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Full-Text Articles in Biological Engineering
Wide Tires, Narrow Tires, Leonard L. Bashford, Michael F. Kocher, Todd S. Tibbetts
Wide Tires, Narrow Tires, Leonard L. Bashford, Michael F. Kocher, Todd S. Tibbetts
Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications
Tractive performance comparisons among five different size tires were made on two different surface conditions, a wheat stubble field and a tilled wheat stubble field. Radial 18.4R46, 20.8R42 and 710/70R38 radial tires; and bias 750/65-38 and 850/55-42 tires were used. Instrumentation to evaluate tractive performance was installed on a two-wheel drive and a mechanical front wheel drive agricultural tractor. Axle torques, drawbar pull, travel speed, and engine rpm were recorded for a series of drawbar pulls on the two soil surfaces. Tractive performance evaluations among the tires were made by comparing the relationships of dynamic traction ratio to slip, tractive …
Nutrient Balance On Nebraska Livestock Confinement Systems, Richard K. Koelsch, Gary Lesoing
Nutrient Balance On Nebraska Livestock Confinement Systems, Richard K. Koelsch, Gary Lesoing
Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications
Managing the environmental risk associated with livestock production is a significant challenge. Nitrogen and phosphorus are commonly implicated as the sources of ground and surface water quality problems associated with livestock production. The degree of imbalance between these nutrient inputs and the managed nutrient outputs for a livestock operation defines the magnitude of potential environmental risk and provides insight as to the underlying causes of these challenges. A nitrogen and phosphorus balance was constructed for 33 Nebraska confinement livestock operations. Twenty-five and 17 of these operations experienced significant nitrogen and phosphorus imbalances, respectively (50% more nutrient inputs than outputs). Nutrient …
Phosphorus And Nitrogen In Runoff Following Beef Cattle Manure Of Compost Application, Bahman Eghball, John E. Gilley
Phosphorus And Nitrogen In Runoff Following Beef Cattle Manure Of Compost Application, Bahman Eghball, John E. Gilley
Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications
Manure or compost from beef cattle feedlots can be an excellent sources of nutrients and organic matter when added to soils, but they can also pollute runoff. We determined the effects of simulated rainfall on runoff losses of P and N, and EC and pH following application of manure and compost to a Sharpsburg silty clay loam (fine smectitic, mesic Typic Argiudoll) soil having grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) residues. Manure, compost, and fertilizer were applied to no-till fields at rates required to meet N or P requirements for corn ( …
Nitrate Leaching In Irrigated Corn And Soybean In A Semi-Arid Climate, N. L. Klocke, Darrell G. Watts, J. P. Schneekloth, Don R. Davison, R. W. Todd, Anne M. Parkhurst
Nitrate Leaching In Irrigated Corn And Soybean In A Semi-Arid Climate, N. L. Klocke, Darrell G. Watts, J. P. Schneekloth, Don R. Davison, R. W. Todd, Anne M. Parkhurst
Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications
Nitrate-nitrogen leached from the root zone of land in intensive corn production is a major groundwater contaminant in some of the intensively irrigated regions of the western Cornbelt, including central and western Nebraska. To obtain a clearer understanding of the amount and timing of nitrate leaching losses from irrigated crops, 14 monolithic percolation lysimeters were installed in 1989-1990 in sprinkler irrigated plots at the University of Nebraska’s West Central Research and Extension Center near North Platte, Nebraska. The lysimeters were used to provide a direct measure of leachate depth from continuous corn and a corn-soybean rotation. Both cropping systems were …
Opto-Electronic Sensor System For Laboratory Measurement Of Planter Seed Spacing With Small Seeds, Y. Lan, Michael F. Kocher, John A. Smith
Opto-Electronic Sensor System For Laboratory Measurement Of Planter Seed Spacing With Small Seeds, Y. Lan, Michael F. Kocher, John A. Smith
Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications
