Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering Commons^™

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.

Influence Of Iron Oxide Inclusion Shape On Coii/Iiiedta Reactive Transport Through Spatially Heterogeneous Sediment, James E. Szecsody, Ashley Chilakapati, John M. Zachara, Amanda Garvin

United States Department of Energy: Publications

Multisolute reactive transport was investigated in chemically heterogeneous systems to determine the influence of the shapes of the reactive heterogeneities (iron oxide inclusions) by comparison of two-dimensional heterogeneous experiments with spatially averaged models that had differing inclusion characterization. Eleven reactions were considered in this system, starting with absorption of the initial solute (Co^IIEDTA) to Fe oxides, followed by two competing surface reactions: oxidation forming Co^IIIEDTA and Fe dissolution forming Fe^IIIEDTA and Co2+. Spatial moments of the eight mobile species were compared between data and models. One spatially averaged model (homogenous equivalent), which incorporated inclusion …

Bacterial Reduction Of Crystalline Fe3+ Oxides In Single Phase Suspensions And Subsurface Materials, John M. Zachara, James K. Fredrickson, Shu-Mei Li, David W. Kennedy, Steven C. Smith, Paul L. Gassman

United States Department of Energy: Publications

Microbiologic reduction of synthetic and geologic Fe³⁺ oxides associated with four Pleistocene- age, Atlantic coastal plain sediments was investigated using a dissimilatory Fe reducing bacterium (Shewanella putrefaciens, strain CN32) in bicarbonate buffer. Experiments investigated whether phosphate and anthraquinone-2, 6-disulfonate, (AQDS, a humic acid analogue) influenced the extent of crystalline Fe³⁺ oxide bioreduction and whether crystalline Fe³⁺ oxides in geologic materials are more or less reducible than comparable synthetic phases. Anaerobic incubations (10⁸ organisms/mL) were performed both with and without PO₄ and AQDS that functions as an electron repository and shuttle. The production of …

Chemical Information On Tank Supernatants, Cs Adsorption From Tank Liquids Onto Hanford Sediments, And Field Observations Of Cs Migration From Past Tank Leaks, R. J. Serne, John M. Zachara, D. S. Burke

United States Department of Energy: Publications

Borehole gamma-logging profiles beneath the SX-Tank Farm suggest that contamination from Cs-137 extends to at least a depth of 40 m (130 ft), and may extend even deeper. What is presently not known is the pathway that Cs-137 has taken to reach these depths. In this report we provide an analysis of the chemistry of tank supernates with emphasis on the REDOX waste stream disposed in SX tanks, Cs chemistry in aqueous solutions and adsorption properties onto minerals, available data on Cs adsorption onto Hanford sediments, and information on Cs migration from other Hanford tank leaks that have been studied. …

Matrix-Enhanced Calibration Procedure For Multivariate Calibration Models With Near-Infrared Spectra, Mark R. Riley, Mark A. Arnold, David W. Murhammer

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

A novel method is introduced for developing calibration models for the spectroscopic measurement of chemical concentrations in an aqueous environment. To demonstrate this matrix-enhanced calibration procedure, we developed calibration models to quantitate glucose and glutamine concentrations in an insect cell culture medium that is a complex mixture of more than 20 components, with three components that manifest significant concentration changes. Accurate calibration models were generated for glucose and glutamine by using a calibration data set composed of 60 samples containing the analytes dissolved in an aqueous buffer along with as few as two samples of the analytes dissolved in culture …

Controlled Environment Potentiostat To Study Solid-Aqueous Systems, R A. Petrie, P. R. Grossl, Ronald C. Sims

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

We designed a redox apparatus that controls electropotenial (Eh), pH, and temperature. The apparatus is fully automated and can be assembled from equipment found in most soil analytical laboratories. The reactor can maintain environmental conditions used to evaluate the chemical fate of contaminants under natural conditions (natural attenuation) or adjust them to a new steady state to evaluate the effect of engineered remediation on a subsurface system. It can operate within a wide range of redox potential values (−400 to 400 mV) and at any pH value. The stability and accuracy of the instrument was tested by performing Eh-pH titrations …

