Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Reply To ‘Co2 Emissions From Crop Residue-Derived Biofuels’, Adam Liska, Haishun Yang, Matthew P. Pelton, Andrew E. Suyker

Adam Liska Papers

The soil organic carbon (SOC) model that we used was parameterized with data from arable land under normal farming conditions in North America, Europe, Africa and Asia, but the equation is insensitive to changes in tillage, soil texture and moisture. The model has reasonable accuracy, however, in predicting changes in SOC, residue remaining and CO₂ emissions from initial SOC, carbon inputs from residue, and daily temperature; the shoot-to-root ratio used in the geospatial simulation was 0.29 (that is, root carbon is 29% of total aboveground carbon), which did not underestimate carbon input to soil (Supplementary Figure 2 in Ref. …

Soil Carbon Accumulation Under Switchgrass Barriers, Humberto Blanco-Canqui, John E. Gilley, Dean E. Eisenhauer, Paul J. Jasa, Alan L. Boldt

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The benefits of grass barriers or hedges for reducing offsite transport of non-point-source water pollutants from croplands are well recognized, but their ancillary benefits on soil properties have received less attention. We studied the 15-yr cumulative effects of narrow and perennial switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) barriers on soil organic C (SOC), total N, particulate organic matter (POM), and associated soil structural properties as compared with the cropped area on an Aksarben silty clay loam (fine, smectitic, mesic Typic Argiudoll) with 5.4% slope in eastern Nebraska. Five switchgrass barriers were established in 1998 at ~38-m intervals parallel to the crop rows …

Development Of An Interactive Water Management Role‐Playing Game As An Educational Tool Representing The Central Nebraska Platte River Valley Social‐Economic‐Ecological System, Victoria Chraibi, Nathan Rossman, Anil Giri, Noelle Hart, Zion Schell

Discipline-Based Education Research Group Speaker Series

As members of the National Science Foundation's Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT), we have gained valuable experience abroad in Europe learning about and participating in research that utilizes serious role‐playing games representing a watershed with its land use and river system. The focus of this research is on the development of such a game representing the central Platte River valley and its dynamics according to the activities played by the players and uncertain streamflow inputs. The game is adapted specifically from two other games, one called Wat‐A‐Game, developed at the French public institutes IRSTEA and CIRAD (https://sites.google.com/site/waghistory/ …

Agricultural Industry Advanced Vehicle Technology: Benchmark Study For Reduction In Petroleum Use, Roger M. Hoy, Rodney Rohrer, Adam Liska, Joe D. Luck, Loren Isom, Deepak R. Keshwani

Adam Liska Papers

Diesel use on farms in the United States has remained relatively constant since 1985, decreasing slightly in 2009, which may be attributed to price increases and the economic recession. During this time, the United States’ harvested area also has remained relatively constant at roughly 300 million acres. In 2010, farm diesel use was 5.4% of the total United States diesel use. Crops accounting for an estimated 65% of United States farm diesel use include corn, soybean, wheat, hay, and alfalfa, respectively, based on harvested crop area and a recent analysis of estimated fuel use by crop. Diesel use in these …

Estimating Potential Water Pump Reductions Based On Soil Water Content, Geospatial Data Layers, And Variable Rate Irrigation (Vri) Pivot Control Resolution, Keith A. Miller

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

Increasing concern for sustainable water use has the agriculture industry working toward higher efficiency use of irrigation water. The average irrigation water use efficiency throughout the United States is 45%, which is extremely poor. Advancements in crop management have continued to allow producers to know more about the conditions in their field from nutrient management and pest control, to understanding yield spatially.

Recent mechanical advancements have improved the capabilities of center pivot irrigation systems to water various depths throughout the field. This technology is known as variable rate irrigation (VRI). With VRI comes a whole new strategy for irrigation. Advancements …

Infiltration And Runoff Parameters For Tilled And No-Till Row Crops, Andrew J. Volkmer

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

Infiltration and runoff are hydrologic processes that effect the amount of water available to plants, for groundwater recharge, and for stream flow. No-till planting (NT) is a management practice used to reduce soil erosion, increase water infiltration, and reduce soil water evaporation, and can have great impact on infiltration and runoff. An investigation was conducted to determine the impact of NT on infiltration and runoff when compared to tilled conditions.

