Biological Engineering Commons^™

Estimating Crop Residue- Using Residue To Help Control Wind And Water Erosion, Elbert C. Dickey, John Havlin

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The Importance of Conservation Tillage

Conservation tillage has been practiced for many years and is becoming increasingly popular with Nebraska farmers. Recent surveys show, about 8 of 19 million cropland acres in Nebraska were farmed with conservation tillage systems. Conservation tillage includes a variety of tillage and planting systems that leave at least 30 percent of the previous crop's residue on the soil surface after planting.

Knowing how to measure or estimate residue cover is an important facet of conservation tillage. A minimum requirement of cover on the soil surface is often specified for U.S. Department of Agriculture programs and …

Soil Compaction I Where, How Bad, A Problem, Elbert C. Dickey, Thomas Peterson, Dean E. Eisenhauer, Paul J. Jasa

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Soil compaction is a more common problem now than it was 15 years ago, regardless of the tillage system used. Producers now use heavier tractors, larger implements, bigger combines, earlier spring tillage, reduced tillage, and no-till planting systems.

While all of these have a potential to increase compaction, the major cause of the problem is conducting field operations when the soil is too wet. Most think about tilling wet soils in the spring as being the major problem, but harvesting a too-wet field in the fall can cause just as much compaction. Large combines and auger wagons can have loads …

Model And Production Function For Irrigation Management, Derrel L. Martin, Darrell G. Watts, James R. Gilley

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

A simulation model was developed to estimate the effect of deficit irrigation upon crop yield. The model was designed to provide relative yield estimates for numerous combinations of irrigation system, crop growth and irrigation management parameters. A daily soil moisture balance was used to predict evaporation and transpiration from which crop yields were estimated. Gross irrigation water requirements were estimated from net irrigation requirements, irrigation efficiencies, irrigation system limitations, and effective rainfall. Crop production functions that use physically defined parameters were also developed to relate crop yields to gross irrigation requirements. The production functions worked well on a limited test …

Suitability Of Reduced Pressure Center-Pivots, John E. Gilley

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Selection criteria for reduced pressure center-pivot irrigation systems are developed. An analysis of the combined effects of the application rate characteristics or center-pivot irrigation systems and the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) soil intake family curves is used to determine the maximum depth of water which could be applied per irrigation for various types of soils and sprinkler packages. These irrigation depths are used to determine guidelines for proper selection of reduced pressure center-pivot systems. The results can be used as a general guide to determine if a particular system may have a runoff problem under a given situation.

Fuel Ethanol From Raw Corn, Curtis Weller, M. P. Steinberg, E. D. Rodda

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Crude amylase preparations were produced by growing Aspergillus awamori and A. niger on raw, ground, whole corn. These Koji preparations were used to hydrolyze the starch of raw, ground whole corn to sugars during simultaneous fermentation of the sugars to ethanol by distillers active dry yeast. Ethanol concentrations of the fermentation beers were determined with gas-chromatography. These fermentations yielded an average of 89.6% theoretical ethanol compared to control, conventional, fermentations that had an average of 89.9%. Carbon dioxide evolutions were determined with use of Alwood valves. The initial fermentation rate was greater for the conventional fermentation than the Koji fermentation. …

Tillage Influences On Erosion During Furrow Irrigation, Elbert C. Dickey, Dean E. Eisenhauer, Paul J. Jasa

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Erosion and runoff from furrow irrigation of corn was measured for three conventional and three reduced tillage systems in 1981 and 1982. The plots were located on a Hastings silt loam soil having a 0.5% slope and a 366 m furrow length. Erosion was the least for slot-planting and greatest for the chisel system, ranging from 20 to 340 kg/ha, respectively, for the first 45 min of runoff during the first irrigation. Erosion from the fourth irrigation was about 75% less than from the first irrigation. Cumulative runoff after 45 min of runoff was similar for all treatments. Nutrient losses …

Tillage, Residue And Erosion On Moderately Sloping Soils, Elbert C. Dickey, David P. Shelton, Paul J. Jasa, Thomas Peterson

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Tillage treatments leaving 20% or more of the soil surface covered with residue reduced soil erosion by at least 50% of that which occurred from a moldboard plow system. No-till had the least erosion and tended to have the lowest cumulative runoff. These results were based on rainfall simulation tests on six tillage treatments used on both 5 and 10% slopes in continuous corn production.

