Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering Commons^™

Exploration Of The Sludge Biodiesel Pathway, Zachary Christman

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Wastewater sludge is an overlooked source of fat, oil, and grease (FOG) that could be converted into biodiesel. The United States produces about 8 million tons of sludge per year. The disposal cost for this amount of sludge is about 2 billion US dollars. The widespread availability and low cost of sludge compared to other biodiesel raw materials make it an economical choice for a renewable fuel. Using sludge as a raw material can produce 25 to 30 mg per gram of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME); the main component of biodiesel. Sludge biodiesel has the potential of transforming a …

Economic And Ecosystem Impacts Of Gm Maize In South Africa, Kristiina Ala-Kokko

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

White maize in South Africa is the only staple crop produced on a widespread commercial basis for direct human consumption using genetically modified (GM) cultivars. Using a combined economic and environmental approach, we estimate the total welfare benefits attributable to GM white maize in South Africa for 2001-2018 are $694.7 million. Food security benefits attributable to GM white maize in South Africa also manifest through an average of 4.6 million additional white maize rations annually. To achieve these additional annual rations using conventional hybrid maize, the additional land required would range from 1,088 hectares in 2001 to 217,788 hectares in …

Light Intensity Control For Plc-Based Hydroponic Demonstration System, Christian Hitt

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

In order to demonstrate a skill set obtained through the University of Arkansas Biological Engineering, a group of students and I developed a hydroponic system where plants could be grown in a chamber. System parameters such as air quality, irrigation, and lighting were controlled by a Programmable Logic Computer (PLC) and an array of sensors and actuators. Each student focused on a certain aspect of this system, mine being the lighting. Developing this system involved researching the relationship between light intensity and plant growth, designing a system to suspend the lights above the growth chamber, and develop a system to …

Estimating Irrigation In Rice Fields With A Water Balance Approach, Kristen Trinh

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Global food production must increase to meet the demand associated with increased population growth, so irrigation water use will continue to rise. Therefore, it is important to monitor water usage particularly when an irrigation flowmeter is unavailable. A field water balance was created for a selection of rice fields in East-central Arkansas under observation in 2018 and 2019. From those, irrigation inputs are deduced from the water balance alone. First, each field had sensors that collected water table level (WTL) data. Next, other water inputs and outputs such as precipitation and evapotranspiration (ET) were collected from two modeled sources. The …

Detecting Recent Crop Phenology Dynamics In Corn And Soybean Cropping Systems Of Kentucky, Yanjun Yang, Bo Tao, Liang Liang, Yawen Huang, Christopher J. Matocha, Chad D. Lee, Michael Sama, Bassil El Masri, Wei Ren

Geography Faculty Publications

Accurate phenological information is essential for monitoring crop development, predicting crop yield, and enhancing resilience to cope with climate change. This study employed a curve-change-based dynamic threshold approach on NDVI (Normalized Differential Vegetation Index) time series to detect the planting and harvesting dates for corn and soybean in Kentucky, a typical climatic transition zone, from 2000 to 2018. We compared satellite-based estimates with ground observations and performed trend analyses of crop phenological stages over the study period to analyze their relationships with climate change and crop yields. Our results showed that corn and soybean planting dates were delayed by 0.01 …

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 …

Common Unit Conversions For Irrigation, Dean E. Eisenhauer, Derrel L. Martin, Derek M. Heeren, Glenn J. Hoffman

Open Learning Resources, General/Selected

A fact sheet that includes common unit conversions for irrigation in international system of units (SI) and United States customary system of units (USCS).

Includes units for: length, area, volume, flow, weight and mass, pressure, crop yield, temperature, and the United States public land survey system.