Runoff and precipitation data was gathered from sites at Fillmore County, NE, Phelps County, NE, the USDA-ARS North Appalachian Experimental Watersheds (NAEW) near Coshocton, OH, and the Lennoxville Research Station …

Emission Of Volatile Organic Compounds After Land Application Of Cattle Manure, Bryan Woodbury, John E. Gilley, David B. Parker, David B. Marx, Daniel N. Miller, Roger A. Eigenberg

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Beef cattle manure can serve as a valuable source of nutrients for crop production. However, emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) after land application may pose an odor nuisance to downwind populations. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of land application method, diet, soil moisture content, and time since manure application on VOC emissions. Manure was collected from feedlot pens where cattle were fed diets containing 0, 10, or 30% wet distillers grains with solubles (WDGS). Land application methods included surface-applying manure (i.e., no-tillage) or incorporating manure using disk tillage. The effects of soil moisture content on VOC …

Sustainable Development Of Biogas Resources In East Africa Using Transdisciplinary Design Models, Christopher M. Limiac

Open Access Theses

Installation of anaerobic digestion systems in urban developing communities has the potential to address multiple problems related to energy and sanitation in a combined systems approach. Anaerobic digesters are used to generate a relatively clean and rich source of energy in the form of biogas to address energy poverty issues. The design resources available for anaerobic digestion projects must be improved to provide greater technical support and project transparency. In order to develop holistic solutions to grand challenges like energy poverty, engineers must be prepared to operate with the complexities of diverse environments. Globalization and the improvement of transdisciplinary project …

Combining Site Specific Data With Geospatial Analysis To Identify Variable Rate Irrigation Opportunities In Irrigated Agricultural Fields., K. A. Miller, T. H. Lo, J. D. Luck, D. M. Heeren

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Increasing demand for improving irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) across irrigated croplands has producers looking for new opportunities to conserve water and maintain their crop production levels. Variable Rate Irrigation (VRI) technology may provide opportunities to enhance IWUE, but as with site-specific crop management of other crop inputs, all fields may not benefit from an approach which utilizes VRI. To consider the potential benefits of VRI, it will be necessary to examine multiple site-specific spatial data layers (e.g., crop yield, soil type/texture, and terrain) as well as the current conditions within a field using geospatial analysis techniques.

The goal of …

The Applicability Of Vri For Managing Variability In Infiltration Capacity And Plant-Available Water: A Preliminary Discussion And Gis Study, Tsz Him Lo, Luciano Mateos, Derek M. Heeren, Joe D. Luck

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Although variable rate irrigation (VRI) has been researched and marketed for a number of years, research that quantifies the magnitude of VRI’s potential benefits and that are translatable to unmonitored fields is lacking. The potential reduction in seasonal irrigation is proposed as the criterion for beginning to evaluate the use of VRI to improve agricultural water management when infiltration capacity and plant-available water are spatially variable inside a field. An initial geographic information system study using publicly available geospatial data was conducted to examine soil and topographic properties associated with such variability within 1100 center pivots across 11 counties. The …

Finite Element Modeling Of Long-Term Phosphorus Leaching Through Macropores In The Ozark Ecoregion, Ryan P. Freiberger, Derek M. Heeren, Garey A. Fox, Chad J. Penn, Dean E. Eisenhauer

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Phosphorus (P) is a critical nutrient for plant growth in agriculture, but is also responsible for surface water enrichment that leads to toxic algal growth. While P loading to surface waters has traditionally been thought to occur from surface runoff, contributions from subsurface transport can also be significant. While P transport through many soil types is well-documented, the presence of highly conductive gravel outcrops and macropore networks can have a significant, yet poorly-documented effect on P movement to the aquifer. Floodplain soils in the Ozark ecoregion generally contain coarse chert gravel layers that exhibit macropore behavior. Previous research has evaluated …

Investigating Antibiotic Resistance Levels Of Salmonella Internalized In Lettuce Leaves, Jason B. Thomas

McNair Scholars Research Journal

Contamination of food crops by the human pathogen Salmonella is a food safety threat worldwide. Though using treated wastewater for irrigation is a sustainable practice, it may introduce trace levels of Salmonella that may contaminate food crops. Salmonella could develop resistance to antibiotics present in wastewater. The overall goal of the project is to increase the understanding of the public health risk associated with the use of treated wastewater to irrigate food crops. The objective of this particular study is to determine the antibiotic resistance level of Salmonella internalized in lettuce leaves. In this experiment, thirty-six plants of the lettuce …

Damage Mapping Of Powdery Mildew In Winter Wheat With High-Resolution Satellite Image, Lin Yuan, Jingcheng Zhang, Yeyin Shi, Chenwei Nie, Liguang Wei, Jihua Wang

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Powdery mildew, caused by the fungus Blumeria graminis, is a major winter wheat disease in China. Accurate delineation of powdery mildew infestations is necessary for site-specific disease management. In this study, high-resolution multispectral imagery of a 25 km2 typical outbreak site in Shaanxi, China, taken by a newly-launched satellite, SPOT-6, was analyzed for mapping powdery mildew disease. Two regions with high representation were selected for conducting a field survey of powdery mildew. Three supervised classification methods—artificial neural network, mahalanobis distance, and maximum likelihood classifier—were implemented and compared for their performance on disease detection. The accuracy assessment showed that the ANN …

