Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering Commons^™

Predicting The Cutting Time Of Cottage Cheese Using Backscatter Measurements, Czarena L. Crofcheck, Frederick A. Payne, Sue E. Nokes

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

An automated system for monitoring culture growth and determining coagulum cutting time is needed for cottage cheese manufacturing. A light backscatter measurement system was designed and installed in a local cottage cheese manufacturing plant. A cutting time prediction algorithm was developed using parameters generated from the backscatter profile. The cutting time prediction algorithm, T_cut = T_max + β₂ S, used two time-based parameters generated from the backscatter profile (T_max and S) and one operator selected parameter, β₂, to predict the coagulum cutting time, Tcut. The standard error of prediction for the algorithm was 6.4 …

High-Tensile Wire Or Cable Tobacco Field Curing Structure, George A. Duncan

Agricultural Engineering Extension Publications

Producers are rapidly adopting field curing structures, and several variations in construction methods and materials exist to achieve low cost or low maintenance and long life. One of the construction methods, pioneered by a producer and now being used by others in the state, uses high-tensile wire strands or cable to support the tobacco sticks.

Ventilation System Design Parameters For Greenhouses For Tobacco Production, R. S. Gates, George A. Duncan

Agricultural Engineering Extension Updates

Methods for germination and initial growth of tobacco have changed rapidly in recent years, moving from outside float beds into double-layer plastic greenhouses. Typically, these "tobacco greenhouses" consist of sidewall curtains, which run the entire length of both sides of the house. They may also have modest mechanical ventilation.

Ventilation of greenhouse structures is a mature field, with engineering practices for proper design given by numerous organizations including ASAE. In this article we briefly outline the important features of ventilation of concern to tobacco greenhouse operators.

Comparison Of Water And Temperature Distribution Profiles Under Sand Tube Irrigation, Masoud Meshkat, Richard C. Warner, Stephen R. Workman

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Drip irrigation is one of the most efficient systems in delivering water to the plant root zone. Research has shown that the saturated, or nearly saturated, surface beneath the emitter may increase evaporation thereby reducing the irrigation efficiency. To increase the efficiency of surface applied drip irrigation on permanent tree crops a sand tube irrigation (STI) method was developed and tested. The sand tube method consists of removing a soil core beneath the emitter and filling the void with coarse sand. A weighing lysimeter was designed and instrumented to directly measure temporal evaporation during irrigation and for a period of …

Geotextile Feeding/Traffic Surfaces And Costs, Larry W. Turner

Agricultural Engineering Extension Updates

Mud robs Kentucky beef and dairy producers of performance from their cattle herds in winter and spring conditions. To help avoid the problems associated with mud and reduced performance, concrete pads or lower-cost all-weather surfaces should be used wherever animals congregate--- feeding areas, animal traffic areas and loafing areas. Although concrete is probably the most desirable surface for durability and low maintenance, an all-weather surface can be constructed of geotextile fabric, rock and fine surface cover for less than 1/3 of the cost of concrete. Rock over bare soil in Kentucky requires approximately 12" of depth for stability. In contrast, …

Optimization Of Solid-State Fermentation Parameters For The Production Of Xylanase By Trichoderma Longibrachiatum On Wheat Bran, Elizabeth R. Ridder, Sue E. Nokes, Barbara L. Knutson

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Solid-state fermentation has the potential to produce inexpensive enzymes for use in high-volume industrial applications. Process parameters such as substrate moisture content and length of fermentation can have a significant effect on the amount and timing of enzyme production. This study was conducted in two stages, a screening stage and an optimization stage, to determine the effects of moisture content of the substrate, surfactant addition upon inoculation, depth of the substrate, and duration of fermentation on xylanase activity produced by Trichoderma longibrachiatum. Screening fermentations were conducted at 25°C, 50 and 75% wet basis moisture content (w.b.), 0.0 and 0.2% …

Vegetated Filter Strip Removal Of Cattle Manure Constituents In Runoff, Teng T. Lim, Dwayne R. Edwards, Stephen R. Workman, Brian T. Larson, Lloyd Dunn