Modeling Energy Flows In Floating In-Pond Raceways Utilizing Solar Power Back-Up, Bo Smith

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

The In-pond Raceway (IPR) is a novel option for production aquaculture, depending on water moving devices to provide constant flow. Device failure may result in catastrophic fish loss, requiring power backup systems to mitigate risk in case of power outages. Because these systems must be dependable and many suitable locations are remote, off-grid solar photovoltaic (PV) systems with battery storage have been considered since they eliminate need for utility power. Such systems can be hard to size and expensive. This study modeled system requirements using an energy balance to determine whether systems could withstand varying loads based on climatological conditions. …

Bio-Inspired Materials For Electrochemical Sensors, Matthew Joseph Hummel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Electrochemical biosensors are a rapidly growing research area that has greatly improved its specificity, accuracy, and precision in the detection of biomolecules in contemporary literature and industry alike. Typically, these systems exist in a three-electrode conformation with a working electrode functioning as the anode, a counter electrode functioning as the cathode, and a reference electrode allowing for the control of potential in the system. The method by which these sensors work is through the sharing of electrons via redox reactions with the target molecule and the working electrode or modifications on its surface. By exploiting the function of biomaterials that …

Development Of Bio-Based Nanocomposites For Biosensor And Indicator Applications In Smart Food Packaging, Abdus Sobhan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Smart food packaging based on biosensors has been attracting more and more interest to the industrial community because of the concerns of food quality and safety. A food packaging with biosensor has a scope to enable real-time monitoring of microbial breakdown products of packaged foods. Furthermore, one of the biggest challenges in implementing biosensor for smart packaging materials is the development of bio-sensing active materials that can leverage their electrical, thermal, biodegradable and other functional properties. In this regard, nanocellulose-based activated carbon (NAC) nanocomposite was developed using the activated carbon and nanocellulose gel using the casting method with their different …

Optimisation Of Grass Measurement Technologies Through Field Experimentation And Numerical Simulation Methods, Darren Joseph Murphy

Theses

Maximising pasture utilisation through optimal grassland management is vital in terms of ensuring the economic sustainability and mitigating the environmental impact of both Irish and global pasture-based livestock production. Frequent and accurate measurement of grass quantity and quality is one of the main methods of maximising grass production and utilisation on pasture-based farms. The most prominent grass measurement tool used on Irish pasture is the rising plate meter (RPM), however, there are a range of issues with this method including operator bias, precision and difficulties in accounting for spatial variation. Currently, there is no definitive protocol for grass measurement which …

Analysis Of Modern Barn Design, Gunther Soehnlen

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The agriculture industry is always changing. Barn structures are one of the most important aspects of the agriculture industry. As the agriculture industry changes, so does the design and construction of barns. There are many types of barns, but over the last 300 years four of the most prevalent types have been the Bank Barn, Open Span Truss Barn, Hoop Barn, and Transverse Frame Barn. The Bank Barn and Transverse Frame Barn have been popularly built for over 200 years. The Hoop Barn and the Open Span Truss Barn have been recently introduced to the industry, becoming popular within the …

Valorization Of Xylan In Agroforestry Waste Streams, Harrison Appiah

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Valorization of Xylan in Agroforestry Waste Streams.

Harrison Appiah

Microwave-assisted deep eutectic solvent and gamma-valerolactone metallic chloride catalyzed conversion of xylan to furfural were investigated using a 2x3 factorial experimental design at two levels of percent microwave power, reaction time, and catalyst concentration. The levels of each factor studied were (20%, 60% microwave power, 2, 4 minutes, and 10, 20mg) respectively. The effect of three metallic chloride catalysts (LiCl, FeCl3.6H20, CuCl2) on the conversion of xylan to furfural was also investigated. The gamma-valerolactone-ferric chloride sent system exhibited the highest mean yield of furfural (56.50%). The next highest furfural yield of …

Pillars Of Sustainable Development–Land Capability And Conceptual Project Design, Ian D. Hollingsworth

