins in HABs. This research seeks to discern the effectiveness of using titanium dioxide and iron (III) oxide NP treatment at removing cyanobacteria via flocculation and sedimentation. Each NP at 25 mg/L and 50 mg/L were used to treat suspended culture of Microcystis aeruginosa, the representative cyanobacteria, up to 72 hours. Cell concentration and morphology in the supernatant were measured via a Coulter counter and …

Ecological Co2 Flux Of A Green Roof Ecosystem And A Typical Grassland Ecosystem, Madeline Oxner

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Hillside Auditorium Green Roof is a low impact development feature on the University of Arkansas campus. It retains storm water and allows plants living on the roof to take up and transpire the water. Green roofs work to mimic natural ecosystems in urban environments. A key property is ecosystem respiration, which plays a large role in the global carbon cycle and is an important biologic activity indicator. The ecosystem respiration of Hillside Auditorium Green Roof was compared to a typical grassland ecosystem at the University of Arkansas farm to determine how closely the green roof is able to mimic …

Quantifying Litter Decomposition Rates On A Semi-Intensive Green Roof, Eli Lasalle

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The overall goal of this study was to provide a measure of the decomposition rate constant on a semi- intensive green roof located in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The specific approach chosen was the use of the Tea Bag Index (TBI), a standardized plant litter decomposition test. There was some heterogeneity observed on site and the locations of samples tested were chosen based on this. Additional laboratory tests were conducted in order to determine whether there would be a large impact of temperature on decomposition or if it would be outweighed by other factors. The temperatures compared were 5°C, 20°C, and 30°C. …

Self-Assembled Nanoantenna Enhance Optical Activity And Transport In Scalable Thin Films And Interfaces, Keith Richard Berry Jr.

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Continued population growth and the decrease of existing energy platforms demands long-term solutions for development and implementation of scalable plasmonic metamaterials for energy and agricultural applications. Self-assembled nanoantenna into random and ordered arrangements are advanced herein for optical and thermal enhancements in scalable thin film. An analytical approach to estimating the thermal dynamics of random arrangements of nanoantenna resulted in estimates within 30% across a range of geometric parameters, nanoantenna-containing media, and thermal parameters. Multimodal thermal dynamics of polymer thin films containing gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were observed through the natural log of the dimensionless temperature driving force plotted versus time …

Highly Efficient Depolymerization Of Kraft Lignin (Kl) And Hydrolysis Lignin (Hl) Via Hydrolysis And Oxidation, Zaid Ahmad

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Due to dwindling fossil resources, climate change and other environmental concerns as well as the toxicity of certain products derived from petroleum resources, there is a growing interest in exploring and utilizing the abundant biomass resources as alternative feedstocks for the production of bio-based chemicals and materials. Biomass is composed of three main macromolecules, namely: cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Even though most of the initial work relating to the valorization of biomass was focused on the carbohydrate components (cellulose and hemicellulose), in the last ten years, lignin, an aromatic biopolymer, has been receiving increasingly more attention. In particular, various routes …

Implementación De Un Cultivo De Melón (Cucumis Melo L. Var. Cantaloupe) En 2.500m², Mediante El Uso De Las Buenas Prácticas Agrícolas (Bpa) Como Proyecto Demostrativo De Empresarización Del Campo En El Municipio De Gigante, Huila, Yohan Augusto Romero Suarez

Ingeniería Agronómica

El proyecto, se realizó en la ESCUELA NORMAL SUPERIOR DE GIGANTE, vereda Pueblo Nuevo, municipio de Gigante, Huila. Ubicado en las coordenadas 2°39’91.47” latitud norte, -75°51’76.052” longitud oeste del meridiano de Greenwich. Donde se estableció un sistema productivo para la producción de melón (Cucumis melo L. Híbrido OVATION) en un área de 2.500 m² mediante la implementación de las Buenas Prácticas Agrícolas que contribuyen en la conservación de recursos naturales del municipio. Dentro del manejo integrado de plagas y enfermedades (MIPE) se emplearon los productos biológicos SAFERSOIL ® WP y SAFERMIX ® WP compuestos por agentes entomopatógenos y los productos …