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Pasture runoff can contribute to elevated concentrations of nutrients, solids, and bacteria in downstream waters. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of vegetative filter strip (VFS) length on concentrations and transport of nitrogen, phosphorus, solids and fecal coliform in runoff from plots treated with cattle manure. Three plots with dimensions of 2.4 × 30.5 m were used. The upper 12.2 m of each plot was treated with cattle manure, while the lower 18.3 m acted as a VFS. Runoff produced by rainfall simulators was sampled at VFS lengths of 0, 6.1, 12.2, and 18.3 m and …

Response Of Runoff Diazinon Concentration To Formulation And Post-Application Irrigation, Joshua R. Evans, Dwayne R. Edwards, Stephen R. Workman, R. Michael Williams

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Pesticides used in urban environments can be transported in runoff to downstream waters and cause adverse environmental consequences. This experiment assessed the effects of post-application irrigation depth (0, 6.4, and 12.7 mm) and formulation (liquid and granular) on concentration and transport of diazinon (a pesticide commonly used for lawn insect control) in runoff from “tall” fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) plots. The post-application irrigation was applied using rainfall simulators immediately following diazinon application. The rainfall simulators were again used approximately 2 h after diazinon application to apply the equivalent of a heavy rainfall (64 mm/h for approximately 1.5 h) to generate …

Comparison Of Observed And Simulated Grow-Finish Swine Performance Under Summer Conditions, Larry W. Turner, Thomas C. Bridges, Richard D. Coffey, Richard S. Gates, Gary R. Parker, Tami M. Brown-Brandl, Douglas G. Overhults

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

As a part of a National Pork Producers Council educational program, our research and extension team at the University of Kentucky was linked with an independent commercial swine producer to test the NCPIG model against observed commercial on-farm data. This experience provided improved information for model development as well as increased producer insight into the data input needs and potential benefits of modeling. Detailed production information comparisons between the NCPIG model and producer data are presented for summer time conditions to assess the validity of the NCPIG model for simulation of grow-finish swine performance. Results demonstrated that the NCPIG model …

Quality Of Runoff From Plots Treated With Municipal Sludge And Horse Bedding, Elizabeth L. Busheé, Dwayne R. Edwards, Philip A. Moore Jr.

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Land application of horse stall bedding and municipal sludge can increase runoff concentrations of nutrients, organic matter, and bacteria as well as steroidal hormones such as estrogen. Concentrations of materials in runoff from sites treated with animal manure can be reduced by aluminum sulfate, or alum [Al₂(SO₄)₃•14H₂O] treatment. The objectives of this study were to assess plots treated with horse stall bedding or municipal sludge for: (a) runoff quality [concentrations of nitrate nitrogen (NO₃-N), ammonia nitrogen (NH₃-N), orthophosphate-phosphorus (PO₄-P), fecal coliform (FC), chemical oxygen demand (COD) …

Diffuse Reflectance Changes During The Culture Of Cottage Cheese, Frederick Alan Payne, R. Carol Freels, Sue E. Nokes, Richard S. Gates

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

A sensor for measuring diffuse reflectance of milk during the typical 6-h culture of cottage cheese was installed in a local manufacturing facility. Diffuse reflectance was found to increase slowly during the first three hours of the culture and increase rapidly toward the end of fermentation. The correlation between parameters generated from the diffuse reflectance profile and cutting time was sufficient to develop an algorithm for cutting time prediction. An algorithm incorporating t_max (time from adding culture to the maximum rate of change in reflectance) and slope of the reflectance curve at t_max predicted the operator selected cutting …

Manipulation Of High Spatial Resolution Aircraft Remote Sensing Data For Use In Site-Specific Farming, Gabriel B. Senay, Andrew D. Ward, John G. Lyon, Norman R. Fausey, Sue E. Nokes