An opto-electronic sensor system for measuring seed spacing uniformity with different types of seeds is described in this paper. It consisted of a rectangular photogate block (124 × 92 mm) with 24 phototransistors (diameter, 3 mm) receiving light beams from 24 light emitting diodes (diameter, 3 mm) opposite them, a digital input/output board in a personal computer, and power supplies. The opto-electronic system was tested by comparing seed spacing measurements obtained from the opto-electronic system with measurements of the same seed spacings obtained from a grease belt test stand. The tests were conducted with different types of seeds including regular-pelleted …
Belts Vs Tires, Belts Vs Belts, Tires Vs Tires, Leonard L. Bashford, Michael F. Kocher
Belts Vs Tires, Belts Vs Belts, Tires Vs Tires, Leonard L. Bashford, Michael F. Kocher
Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications
Tractive performance comparisons among two different width rubber belt tracks, 46 cm (18 in.) and 81 cm (32 in.) wide, and two different size rear tires, 710/70R38 and 18.4R46, were made on two different surface conditions. The belts were tested on a Caterpillar 55 tractor equipped with the Mobil-trac™ system and the tires on a John Deere 8400 mechanical front-wheel-drive (MFWD) tractor. The performance tests were completed on two surfaces, one being a non-tilled wheat stubble field and the second, the wheat stubble field tilled approximately 23 cm (9 in.) deep with a Noble blade sweep. Performance comparisons using tractive …
Seepage Characteristics And Hydraulic Properties Of A Feedlot Runoff Storage Pond, David B. Parker, Dean E. Eisenhauer, Dennis D. Schulte, John A. Nienaber
Seepage Characteristics And Hydraulic Properties Of A Feedlot Runoff Storage Pond, David B. Parker, Dean E. Eisenhauer, Dennis D. Schulte, John A. Nienaber
Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications
Water and chemical transport were investigated beneath a 22-year-old beef feedlot runoff storage pond. Soil and sludge samples were collected from 14 borings to 6.1-m depths in a cross-section across the pond. The soils consisted of silt loam and clay loam, and the groundwater level was about 30 m beneath the land surface. Soil samples were analyzed for pH, NO3-N, NH4-N, Cl, P, K, SO4-S, TKN, and organic matter. Physical and hydraulic properties were measured on undisturbed samples of soil and sludge to compare saturated hydraulic conductivity, moisture release characteristics, and bulk density. Saturated …
The Certified Safe Farm Project In Nebraska: The First Year, Jerry Jaspersen, Susanna Von Essen, Pam List, Larry Howard, David Morgan
The Certified Safe Farm Project In Nebraska: The First Year, Jerry Jaspersen, Susanna Von Essen, Pam List, Larry Howard, David Morgan
Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications
Potentially preventable death, disabling injury, and serious illness are very common secondary to work in production agriculture in Nebraska and elsewhere. The traditional approach to farm safety has consisted largely of education designed to prevent traumatic injury. While education is of critical importance, additional incentives may be needed to reduce fatal and non-fatal events to an acceptable level. The Certified Safe Farm concept was developed in collaboration with two Nebraska health insurance companies. The program consists of combining an on-farm safety assessment and occupational health screening with an education program. The incentive to complete this program is to be eligible …
Wax Yield Of Grain Sorghum (Sorghum Bicolor) As Affected By Mechanical Harvesting, Threshing, And Handling Methods, K. R. Lochte-Watson, Curtis L. Weller
Wax Yield Of Grain Sorghum (Sorghum Bicolor) As Affected By Mechanical Harvesting, Threshing, And Handling Methods, K. R. Lochte-Watson, Curtis L. Weller
Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications
Wax is found on the outer layer of the grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) kernel. Current harvesting and handling techniques cause abrasion and breakage, thereby potentially reducing wax yield from sorghum kernels. The purpose of this study was to determine wax yield of sorghum after mechanical harvesting and handling and to compare wax yield of whole and broken sorghum kernels. Combine threshing and auger conveying of grain caused abrasion and breakage, which reduced the wax yield by 5%. The monitored process in this experiment included a cleaning system which reduced the amount of broken kernels and sorghum particles, increasing …