Sistematización De La Experiencia De Implementación De Los Cultivos Plátano (Musa Paradisiaca) Y Maíz (Zea Mays) En Tame Arauca, Edwin Albeiro Riaño Másmela

Ingeniería Agronómica

Como primera idea de negocio planteada en la ejecución del proyecto, se registró el cultivo de arroz (Oryza sativa), este proyecto no se ejecutó, por la devolución del terreno en la cual se implementó el cultivo, debido a la falta de garantías logísticas para proporcionar el riego. La producción de plátano (Musa paradisiaca) es la segunda actividad económica más importante del municipio de Tame –Arauca, siendo el principal sustento junto con el cultivo de cacao (Theobroma cacao) para los pequeños y medianos agricultores. Además de tener una importancia socioeconómica a nivel nacional, es uno de los principales productos en la …

Implementación De Un Módulo De Producción Sostenible De Arveja (Pisum Sativum) Como Aporte A La Seguridad Alimentaria De La Vereda Páramo Lagunas, Municipio De San Pablo De Borbur, Boyacá, Santiago Benavides Bernal

Ingeniería Agronómica

El presente proyecto desarrolla la alternativa de producción sostenible del cultivo de arveja (Pisum sativum L.) como aporte a la seguridad alimentaria de los habitantes de la vereda Páramo Lagunas en el municipio de San Pablo de Borbur, departamento de Boyacá, Colombia, alimentos provienen de las grandes urbes como Tunja y Bogotá, implicando costos y pérdidas de los mismos. En el marco de una diversificación de especies productivas agrícolas, la implementación del cultivo se realizó en un área de 2.500 m2 con prácticas agronómicas correspondientes a los requisitos nutricionales del cultivo, la oferta hídrica, el control de los arvenses, el …

Intervención Social Y Tecnológica A Través De Un Sistema Productivo De Yuca (Manihot Esculenta) En El Municipio De Cartagena Del Chairá Caquetá, José Franklin Borrero Tique

Ingeniería Agronómica

Se encontraron un sistema productivo de yuca (Manihot esculenta Crantz) en Cartagena del Chairá - Caquetá, donde se encuentran diferentes prácticas agrícolas necesarias para esta especie específica su potencial genético. Dichas actividades constaban de MIPEA, nutrición y buen manejo en cosecha y poscosecha. Igualmente se abordaron los componentes que se enfocan en lo social (transmitir el conocimiento a las personas de la región) donde tuvo una participación de agricultores, asociaciones, estudiantes, entre otros, este intercambio de conocimientos fue relativamente interesante porque se nota el interés de las personas. Por otra parte se implementa una investigación (realizar un análisis que aporte …

Establecimiento De Un Proyecto Productivo Tomate (Solanum Lycopersicum) En 900 M2, Con Fines Comerciales En El Departamento Del Cauca Municipio De La Sierra, Yaire Anacona Escobar

Ingeniería Agronómica

El propósito de implementar el proyecto productivo fue desarrollar cuatro componentes, los cuales son importantes porque con su implementación se puede llegar a impactar positivamente la región; en primer lugar se encuentra el componente agronómico, para dar cumplimiento se realizó el establecimiento de un cultivo de tomate (Solanum lycopersicum) variedad Chonto, para el cual hubo un plan de manejo técnico utilizando algunas buenas prácticas agrícolas (BPA) donde se realizó en cuenta análisis de suelo, preparación de terreno, sistema de riego, manejo integrado de plagas, enfermedades y enfermedades (MIPA), plan de fertilización, entre otras; La decisión de elegir este cultivo es …