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Three spatial data sets consisting of high spatial resolution (1 m) remote sensing images acquired in 12 spectral bands, an on-the-go yield map, and a Digital Elevation Model were co-registered and evaluated for spatial variability studies in a Geographic Information Systems environment. Separate on-the-go yield maps were developed for 3, 5, and 12 statistically significant mean yield classes. For each yield class, the corresponding mean spectral and elevation data were extracted. The relationship between mean spectral and yield data was strongly linear (r = 0.99). Also, a strong linear relationship between mean yield and elevation data (r = 0.92) was …

Effect Of Parameter Distributions On Uncertainty Analysis Of Hydrologic Models, C. Thomas Haan, Daniel E. Storm, T. Al-Issa, Sandeep Prabhu, George J. Sabbagh, Dwayne R. Edwards

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Increasing concern about the accuracy of hydrologic and water quality models has prompted interest in procedures for evaluating the uncertainty associated with these models. If a Monte Carlo simulation is used in an uncertainty analysis, assumptions must be made relative to the probability distributions to assign to the model input parameters. Some have indicated that since these parameters can not be readily determined, uncertainty analysis is of limited value. In this article we have evaluated the impact of parameter distribution assumptions on estimates of model output uncertainty. We conclude that good estimates of the means and variances of the input …

Validating A Vegetative Filter Strip Performance Model, Puneet Srivastava, Thomas A. Costello, Dwayne R. Edwards, James A. Ferguson

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Vegetative filter strips (VFS) reduce losses of nutrients, solids, and other materials from land area treated with fertilizers and manures. A number of models are available that simulate nutrient and sediment transport in VFS. While VFS effectiveness is considered to depend on lengths of pollutant source area and VFS areas, few published studies have tried to validate these models using variable pollutant source area and VFS area. The objective of this study was to validate an event-based nutrient transport model (Chaubey et al., 1995) that simulates soluble nutrient transport in VFS. This model links three sub-models: modified Green-Ampt infiltration, non-linear …

Rops Retro-Fit Fact Sheet, Larry R. Piercy

Agricultural Engineering Extension Updates

ROPS were first introduced commercially in 1966.

ROPS first became available for most new tractors in the late 60's or early 70's.

ROPS became standard equipment on most new tractors manufactured after 1985.

Cost Comparisons For Burley Tobacco Housing And Curing Facilities And Methods, College Of Agriculture, University Of Kentucky

Agricultural Engineering Extension Updates

With the several options now available for housing and curing burley (conventional tobacco barn types, cable-hoist system and field curing structures), producers often ask and need to know comparative costs of the various options. Barns have a higher initial cost, long life and assessable value to the farm. The one-tier field structures initially cost about one-third that of a barn per acre of capacity and have labor savings and periodic plastic replacement cost. Low-cost cantilever type field curing structures and frames are even lower in cost and reduce labor but have annual plastic replacement costs and some higher weather risks. …

Water Systems For Controlled Grazing, Larry W. Turner

Agricultural Engineering Extension Updates

Intensive controlled or rotational grazing can be an important tool for beef and dairy producers in Kentucky. A key component for success with this type of operation is the availability of adequate drinking water for livestock on pasture.

Quantities, flow rates and location of water for rotational grazing will be considered in this fact sheet. Systems supplying water under pressure through hose or pipe to a tank or water bowl will be discussed in detail.

Effect Of Bmp Implementation On Storm Flow Quality Of Two Northwestern Arkansas Streams, Dwayne R. Edwards, Tommy C. Daniel, H. Don Scott, Phillip A. Moore Jr., John F. Murdoch, Paul F. Vendrell

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

The effectiveness of management practices in improving quality of runoff from agricultural land areas has been reported based primarily on results from plot- and field-scale studies. There is limited information available on watershed scales, particularly when the dominant agricultural land use is pasture. The objective of this study was to determine whether a program of Best Management Practice (BMP) implementation in the Lincoln Lake watershed of northwestern Arkansas was effective in reducing storm stream flow concentrations and mass transport of nitrate nitrogen (NO₃-N), ammonia nitrogen (NH₃-N), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), ortho-phosphorus (PO₄-P), total phosphorus …