Effects Of Tillage On Soil Erosion In A Wheat-Fallow Rotation, Elbert C. Dickey, C. R. Fenster, J. M. Laflen, R. H. Mickelson

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Erosion from alternative tillage systems in winter wheat-fallow rotations was measured using a rainfall simulator. The Nebraska study, conducted at the High Plains Agricultural Laboratory, showed that during the fallow period between harvest and tillage, soil erosion was not affected by the tillage systems studied. However, erosion following tillage was different for the systems evaluated and moldboard plowing with the slope had the largest amount. The no-till system reduced erosion by about 95% during this period. Although contour plowing was effective in reducing erosion when compared to plowing with the slope, no differences were measured between with the slope and …

Yield Comparisons Between Continuous No-Till And Tillage Rotations, Elbert C. Dickey, Thomas Peterson, J. R. Gilley, L. N. Mielke

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Continuous use of no-till planting systems may result in reduced yields, especially on finer textured soils that tend to be poorly drained. Soil compaction and poor soil aeration have been identified as possible factors contributing to the lower yields. Research conducted to evaluate tillage rotations on these soils shows that periodic use of the moldboard plow can result in statistically higher yields as compared to continuous no till. However, use of chisel plow and disk tillage systems following three years of continuous no-till did not result in yield increases. A relationship between cone penetrometer index and yield indicates a trend …

Taxonomy Of Corynebacterium Plant Pathogens, Including A New Pathogen Of Wheat, Based On Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis Of Cellular Proteins, Randall R. Carlson, Anne K. Vidaver

Biological Process Development Facility: Staff Publications

The known extant plant pathogenic Corynebacterium species were analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of their cellular proteins. The patterns of the protein bands of 13 species and a new corynebacterial wheat pathogen showed seven distinct groups. Five of these groups consisted of only one species each, one group contained four species, and the last group contained the new wheat pathogen and the remaining four species. The pathogens that could not be distinguished by the polyacrylamide gel analysis differed in phenotypic characteristics, including pathogenic specificity. Thus, for these bacteria we propose recognition of the following taxa: C. fascians (Tilford) Dowson, …

Bacterial Mosaic: A New Corynebacterial Disease Of Wheat, Randall R. Carlson, Anne K. Vidaver

Biological Process Development Facility: Staff Publications

Bacterial mosaic is a foliar disease of wheat; characteristic symptoms are small yellow lesions, more or less uniformly distributed over the leaf. It was discovered in Nebraska in the spring of 1976. By 1979, the pathogen was distributed over an 800-km range and had been isolated from 16 cultivars of winter wheat. The pathogen is Corynebacterium michiganense subsp. tessellarius, a Gram-positive coryneform. Wheat was the only host that showed symptoms after inoculation. The pathogen reached high population levels (> 10⁶ colony-forming units per gram of fresh weight) without apparent symptoms in tomato and in six of nine gramineous …

Tillage Factors Affecting Corn Seed Spacing, Paul J. Jasa, Elbert C. Dickey

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

An on-farm survey was conducted in Nebraska to determine factors affecting corn seed spacing uniformity. Statistical analysis indicated that relative surface roughness, amount of residue present, amount of preplant tillage, and tillage system were important factors affecting uniformity. Subsequently, replicated tillage plots at eight locations were used to evaluate seed spacing uniformity with different planters and tillage systems. Seed spacing coefficient of variation and a planter index developed showed conservation tillage does not significantly reduce seed spacing uniformity.