Journal of Environmental Science and Sustainable Development

Conserving land capability is a pillar of sustainable development strategy. Land units comprising unique combinations of native vegetation, soils, geology, and landforms are used to interpret local environmental processes and land capabilities. An emerging practice is extrapolation modeling of edaphic parameter surfaces in Digital Soil Mapping (DSM) using statistical correlation. Commercial studies of land capability for sustainable development, including a mine closure in a national park, another closure for grazing land restoral, urban stormwater flood mitigation, and wind farm development in plantation forestry, are presented to illustrate applications and review the utility of DSM data. The first case, a mine …

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 …

Classifying Reflectance Targets Under Ambient Light Conditions Using Passive Spectral Measurements, Ali Hamidisepehr, Michael P. Sama, Joseph S. Dvorak, Ole O. Wendroth, Michael D. Montross

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Collecting remotely sensed spectral data under varying ambient light conditions is challenging. The objective of this study was to test the ability to classify grayscale targets observed by portable spectrometers under varying ambient light conditions. Two sets of spectrometers covering ultraviolet (UV), visible (VIS), and near−infrared (NIR) wavelengths were instrumented using an embedded computer. One set was uncalibrated and used to measure the raw intensity of light reflected from a target. The other set was calibrated and used to measure downwelling irradiance. Three ambient−light compensation methods that successively built upon each other were investigated. The default method used a variable …

Photovoltaic Systems On Dairy Farms: Financial And Renewable Multi-Objective Optimization (Farmoo) Analysis, Michael Breen, J. Upton, Michael D. Murphy

Publications

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Period And Temperature On Quality And Shelf-Life Of Cucumber And Garden-Eggs Packaged Using Cassava Starch-Zinc Nanocomposite Film, Adeshina Fadeyibi, Zinash Delebo Osunde, Mohammed Gana Yisa

Journal of Applied Packaging Research

Nanocomposite film can be used to prolong the shelf-life of fruits and vegetables. This research was undertaken to investigate the effects of packaging period and temperature on the quality and self-lives of cucumber and garden-eggs packaged using cassava starch-zinc nanocomposite film. Hundred grams each of cucumber and garden-eggs were wrapped in a 200× 350 mm size nanocomposite film and low density polyethylene (LDPE) of 2.240± 1.076 × 10^-10 gm^-1Pa^-1s^-1 water vapor and 1.568± 0.084× 10^-10 gm^-1Pa^-1s^-1 oxygen gas permeability. The products were stored at 10−27^oC temperatures …

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 …

Characterization And Enzyme Engineering Of A Hyperthermophilic Laccase Toward Improving Its Activity In Ionic Liquid, Joseph Craig Stevens, David W. Rodgers, Claire Dumon, Jian Shi

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Ionic liquids (ILs) are organic salts molten at room temperature that can be used for a wide variety of applications. Many ILs, such as 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([C₂C₁Im][OAc]), have been shown to remove a significant fraction of the complex biopolymer lignin from biomass during pretreatment. Valorizing lignin via biological pathways (e.g., enzymes) holds promise but is limited by the low biocompatibility of many ILs used for pretreatment. The discovery of thermostable enzymes and the application of enzyme engineering techniques have yielded biocatalysts capable of withstanding high concentrations of ILs. Converting lignin from a waste product to value-added …

Non-Destructive Technologies For Detecting Insect Infestation In Fruits And Vegetables Under Postharvest Conditions: A Critical Review, Akinbode A. Adedeji, Nader Ekramirad, Ahmed Rady, Ali Hamidisepehr, Kevin D. Donohue, Raul T. Villanueva, Chadwick A. Parrish, Mengxing Li

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

In the last two decades, food scientists have attempted to develop new technologies that can improve the detection of insect infestation in fruits and vegetables under postharvest conditions using a multitude of non-destructive technologies. While consumers' expectations for higher nutritive and sensorial value of fresh produce has increased over time, they have also become more critical on using insecticides or synthetic chemicals to preserve food quality from insects' attacks or enhance the quality attributes of minimally processed fresh produce. In addition, the increasingly stringent quarantine measures by regulatory agencies for commercial import-export of fresh produce needs more reliable technologies for …