The Effect Of Edge-Of-Field Nutrient Management Practices On Microbial Concentrations In Subsurface Drainage Water And The Associated Risk Of Antibiotic Resistance Dissemination, Sara Mardani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many in-field and edge-of-field management practices have been used to reduce nutrient loads from agricultural fields. The denitrification woodchip bioreactor (WB) is one edgeof- field management practice that has proven to be effective in removing nitrate from subsurface drainage water. The success in nitrate removal achieved with WBs has raised interest in expanding their capabilities for removing other agricultural pollutants, including phosphorus, by using other types of media like phosphorus-sorbing filters or combining these filters with woodchips to remove both nitrate and phosphorus as dual-nutrient removal systems. Despite the extensive research done on WBs and nutrient filter materials, little consideration …

Edge-Of-Field Hydrology And Nutrient Fluxes Within Northeastern Agroecosystems: Evaluation Of Alternative Management Practices And Water Quality Models, Cameron Robert Twombly

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Agricultural runoff is one of largest contributors of phosphorus (P), nitrogen (N), and sediment affecting freshwater systems in watersheds across the Northeastern U.S., including the Lake Champlain Basin in Vermont. Agricultural cropping systems, such as corn silage and haylands, used for dairy feed production have been shown to impact watershed hydrology and water quality. Agricultural best management practices (BMPs) have the potential to decrease runoff volumes and flow rates and the associated export of nutrients and sediment from agricultural fields. Many states in the Northeastern U.S., including Vermont, are beginning to require farmers to implement water quality BMPs and further …

Evaluation Of Air Movement In Equestrian Facilities And On Equine Athletes, Staci Elaine Mcgill

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Ventilation and air movement are important aspects of animal agriculture and is frequently neglected in equine facilities. This paper discusses three different studies that examine different components of ventilation and air movement. One is a fan orientation study which examines how fans impact the stall environment, the second is a cooling study questioning whether forced air speed across a horse increases the rate of cool out after intense exercise, and the last is a survey examining ventilation, air quality, and health concerns in indoor arenas.

The stall fan study took place over two summers with the goal of determining how …

Improving Retrievals Of Crop Vegetation Parameters From Remote Sensing Data, Nathaniel Levitan

Dissertations and Theses

Agricultural systems are difficult to model because crop growth is driven by the strongly nonlinear interaction of Genotype x Environment x Management (G x E x M) factors. Due to the nonlinearity in the interaction of these factors, the amount of data necessary to develop and utilize models to accurately predict the performance of agricultural systems at an operational scale is large. Satellite remote sensing provides the potential to vastly increase the amount of data available for modelling agricultural systems as a result of its high revisit time and spatial coverage. Unfortunately, there have been significant difficulties in deploying remote …

Lignocellulosic Biomass Derived Activated Carbon For Energy Storage And Adsorption, Changle Jiang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Lignocellulosic biomass has been converted to hierarchical porous carbon materials which possess macro-, meso- and micro-pores. The natural structure of porous lignocellulosic structure was preserved during activation with further developed porosity by the activation. The activated carbon can be well applied to electrochemical double layer capacitor for transportation storage of ions as well as adsorbent materials for metal ion removal from wastewater.

The first chapter of this dissertation presents an introduction of biomass derived carbon and its applications. In the second chapter, both direct and indirect activation methods using carbon dioxide were adopted in this study. The results show that …

Evaluating The Influence Of The Forestry Reclamation Approach On The Hydrology Of Appalachian Coal Mined Lands, Morgan F. Gerlitz

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

The Appalachian Region is a rich and diverse forest ecosystem impacted by present and past mining activities. The Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) of 1977 was enacted to resolve many of the environmental problems caused by surfacing mining, such as landslides, erosion, flooding, and poor water quality. As with many solutions, this one came with its own set of environmental problems due to compaction and the introduction of aggressive non-native grasses and shrubs altering hydrologic processes and ecosystem function. The Forestry Reclamation Approach (FRA) is a method for re-establishing forested ecosystems on mined lands. This project evaluated the …