Field Evaluation Of Calibration Accuracy For Pesticide Application Equipment, A. R. Rider, Elbert C. Dickey

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

A 1979 field survey was conducted in Nebraska and western Iowa of 152 private and commercial pesticide applicators. The survey showed that only one out of every four cooperators were applying pesticides within 5 percent of their estimated application rate. Incorrect calibration accounted for the greatest amount of application errors and ranged from nearly 60 percent under application to more than 90 percent over application. Uniformity of the application was also in error. The coefficient of variation among nozzles for liquid applicators averaged 21.9 percent whereas granular applicators averaged 4. 7 percent among boxes. The survey also showed that the …

Vegetative Filter Treatment Of Livestock Feedlot Runoff, Elbert C. Dickey, D. H. Vanderholm

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Four vegetative filters were installed on feedlots in central and northern Illinois. Two configurations were used: channelized Dow and overland Dow. After settling for partial solids removal, runoff was applied directly to the filters and allowed to Dow from the inlet to the outlet section. Results from measurement analyses and sampling of influent, effluent, and surface Dow at intermediate points were reported.

Most runoff events were infiltrated completely, resulting in no filter discharge. Runoff from larger events was partially discharged. Filters removed as much as 95% of nutrients and oxygen-demanding materials from the applied runoff on a weight basis, and …

Mound Sewage Waste Treatment Systems, Elbert C. Dickey, Phillip W. Harlan, Cheryl Kisling-Crouch

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Several areas in Nebraska are not appropriate for onsite home sewage treatment using conventional septic tank absorption field systems. Site factors that limit the use of conventional absorption fields include slowly permeable soils, shallow or gravelly soils and high water tables. The septic tank-mound system, which consists of a septic tank for primary sewage treatment and a constructed mound for final waste treatment was developed to overcome these site limitations (Figure 1).

Although mound systems differ only slightly in principle from conventional sewage systems, they allow the user to select suitable materials to build an absorption field that relies …

Crop Residue Management For Water Erosion Control, Elbert C. Dickey, P. W. Harlan, Don Vokal

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Crop residues are playing an increasingly important role in today's agricultural management systems. In the past, residues were normally chopped or disked and plowed under in the process of seedbed preparation. Distributed throughout the deep-tillage layer, the residues decomposed rapidly and recycled organic matter back into the soil. Use of the traditional moldboard plow tillage system also provided a loose, residue-free seed bed. Unfortunately, moldboard plow tillage systems have high soil moisture losses which can reduce yields in low rainfall areas or during dry years.

Incorporating previous crop residues also leaves the soil surface exposed to agricultural runoff which causes …

Tillage Systems For Row Crop Production, Elbert C. Dickey, Allen Rider, Phillip W. Harlan

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Selecting a tillage system that is best suited to a particular farming situation is an important management decision. In the past, a crop producer's primary concerns were field capacity and the costs of owning and operating equipment. However, with rapidly increasing energy costs, alternative tillage systems are being carefully evaluated and selected by more producers.

Previously, the most common tillage system included a moldboard plow to turn residue under either in the fall or spring. Following plowing, spring tillage normally included one or more shallow diskings to kill weeds, incorporate fertilizer and pesticides, and provide loose soil for seed. Other …

Metric Units Of Measure- Part I Length, Area And Volume, Elbert C. Dickey, Allen R. Rider, Gerald R. Bodman

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The metric system was developed by government and scientific groups in 1790 to replace a host of diverse measuring systems used throughout France. By the early 1900's it had been adopted by most European and Latin American nations. By 1970 over 90 percent of the world, including all major industrial nations except the United States, had either adopted the metric system or had undertaken programs to implement it.