Biofuels From Crop Residue Can Reduce Soil Carbon And Increase Co2 Emissions, Adam J. Liska, Haishun Yang, Maribeth Milner, Steve Goddard, Humberto Blanco-Canqui, Matthew P. Pelton, Xiao X. Fang, Haitao Zhu, Andrew E. Suyker

Adam Liska Papers

Removal of corn residue for biofuels can decrease soil organic carbon(SOC) and increase CO₂ emissions because residue C in biofuels is oxidized to CO₂ at a faster rate than when added to soil. Net CO2 emissions from residue removal are not adequately characterized in biofuel life cycle assessment (LCA). Here we used a model to estimate CO₂ emissions from corn residue removal across the US Corn Belt at 580 million geospatial cells. To test the SOC model, we compared estimated daily CO₂ emissions from corn residue and soil with CO₂ emissions measured using eddy covariance, …

Identification Of Wheat Varieties With A Parallel-Plate Capacitance Sensor Using Fisher’S Linear Discriminant Analysis, C. V. K. Kandala, George Meyer, N. Puppala, V. Settaluri, R. S. Reddy

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Fisher’s linear discriminant (FLD) models for wheat variety classification were developed and validated. The inputs to the FLD models were the capacitance (𝐶), impedance (𝑍), and phase angle (𝜃), measured at two frequencies. Classification of wheat varieties was obtained as output of the FLDmodels.𝑍and 𝜃of a parallel-plate capacitance system,holding thewheat samples, weremeasured using an impedance meter, and the 𝐶 value was computed.The best model developed classified the wheat varieties, with accuracy of 95.4%, over the six wheat varieties tested.This method is simple, rapid, and nondestructive and would be useful for the breeders and the peanut industry.

Berm Method For Quantification Of Infiltration At The Plot Scale In High Conductivity Soils, Derek M. Heeren, Garey A. Fox, Daniel E. Storm

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Measuring infiltration at the plot scale is difficult, especially for high hydraulic conductivity soils. At the plot scale, the infiltration rate is usually calculated by comparing surface runoff to rainfall. Direct measurement of infiltration beyond the point scale is typically limited to locations where land forming (e.g., infiltration pond) has been performed or fields with basin irrigation systems. The standard method for field measurement of point-scale infiltration is the double ring infiltrometer, which is limited in size (typically 30 cm diameter). In this research, a new method is proposed that uses a temporary berm constructed of a water-filled 15-cm diameter …

Application Of Isothermal Calorimetry To Phosphorus Sorption Onto Soils In A Flow-Through System, Chad Penn, Derek M. Heeren, Garey A. Fox, Ajay Kumar

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The degree, mechanisms, and kinetics of phosphorus (P) sorption onto soils can have a significant influence on leaching losses of P from soil. The objectives of this study were to measure the impact of retention time (RT) on P sorption in a flow-through system intended to simulate downward movement of a P solution through two different riparian soils, and determine if isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) can provide useful information reflective of flow-through results. Topsoil from two riparian/alluvial sites (Barren Fork and Clear Creek) was sampled and characterized for P concentrations and parameters related to P sorption. Flow-through P sorption experiments …

Synthesis And Characterization Of High-Iron Alite-Calcium Sulfoaluminate-Ferrite Cements Produced From Industrial By-Products, Tristana Y. Duvallet, Youngmin Zhou, Thomas L. Robl, Rodney Andrews

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and calcium sulfoaluminate cement (CSAC) are well-known and commonly used construction materials. The clinker phases mainly responsible for their strength development are C3S (alite) in OPC, which hydrates to form a calcium silicate gel phase; and C4A3S ´ (calcium sulfoaluminate) in CSAC, which hydrates to rapidly form ettringite. The purpose of this work was to produce high-iron alite-calcium sulfoaluminate-ferrite cements, by combining C4AF (ferrite), from 5% to 50% by weight, to the C3S and C4A3S ´ clinker phases. Producing this alite-calcium sulfoaluminate-ferrite cement would decrease the requirement of bauxite in the raw materials, which would consequently …

Experimental Tools To Study Molecular Recognition Within The Nanoparticle Corona, Markita P. Landry, Sebastian Kruss, Justin T. Nelson, Gili Bisker, Nicole M. Iverson, Nigel F. Reuel, Michael S. Strano

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Advancements in optical nanosensor development have enabled the design of sensors using synthetic molecular recognition elements through a recently developed method called Corona Phase Molecular Recognition (CoPhMoRe). The synthetic sensors resulting from these design principles are highly selective for specific analytes, and demonstrate remarkable stability for use under a variety of conditions. An essential element of nanosensor development hinges on the ability to understand the interface between nanoparticles and the associated corona phase surrounding the nanosensor, an environment outside of the range of traditional characterization tools, such as NMR. This review discusses the need for new strategies and instrumentation to …