Using Geotextiles For Feeding And Traffic Surfaces, Larry W. Turner

Agricultural Engineering Extension Publications

Mud robs Kentucky beef and dairy producers of performance from their cattle herds in winter and spring. To help avoid the problems associated with mud and reduced performance, producers should consider using concrete pads or lower-cost all-weather surfaces wherever animals congregate (e.g., feeding areas, animal traffic areas, and loafing areas). Although concrete is probably the most desirable surface for durability and low maintenance, an all-weather surface can be constructed of geotextile fabric, rock, and fine surface cover for less than one-third of the cost of concrete. Rock over bare soil in Kentucky requires approximately 12 inches of depth for stability, …

Dynamic Stability Of Two Tractor Front-End Loader Systems, Michael J. Bader, Linus R. Walton, Larry G. Wells

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

A one-quarter scale model tractor and loader were designed, fabricated, and used in an experiment to evaluate two tractor-loader configurations relative to stability using roll angle as the means of assessment. The nonconventional loader system consisted of a conventional loader attached to a steerable carrier which in turn was attached to the tractor by the front axle and drawbar of the tractor. The stabilizing axle for the non-conventional loader system was the front axle as opposed to the conventional system in which the stabilizing axle was the rear axle. The experiment showed that the non-conventional loader had an inherent advantage …

Indicator Bacteria Concentrations Of Two Northwest Arkansas Streams In Relation To Flow And Season, Dwayne R. Edwards, Mark S. Coyne, Tommy C. Daniel, P. F. Vendrell, J. F. Murdoch, P. A. Moore Jr.

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Concentrations of indicator bacteria such as fecal coliform (FC) and fecal streptococcus (FS) are often used to assess the suitability of waters for their intended use(s) and to allocate resources for water quality improvement measures. There is evidence, however, that concentrations of FC and FS can be influenced by variables such as season and flow rate during sampling, which could lead to biased results. The objective of this study was to assess the impacts of season and flow rate on concentrations of FC and FS. Fecal indicator bacteria concentrations were measured for approximately three years at five sites on two …

A Field Curing Structure And Mechanized Housing System For Burley Tobacco, Linus R. Walton, Larry D. Swetnam, George A. Duncan

Agricultural Engineering Extension Updates

Two deterrents to expansion of production of burley tobacco are a lack of barn room located conveniently to the tobacco fields and a lack of hired labor for harvesting and housing, In working toward a solution to these problems, engineers from the Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Department have designed and fabricated a field curing structure with a mechanized housing system. The field curing structure has three rows of posts set in the ground to provide columnar strength for the structure. Cross members are set on top of the columns to support the tobacco when it is placed into the structure. …

Moveable Curing Frames, George A. Duncan, Larry D. Swetnam, Linus R. Walton

Agricultural Engineering Extension Updates

Low cost, low labor, moveable, sturdy, dependable and easily covered -- is this an ideal curing structure? Can it be done? Seeking such a design is the aim of ongoing studies using the cantilever-beam concept for supporting two rails of stick tobacco on a central beam.

Runoff Quality Responses To Cattle-Gazing Strategy And Grassed Buffer Zone Length, Dwayne R. Edwards, Brian T. Larsen, Teng T. Lim

KWRRI Research Reports

Grazed pastures represent a source of potential nonpoint pollution. In comparison to other nonpoint sources (e.g., row-cropped lands), relatively little information exists regarding possible magnitudes of pollution from grazed pasture; how that pollution is affected by weather, soil, management and other variables; and how the pollution can be minimized. The objective of this study was to assess how the quality of runoff from simulated grazed pasture is influenced by grazing duration (4-12 weeks), grazing strategy (no grazing, conventional grazing and rotational grazing), and by the use of grassed buffer strips (ranging in length from O to 18.3 m) installed down-slope …

Vegetative Filter Strip Removal Of Metals In Runoff From Poultry Litter-Amended Fescuegrass Plots, Dwayne R. Edwards, P. A. Moore Jr., Tommy C. Daniel, Puneet Srivastava, D. J. Nichols