Use of the decimal-based metric system was made legal in the United States by Congress in 1866. Although some scientists and educators readily adopted the metric system, little acceptance was made by …

Metric Units Of Measure - Part Ii Fluid Volume, Mass, Temperature, Pressure, Power And Energy, Elbert C. Dickey, Allen R. Rider, Gerald Bodman

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The metric and U.S. customary systems of measure differ in terminology for fluid volume, mass, temperature, pressure, power and energy. The relationships between the metric and U.S. customary system for these units are described and illustrated graphically in the following text.

Fluid Volume- Fluid volumes are usually measured in milliliters or liters. Small quantities of liquid products are expressed as milliliters or as cubic centimeters. Gasoline, milk and other similar sized volumes are measured in liters.

Mass - Mass is the amount of matter in an object and is normally referred to as weight. The common metric units of …

Design Of Vegetative Filters For Feedlot Runoff Treatment In Humid Areas, D. H. Vanderholm, Elbert C. Dickey

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The vegetative filter approach uses overland flow or shallow channelized flow to treat feedlot runoff by infiltration, dilution and filtration. Based on extensive monitoring of four field systems in Illinois over a two year period, acceptable performance standards were selected. Design criteria to meet the standards were developed for both the overland flow vegetative filters and the channelized or serpentine terrace filters. A major design criterion for both types of vegetative filters is the time required for applied runoff to flow the length of the filter.

An alternative to using zero-discharge treatment systems to control feedlot runoff is to replace …

Home Sewage Treatment Systems, Elbert C. Dickey, Robert P. Pharris, Phillip W. Harlan, Gary Hosek

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Homeowners in areas not served by municipal sewage treatment systems face a problem of providing safe and effective wastewater treatment systems for their homes.

There are several methods currently available for proper treatment of home sewage, including septic tank absorption fields, mounds, lagoons, aerobic treatment units and others. These systems and their advantages and disadvantages are discussed in this NebGuide.

Treatment and disposal of domestic sewage is of concern because of the variety of pathogenic organisms contained in sewage. These include bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms that come from the digestive tract, respiratory tract, and skin of man. Some of …

Center Pivot Irrigation In Nebraska: An Institutional Analysis Case Study, Thomas Nutt-Powell, Stewart Landers

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

This paper is one of a series resulting from institutional analysis of photovoltaic (PV) acceptance. It reports the results of a study of institutional factors influencing acceptance of center-pivot irrigation in the Nebraska agricultural community. Center-point irrigation (CP) was an interesting topic for study because (1) it was a major recently introduced technological innovation in agriculture which (2) had potentially detrimental attributes – water and energy intensity. A brief historical review of the introduction and acceptance of center-pivot irrigation in the Nebraska agricultural community is presented. Institutions which were a likely part of this institutional arena relative to CP introduction …

A Pressure Injection Device For Inoculation Of Maize With Bacterial Phytopathogens, Randall R. Carlson, A. K. Vidaver, David S. Wysong, J. H. Riesselman

Biological Process Development Facility: Staff Publications

A pressure injection device (PID) was used to inoculate maize (Zea mays) with bacterial phytopathogens. The PID was evaluated for its speed, effectiveness, and precision relative to the needle-eye method of inoculation. Corynebacterium nebraskense, Erwinia stewartii, and Pseudomonas andropogonis were each used successfully as inocula to infect maize and produce symptoms typical of Goss's wilt, Stewart's wilt and bacterial stripe, respectively. Quantitative inoculation with the PID was faster and as statistically precise as using a calibrated needle-eye.

Maintaining A Septic Tank System, Elbert C. Dickey, Gary Hosek, Phillip W. Harlan

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Once a septic tank and absorption field are installed, you can do several things to prolong their life, thus protecting an investment which may cost $2500 or more. Here are several tips you can follow.