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 Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty 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 …

Improving Microbiological Safety Of Low Moisture Food Products Using Radio Frequency And Ethylene Oxide, Long Chen

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Recent foodborne illness outbreaks in US associated with consumption of low-moisture foods (LMF) have heightened concerns of their microbial safety. Salmonella is a pathogen of major concern in LMF due to its ability to persist in low water activity (a_w) environments. The disadvantages of existing decontamination technologies for LMF call for novel and efficient intervention technologies. Radio frequency (RF) and ethylene oxide (EtO) were evaluated in this dissertation for improving microbial food safety and quality of LMF. Cumin seeds and inshell hazelnuts were selected as model foods.

It took < 2 min of stationary RF heating to achieve > 5 log reductions of Salmonella in cumin seeds without …

The Release, Transport, And Utilization Of Phosphorus From Bed-Sediments: A Study Of A Eutrophic Littoral Cove On Beaver Lake In Northwest Arkansas, James A. Mccarty

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Eutrophication of surface waters not only impacts the environment but also water treatment processes, the most significant of which is from the effects of algae. During peak algal growth in many southern U.S. reservoirs, inflows that bring nutrients are at an annual minimum, and phosphorus released from bed-sediments is trapped in the hypolimnion. Littoral areas, described as the most productive zone of the lake, may be a possible source of phosphorus that fuels algal growth in the reservoir. I studied an isolated shallow cove in the War Eagle Creek arm of Beaver Lake in Northwest Arkansas to measure, quantify, and …

Design Of A Shallow-Aero Ebb And Flow Hydroponics System And Associated Educational Module For Tri Cycle Farms, Julie Halveland

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Tri Cycle Farms, whose main mission is to reduce food insecurity in their community, is a non- profit urban farm in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The “Tri” in their name refers to the three parts of their foundation: giving a third of their yield to volunteers, giving a third to local food pantries, and selling a third to sustain the farm and demonstrate the economy of local food production. They want to expand on the third part and have a vision of building a hydroponic greenhouse with the intention that it will create more crops to sell and give, as well as …

Elucidating Basis Of Rice Discoloration And Developing Prevention Strategies, Zeinab Mohammadi Shad

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Economically, discolored rice kernels have less market value, which can seriously impact farm net profit. The reasons for rice discoloration during storage have not been studied extensively and many questions remain. Therefore, the primary goal of this study was to improve understanding of the role and contributions of storage practices on rice quality degradation and discoloration. In this study, three rice cultivars including XL753 (hybrid), Roy J (pureline), and Titan were assessed for changes in quality and microbial kinetics. The rice samples at a high moisture content (MC) of 21% w.b. and a low MC of 16% were stored at …

Design Of A Deep Flow Technique Hydroponic System And An Elementary Education Module For Tri Cycle Farms, Cady Rosenbaum

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Hydroponics is an agricultural technique in which plants are grown without soil and are instead grown in water systems that include nutrients and other growth-supporting media. Hydroponic systems typically reside inside, so that the system can be fully controlled by the grower by manipulating the temperature and amount of light the plants receive. The benefits of growing plants using hydroponics include: the amount of water used is reduced, it is less labor to grow organic produce with an indoor system, less space used, and it allows for growing food anywhere. Tri Cycle Farms is planning for the construction of a …

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 Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

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 …

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, …

Biotech Connector Brochure

Biotech Connector

The Biotech Connector represents an important opportunity to serve the economic needs of the people of Nebraska through further diversification of Nebraska's economy, and by helping forge and illuminate a pathway to jobs in the biotechnology space for Nebraska students.

The Biotech Connector is 7,700 sq. ft. of well-equipped wet-lab space located on Nebraska Innovation Campus. We provide incubation space and services to bioscience startups and high-growth biotech and research-based businesses.

Wet lab space provides aspiring startups and technology businesses with access to very expensive laboratory equipment that would be outside of the budget of most startups. Lack of access …