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Runoff from land areas amended with poultry (Gallus gallus domesticus) manure can contain elevated concentrations of metals such as Cu, Fe, and Zn. Vegetative filter strips (VFS) can reduce runoff concentrations of animal manure components, but reported studies have typically focused on nutrients and solids rather than metals. This experiment assessed the impact of VFS length (0 to 12 m) on concentrations and mass losses of Cu, Fe, K, Na, Ni, and Zn in runoff from fescuegrass (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) plots (1.5 m wide × 6 and 12 m long) treated with poultry litter. The runoff was produced from simulated …

A Computer Model For Analysis Of Alternative Burley Tobacco Harvesting Practice, Thomas C. Bridges, Larry G. Wells, George A. Duncan, Larry D. Swetnam

Agricultural Engineering Extension Publications

Agricultural operations and practices have been the subject of many computer models and simulations. Holtman et al. (1970) developed a corn harvesting simulator, and Morey et al. (1971) used simulation techniques to analyze net profit of a corn harvesting and handling system during a particular weather year. Further, Loewer et al. (1977) advanced a model that assessed alternative beef production strategies for the individual farm with land, energy and capital as constraints. Bridges et al., (1979) developed a design simulation oriented toward the individual producer that examines corn harvesting systems and compares them regarding investment and annual cost. The CATCH …

Evaluation Of The Crop Growth Component Of The Root Zone Water Quality Model For Corn In Ohio, Sue E. Nokes, Feliks M. Landa, Jon D. Hanson

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

The Root Zone Water Quality Model (RZWQM) is a computer model developed to simulate water, chemical, and biological processes in the root zone of agricultural management systems. As of this writing RZWQM is in the beta-testing phase of development. This article reports on a parameterization and evaluation study performed in Ohio on field corn for the crop growth component of RZWQM. The generic crop growth model in RZWQM had not previously been parameterized or tested on field corn. This article reports the results of such a study. One year of data was used to calibrate RZWQM, and two additional years …

Monitoring The Dynamics Of Scaled Vehicles Using A Sonic Digitizer, Michael J. Bader, Larry G. Wells, Linus R. Walton

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Certain dynamic stability characteristics of an alternate method of mounting a front-end loader to a farm tractor were compared to those of a conventionally mounted front-end loader operating on a specified terrain. One objective of the study was to determine if the alternate method of mounting a front-end loader resulted in better stability characteristics and, in turn, safer operation than a conventional front-end loader. Another objective was to determine if a three-dimensional sonic digitizer could monitor the motion of the scale model tractor-loader systems accurately enough to perform a comparison between the systems. This article describes the second objective of …

Comparison Of Daily Water Table Depth Prediction By Four Simulation Models, Eric D. Desmond, Andrew D. Ward, Norman R. Fausey, Stephen R. Workman

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

The Agricultural Drainage And Pesticide Transport (ADAPT) model was compared to the water management simulation models DRAINMOD, SWATREN, and PREFLO. SWATREN and PREFLO are one-dimensional finite-difference models while ADAPT and DRAINMOD are one-dimensional mass balance models. ADAPT, an extension of the computer model GLEAMS, also provides chemical transport information. All four models were tested against field data from Aurora, North Carolina. Observed water table depth data were collected during 1973 through 1977 from a water table management field experiment with three subsurface drain spacing treatments of 7.5, 15, and 30 m.

Both the standard error of estimate and the average …

Performance Of Vegetative Filter Strips With Varying Pollutant Source And Filter Strip Lengths, Puneet Srivastava, Dwayne R. Edwards, Tommy C. Daniel, Philip A. Moore Jr., Thomas A. Costello

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Vegetative filter strips (VFS) can reduce runoff losses of pollutants such as nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from land areas treated with fertilizers. While VFS effectiveness is considered to depend on lengths of pollutant source and VFS areas, there is little experimental evidence of this dependence, particularly when the pollutant source is manure-treated pasture. This study assessed the effects of pollutant source area (fescue pasture treated with poultry litter) length and VFS (fescue pasture) length on VFS removal of nitrate N (NO₃-N), ammonia N (NH₃-N), total Kjeldahl N (TKN), ortho-P (PO₄-P), total P (TP), …