Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering Commons^™

Dealing With Wild Pig Depredation In California: The Strategic Plan, Douglas Updike, John Waithman

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 17th (1996)

The Wild Pig Management Plan is required by Fish and Game Code Section 4651. It is intended to be a strategic plan for dealing with wild pigs for the five-year period 1995-2000. The plan is a dynamic document that will be reviewed and updated at least every five years.

As prescribed by law, the plan contains information related to the status and trend of wild pig populations, and describes management units established by the Department to address regional needs and opportunities. Those needs include alleviating damage to property, protecting sensitive natural resources, and providing recreational hunting where feasible. Opportunities include …

Ecological Challenges To Controlling Wild Rabbits In Australia Using Virally-Vectored Immunocontraception, C. K. Williams

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 17th (1996)

The European wild rabbit in Australia threatens the sustainability of agriculture and conservation of native flora and fauna. Improved means of reducing these impacts are sought including effort to develop virally vectored immunocontraception (VVIC). VVIC for the wild rabbit involves complex interactions between the rabbit, myxoma virus and insect vectors of the virus. Development of the method includes not only reproductive molecular biology and genetics and manipulation of virus genetics, but also many problems in reproductive biology, ecology and population dynamics of the rabbit in diverse environments. Furthermore, epidemiology of enzootic myxomatosis, and behavior and population dynamics of several vector …

Variability In Volume Metering Devices, Leonard L. Bashford, Abdeljabar Bahri, K. Von Bargen, Michael F. Kocher

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The inherent variability of seed and fertilizer application from volumetric metering devices is not readily recognized. The Canadian Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (P AMI) suggests a maximum coefficient of variation (CV) of 15% among outlets for seeding grain or applying fertilizer. P AMI does not report down-the-row variability of individual outlets. Parameters that influence variability of volumetric measuring external fluted wheels such as rotational speed of the metering wheel, product delivery rate, seed size, and cell collection lengths were examined.

In the first study, external fluted wheel meters on four grain drills were tested for seed delivery variability for wheat …

Managing Plague In Endangered Species Habitats, Frederick J. Harrison Jr.

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 17th (1996)

Plague is an endemic disease among field rodents in the southwestern United States. Epizootic outbreaks of this disease increase the risk of human infection where man comes into contact with infected rodents or their fleas. The risk is further increased when colonial rodents are involved, since these animals are usually found in large numbers and are often found in locations where people live, work, or enjoy recreational activities. Elimination of large numbers of susceptible rodents from a particular location following a plague epizootic usually results in a quiescent period when plague is neither a threat to those rodents moving into …

Metering Characteristics Accompanying Rate Changes Necessary For Precision Farming, A. Bahri, K. Von Bargen, Michael F. Kocher, L. L. Bashford

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Agricultural machines used in precision fanning must adjust application rates according to the needs of each cell within a field. Changing from an initial application rate to a new rate while the machine travels from one cell to another in the field is accompanied with some misapplication. The severity of this misapplication depends on the down-the-row delivery characteristics of the metering system and the magnitude of the rate change from cell to cell.

On-the-go rate change tests evaluated the down-the-row performance of an operator controlled metering system when increasing and decreasing wheat seeding rates by 10 and 20 kg/ha steps. …

Spatial Patterns Analysis Of Field Measured Soil Nitrate, Farida Shaukat Goderya, Mohamed F. Dahab, Wayne E. Woldt, Istvan Bogardi

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to assess the spatial variability of residual soil nitrate, measured in three contiguous 16 ha fields. Available data for residual soil nitrate were examined using conventional statistics. Data tended to be skewed with the mean greater than the median. Geostatistical methods were used to characterize and model the spatial structure. Three dimensional spatial variability was examined using two semivariograms: horizontal-spatial and vertical. Two dimensional horizontal-spatial semivariograms were also computed for each 0.3m (1ft) layer. Semivariogram analysis showed that there were similarities in the patterns of spatial variability for all fields. The results suggest that …

Solid Waste Disposal Site Characterization Using Non-Intrusive Electromagnetic Survey Techniques And Geostatistics, Gary N. Kuhn, Wayne E. Woldt, David D. Jones, Dennis D. Schulte

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Prior to the research reported in this paper, a site-specific hydrogeologic investigation was developed for a closed solid waste facility in Eastern Nebraska using phased subsurface characterizations. Based on the findings of this prior investigation, a surface based geoelectric survey using electromagnetic induction to measure subsurface conductivity was implemented to delineate the vertical and horizontal extent of buffed waste and subsurface contamination. This technique proved to be a key non-intrusive, cost-effective element in the refinement of the second phase of the hydrogeologic investigation.

Three-dimensional ordinary kriging was used to estimate conductivity values at unsampled locations. These estimates were utilized to …

Method And Apparatus For Objective Evaluation Of Patent Ambulation, Balance And Weight Bearng Status, Eric B. Lancaster, Michael F. Kocher

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

A walker is provided which is equipped with detectors for measuring various loads and torques placed thereon by a user including right side and left side loads as well as torque loads on the handles of the walker and having time and distance detectors to allow the ambulation status of a user to be progressively monitored by medical personnel.

Monte Carlo Calculation Of Effective Diffusivities In Two- And Three-Dimensional Heterogeneous Materials Of Variable Structure, Mark R. Riley, Fernando J. Muzzio, Helen M. Buettner, Sebastian C. Reyes

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

A Monte Carlo technique that simulates tracer diffusion in multiphase materials of arbitrary complexity has been developed. Effective diffusivities are calculated for structures consisting of either overlapping or nonoverlapping inclusions with diffusivity D_c, distributed in a continuous phase with diffusivity D₀>D_c. Two-dimensional simulations for various values of D₀/D_c generate normalized diffusivities that correspond closely to their three-dimensional counterparts; they nearly collapse to a common curve when a simple scaling relation is applied.