Improved Proportional-Integral (Pi) Logic For Canal Automation, Charles M. Burt, R S. Mills, Ram Dhan Khalsa, V. C. Ruiz

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

Successful implementation of Proportional-Integral (PI) control logic for gate automation on irrigation canals has been problematic because of difficulties in tuning the PI controllers for a wide range of flows. This research shows that successful and relatively simple tuning for upstream controllers can be accomplished if one uses the velocity form of the PI logic. The velocity form must be modified with a newly-developed Universal Factor (UF) concept, which accounts for the nonlinearity of the upstream water level response to gate movement. The UF function is unique for each check structure, and can be determined with a steady state simulation …

Accuracy Of Irrigation Efficiency Estimates, A. J. Clemmens, Charles M. Burt

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

Evaluation of actual irrigation system performance should rely on an accurate hydrologic water balance over the area considered. In a companion paper, water uses are categorized as consumptive or nonconsumptive, and beneficial or nonbeneficial. Real performance is based on water uses over a specified period of time, rather than observation of a single irrigation event (with associate potential, but not yet actual, consumptive and/or beneficial uses). Once the components in the water balance have been determined, it is shown that the accuracy of irrigation performance parameters can be determined from the accuracy of the components in the water balance, using …

Irrigation Performance Measures: Efficiency And Uniformity, Charles M. Burt, Albert J. Clemmens, Theodor S. Strelkoff, Kenneth H. Solomon, Ronald D. Bliesner, Leland A. Hardy, Terry A. Howell, Dean E. Eisenhauer

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

It is essential to standardize the definitions and approaches to quantifying various irrigation performance measures. The ASCE Task Committee on Defining Irrigation Efficiency and Uniformity provides a comprehensive examination of various performance indices such as irrigation efficiency, application efficiency, irrigation sagacity, distribution uniformity, and others. Consistency is provided among different irrigation methods and different scales. Clarification of common points of confusion is provided, and methods are proposed whereby the accuracy of numerical values of the performance indicators can be assessed. This issue has two companion papers that provide more detailed information on statistical distribution uniformity and the accuracy of irrigation …

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, …

Drip Irrigation Technology: A Resource Management Tool For Farmers, John C. Roberts, Stuart W. Styles

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

No abstract provided.

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 …

Fertigation Chemicals, Charles M. Burt

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

When deciding what chemicals to inject, there are numerous considerations to be made. This paper addresses some of the more common factors which should be considered, but which are often overlooked. Because nitrogen fertilizer is injected more widely than any other nutrient, special attention is given to it

Synthesis Of A Low-Carbonate High-Charge Hydrotalcite-Like Compound At Ambient Pressure And Atmosphere, Ravi K. Kukkadapu, Marc S. Witkowski, James E. Amonette

United States Department of Energy: Publications

Hydrotalcite (HT), a clay mineral, is constructed of brucite-like layers [Mg(OH)₂] in which substitution of Al³⁺ for Mg²⁺ at a mole ratio of 1:3 yields a net positive charge. This layer charge is compensated by exchangeable CO₃ 2- anions located (along with adsorbed water molecules) in the interlayer region. Numerous analogues of HT [i.e., “hydrotalcite-like” compounds (HTLCs)] have been synthesized with a variety of M²⁺/M³⁺ combinations,M²⁺/M³⁺ ratios, and interlayer anions.1-10 The compositions of these HTLCs are usually expressed using a generalized form of the formula for a substituted brucite, …

A Lagrangian Dispersion Model For Predicting Co2 Sources, Sinks, And Fluxes In A Uniform Loblolly Pine (Pinus Taeda L.) Stand, Gabriel Katul, Ram Oren, David Ellsworth, Cheng-I Hsieh, Nathan Phillips, Keith Lewin

United States Department of Energy: Publications

A canopy Lagrangian turbulent scalar transport model for predicting scalar fluxes, sources, and sinks within a forested canopy was tested using CO₂ concentration and flux measurements. The model formulation is based on the localized near-field theory (LNF) proposed by Raupach [1989a, b]. Using the measured mean CO₂ concentration profile, the vertical velocity variance profile, and the Lagrangian integral timescale profile within and above a forested canopy, the proposed model predicted the CO₂ flux and source (or sink) profiles. The model testing was carried out using eddy correlation measurements at 9 m in a uniform 13 m tall …