Often overlooked or neglected is the fact that septic tanks should be inspected at least once annually. In every properly functioning septic tank, sludge accumulates in the bottom. This sludge is composed of solid materials and must be removed periodically. If the sludge is not removed, the accumulated solids will build up in the septic tank and will begin to wash out into the absorption …

A Septic Tank System For Sewage Treatment, Elbert C. Dickey, Phillip W. Harlan, Gary Hosek

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

A properly designed, installed ao1d maintained septic tank system is an approved method of sewage treatment for private residences in rural or urban areas where public sewage treatment systems are not available. The components of a septic system are the house sewer, the septic tank and the absorption field, as illustrated in Figure 1. Sewage flows to the septic tank through the house sewer. In the septic tank, the solids are separated from the liquids, undergo anaerobic digestion and are stored as sludge at the bottom of the tank. The liquid (septic tank effluent) flows to the absorption field …

Micro-Relief Surface Depression Storage: Changes During Rainfall Events And Their Application To Rainfall-Runoff Models, J. Kent Mitchell, Benjamin A. Jones Jr.

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Micro-relief surface depression storage is one of the dynamic components of the rainfall-runoff process. The quantification of the effect of rainfall intensity and duration on the micro-relief was the subject of this study. Micro-relief measurements were made on 88 soil bin samples before and after the application of simulated rainfall events. The surface depression changes are described with empirical equations, using basic rainfall, surface hydrology, and soil parameters and their cross products as independent variables. A rainfall-runoff model demonstrates the value of a dynamic description of the surface depression storage function.

Wells And Ponds: Water Quality And Supply, Elbert C. Dickey, W.D. Lembke

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

FARM WELLS IN WASHINGTON COUNTY ...................... 1

Study Area Description ................................. 4

Field and laboratory Procedures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Soil and Groundwater Measurements ...................... 10

Well Water Measurements ............................... 15

Summary ............................................ 17

PONDS IN WASHINGTON AND POPE COUNTIES ................. 17

Ponds in Washington County ............................ 17

Ponds and a Lake in Pope County ......................... 25

Summary ............................................ 30

Bibliography ............................................. 31

Appendix ............................................... 34

This bulletin is one of six publications growing out of a four-and …

Sizing Of Liquid Manure Tank Wagons And The Economic Evaluation Of Liquid Manure Injection, J.N. Scarborough, Elbert C. Dickey, D. H. Vanderholm

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Liquid manure tank wagons were evaluated on a cost basis to determine the optimum size for a given livestock operation. Also the economics of adding a liquid injector to the tank wagon was studied for profitability.

INTRODUCTION

The proper selection of a liquid manure tank wagon is a problem faced by many progressive livestock producers with liquid manure systems. Selection of a manure tank wagon is usually based on the farmer's or dealer's opinion of what size is right rather than on a logical analysis including an economic analysis of the costs involved. This paper provides guidelines for selecting the …

Leaf Spot Of Field Corn Caused By Pseudimonas Andropogonis, Anne K. Vidaver, Randall R. Carlson

Biological Process Development Facility: Staff Publications

A leaf spot of field corn was shown to be caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas andropogonis. Leaf spot symptoms were observed over 3 years in several States. Inoculation of corn by vacuum infiltration of the bacteria was necessary to reproduce field symptoms.

A bacterial leaf spot disease of different cultivars of field corn was observed in early summer of 1973, 1974, and 1975. Leaves with essentially the same symptoms were obtained from South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, and Michigan. The same symptoms were also seen in Wisconsin. Symptoms consisted of circular to ellipsoidal, tan to brown spots, with irregular …

Runoff And Erosion Characteristics Of Surface-Mined Sites In Western North Dakota, John E. Gilley, G. W. Gee, A. Bauer, W. O. Willis, R. A. Young

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

A rainfall simulator was used to measure runoff and erosion from rangeland, spoil and topsoil sites. Measured soil losses were greatest on bare topsoil plots and least on the non-cultivated rangeland site. Application of a straw mulch reduced erosion on topsoil by over 90 percent. However, the meausred erosion and runoff values from the mulched topsoil sites were still over 50 percent higher than from the rangeland site.