Ordination And Mapping Of Wetland Communities In Nebraska's Rainwater Basin Region, Michael C. Gilbert

United States Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District

Forty-seven Rainwater Basin wetlands of south-central Nebraska were evaluated to provide information on vegetation composition, species assemblages determined from direct and indirect ordination methodology, and community characteristics derived from wetlands mapping. Vegetation/soil relationships were evaluated from both vegetational stand and mapping data. Seasonal and year to year vegetation dynamics were evaluated for one study site, Harvard Marsh.

Ordination of vegetational data was accomplished by use of weighted averaging and detrended correspondence analysis. Weighted average ordination results indicated wetland status for the Fillmore, Scott and Massie soil series. Occurrence of upland vegetation on hydric soils and wetland vegetation on non-hydric soils …

Sol Probe And Method Of Obtaining Moisture,Temperature And Root Distribution Of A Soil Profile, Marvin Twersky, William E. Splinter, Bruce C. Sandhorst

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

To provide a profile of simultaneous moisture, temperature and root density characteristics at different depths of soil, a soil probe is inserted in the soil with a viewing and camera section extending above the soil. Similarly, the probe provides a profile of simultaneous moisture, temperature and presence of molds, insects or other foreign matter in grain or similar media including liquid as well as solid granulated material. The portion of the probe that is in the soil or other media includes a source of light or light conveyance and windows which transmit an image of the soil at various depths …

Bulletin 3929 - Irrigation In Western Australia, K S. Cole

Bulletins - 3000 - 3999

Irrigation is essential in many parts of the world to produce essential food and profitable cash crops. Generally, those areas of land with less than 360 mm of rain spread over a distinct wet season of several months cannot grow crops for food or cash on rainfall alone. Then irrigation becomes necessary unless some peculiarity such as an oasis exists.

Bulletin No 3887 - Cattle Yard Construction, Western Australian Department Of Agriculture

Bulletins - 3000 - 3999

Good cattle yards allow animals to be handled quietly, safely and efficiently. If yards are well designed, animal uneasiness is minimised and so, too, are frayed tempers.

This bulletin outlines general points of cattle yard design and construction. There are many and varied cattle yard designs in use—many good ones and some bad ones. This bulletin should help in avoiding the bad ones.

Swing Fence Flood Crossing For Creeks In The Kimberleys, A L. Payne

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

FENCING is the basis of the regeneration programme on the eroded Ord River catchment area, and the fences constructed must cross numerous creeks.

But heavy downpours of short duration characterise the wet season experienced in this area.

Because the rain falls on to bare, compacted ground, run-off is intense and gullies and creeks rise rapidly, causing serious damage to conventional fences and flood gates across watercourses.

Nebraska Farm Building Data For South-Central Counties Taken From U.S. Census, R. M. Loper

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The Material given on the following pages was selected from United States Census data for the years indicated.

It has been arranged to permit analysis and comparison of building trends since 1900, both in the state and in individuals counties. Such a study often reveals areas in which effective educational programs could be developed and indicates the phases of such programs which are needed most.

Unfortunately, complete 1945 figures are not available yet, but space has been left for them so that they may be added when released by the Census Bureau.

Nebraska Farm Building Data For South-East Counties Taken From U.S. Census, R. M. Loper

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The material given on the following pages was selected from United States Census data for the years indicated.

It has been arranged to permit analysis and comparison of building trends since 1900, both in the state and in individual counties. Such a study often reveals areas in which effective educatinal programs could be developed and indicates the phases of such programs which are needed most.

Unfortunatel, complete 1945 figures are not available yet, but the space has been left for them so that they may be added when released by the Census Bureau.

Nebraska Farm Building Data For Panhandle Counties Taken From U.S. Census, R. M. Loper

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The Material given on the following pages was selected from united States Census data for the years indicated.

It has been arranged to permit analysis and comparison of building trends since 1900, both in the state and in individual counties. Such a study often reveals areas in which effective educational programs could be develol)ed and indicates the phases of such programs which are needed most.

Unfortunately, complete 1945 figures are not available yet, but space has been left for them so that they may be added when released by the Census Buroau.

Nebraska Farm Building Data For North-East Counties Taken From U.S. Census, R. M. Loper

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Fluctuation in the number of farms since the start of the century reflects economic trends, drouth effects and the results of increasing mechanization, particularly since 1935.

The 1945 figures also show the influence of land taken out of production for use as air bases, ordnance plants and ammuition depots. No doubt some of this will be returned eventually to agricultural uses. Since the buildings were removed from this land during the war some new sets probably. will be constructed when individual ownership is obtained again. Such activities present excellent opportunities for developing farmsteads efficiently and attractively arranged; buildings designed to …

Nebraska Farm Building Data For North-Central Counties Taken From U.S. Census, R. M. Loper

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The Material given on the following pages was selected from United States Census data for the years indicated.

It has been arranged to permit analysis and comparison of building trends since 1900, both in the state and in individual counties. Such a study often reveals areas in which effective educational programs could be developed and indicates the phases of such programs which are needed most.

Unfortunately, complete 1945 figures are not available yet, but space has been left for them so that they may be added when released by the Census Bureau.