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 …

Byproduct Formation During The Reduction Of Tce By Zero-Valence Iron And Palladized Iron, Liyuan Liang, Nic Korte, J. D. Goodlaxson, Jay Clausen, Quintus Fernando, Rosy Muftikian

United States Department of Energy: Publications

Trichlorothene (TCE) was reduced with zero-valence iron and palladized iron in zero-head-space extractors. Progress of the reaction in these batch studies was monitered with purge-and-trap gas chromatography and a flame ionization detector. When a 5 ppm initial concentration of TCE reacts with zero-valence iron, approximately 140 ppb of vinyl chloride persists for as long as 73 days. The concentration of vinyl chloride (approximately 10 ppb) remaining with palladized iron is approximately and order of magnitude less than when zero-valence iron is the reductant. These data suggest that volatile byproducts may be under-represented in other published data regarding reduction in zero-valence …

Runoff, Erosion, And Soil Quality Characteristics Of A Former Conservation Reserve Program Site, John E. Gilley, John W. Doran, Douglas Karlen, T. C. Kaspar

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

No-till and moldboard plow tillage systems were established on a former Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) site in southwest Iowa. Runoff rates from simulated rainfall events were significantly greater on sites returned to crop production than from adjoining, undisturbed CRP areas. Substantial soil loss was measured from the moldboard plow treatments, but no significant differences in erosion rates were found between the undisturbed CRP and no-till management systems. No-till management maintained levels of soil quality similar to those of CRP by preserving soil structural integrity and reducing losses of soil organic matter (SOM) associated with tillage. Conservation tillage systems which maintain …

Modern Water Control And Management Practices In Irrigation: Methodoloy And Criteria For Evaluating The Impact On Performance, Charles M. Burt

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

No abstract provided.

Row Crop Drip Irrigation On Bell Peppers Study, Charles M. Burt, Stuart Styles

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

Underwood Ranches, located near Oxnard, installed a buried drip system on 50 acres of peppers in 1993. The amount of the CEC loan was $50,000.

The buried drip system provided sufficient advantages in water management, energy savings, and yield increases to convince the farm to expand its drip acreage to 140 acres in June 1995, and 320 acres in Sept. 1996. The farmer was an ideal cooperator.

The primary lessons learned on this project were:

• A grower needs approximately two years of experience and technical assistance in order to feel comfortable with a buried drip system. Even after that time, …

Row Crop Drip Irrigation On Peppers Study, Charles M. Burt, Stuart Styles

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

High Rise Farms, located just north of Morgan Hill installed a new buried row crop drip irrigation system in 1993. The amount of the CEC loan was $42,700.

The installation of the drip irrigation system on the Peppers did provide significant improvements in the amount of water use, energy required and yield increases especially in the first year of operation (1993) and the third year of operation (1995). The second year of the project (1994) did not have yield increases. The primary lessons learned from this project included:

• The yield differential between drip and the furrow irrigation methods was attributed …

Anion Induced Blue To Purple Transition In Bacteriorhodopsin, Mrunalini Pattarkine, Anil K. Singh

Faculty Works

Purple membrane (PM, λ" role="presentation">λmax" role="presentation">max 570 nm) of H. halobium on treatment with sulphuric acid changes its colour to blue (λ" role="presentation">λmax" role="presentation">max 608 nm). The purple chromophore can be regenerated from the blue chromophore by exogeneous addition of anions such as CI−" role="presentation">− and HPO42−" role="presentation">2−4. Chloride ion is found to be more effective than the dibasic phosphate ion in regenerating the purple chromophore. Nevertheless, one thing common to the anion regeneration is that both CI−" role="presentation">− and HPO42−" role="presentation">2−4 show marked pH effect. At pH 1.0 the efficiency of …

Sizing Of Header And Flushing Manifolds For Row Crop Drip, Charles M. Burt, Stuart W. Styles

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

No abstract provided.