Controlled De-Cross-Linking And Disentanglement Of Feather Keratin For Fiber Preparation Via A Novel Process, Helan Xu, Yiqi Yang

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Pure protein fibers were fabricated from chicken feathers via a potentially green process. In the last several decades, efforts have been made to produce keratin-based industrial products, especially fibers. However, the methods of producing keratin fibers directly from chicken feathers could not be repeated. In this research, protein fibers from chicken feathers were developed using chemicals that could be either derived from renewable resources or facilely recycled. Backbones of keratin were preserved after cleavage of disulfide bonds using cysteine. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was applied to dissolve keratin for spinning. Increasing SDS concentration intensified the ordered conformation of keratin, first …

Seed Tape Effects On Corn Emergence Under Greenhouse Conditions, Ramarao Venkatesh, Peter R. Thomison, Colette K. Gabriel, Mark A. Bennett, Elaine M. Grassbaugh, Matthew D. Kleinhenz, Scott A. Shearer, Santosh Pitla

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Seed tape has recently received attention as an alternative planting system for smallholder farmers in underdeveloped regions of South America, Africa, China, and India (Mateus, 2014). Seed companies are also developing seed-tape planting systems for germplasm evaluations (Deppermann et al., 2013). Although seed tape has been promoted as a method for ensuring uniform seed spacing and plant density of small-seeded flowers, herbs, and vegetables (Chancellor, 1969), little or no information is available on the use of seed tape for larger-seeded row crops and its effect on crop emergence. The objective of this study was to compare the emergence of corn …

Fate Of Antimicrobials And Antimicrobial Resistance Genes In Simulated Swine Manure Storage, Stacey R. Joy, Xu Li, Daniel D. Snow, John Gilley, Bryan L. Woodbury, Shannon L. Bartelt-Hunt

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The behavior of three antibiotics (bacitracin, chlortetracycline, and tylosin) and two classes of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), tet and erm, were monitored in swine manure slurry under anaerobic conditions. First-order decay rates were determined for each antibiotic with half-lives ranging from1 day (chlortetracycline) to 10 days (tylosin). ARGs were monitored in the swine manure slurry, and losses of approximately 1 to 3 orders of magnitude in relative abundance were observed during the 40 day storage period. First-order degradation profiles were observed for chlortetracycline and its corresponding resistance genes, tet(X) and tet(Q). Tylosin was degraded to approximately 10% …

Experimental And Modelling Evaluation Of Slagging Behaviour Of German Lignite, Martin Kaiser, Alexander Ilyushechkin

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

The behaviour of mineral matter is important for the characterisation of coal for use in entrained-flow gasification technologies. We investigated four behavioural characteristics—ash fusion temperatures (AFT), slag viscosity versus temperature profiles, temperatures of critical viscosity (TCV), and slag phase compositions—of Rhenish lignite coal ash using laboratory and modelling tools. Our modelling of AFT using coal ash composition provided a wide range of data, with only one (modified) model demonstrating agreement with experimental data. Experimental slag viscosity data were obtained over a temperature range from 1200uC to 1500uC. Where relevant, TCV was also measured. Comparison of these data to the calculated …

The Hydraulic Conductivity Structure Of Gravel-Dominated Vadose Zones Within Alluvial Floodplains, Ronald B. Miller, Derek M. Heeren, Garey A. Fox, Todd Halihan, Daniel E. Storm, Aaron R. Mittelstet

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The floodplains of many gravel-bed streams have a general stratigraphy that consists of a layer of topsoil covering gravel-dominated subsoil. Previous research has demonstrated that this stratigraphy can facilitate preferential groundwater flow through focused linear features, such as paleochannels, or gravelly regions within the vadose zone. These areas within the floodplain vadose zone may provide a route for interactions between the floodplain surface and alluvial groundwater, effectively extending the hyporheic zone across the floodplain during high stream stage. The objective of this research was to assess the structure and scale of texture heterogeneity within the vadose zone within the gravel …

Fly Ash As A Potential Scrubber Of Acidic Wastes From The Phosphate Industries In Israel, Roy Nir Lieberman, Eli Lederman, Ithamar Pelly, Haim Cohen

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

Fly ash (FA) is produced in Israeli utilities via bituminous coal combustion. It is used as a cement additive or in concrete production, and its economic value is low. The FA produced in Israel is very basic (defined as class F) owing to ambient air quality standards that impose low sulfur content in the imported coals. Because the lime content is high (in the South African coal, ,10 wt%), it is a good potential chemical scrubber to acidic wastes. The phosphate industry in Israel produces mainly phosphate fertilizers and water-treatment products as well as phosphoric acid. The production methods rely …

Geochemistry And Mineralogy Of Coal-Fired Circulating Fluidized Bed Combustion Fly Ashes, Luis F.O. Silva, Marcos L.S. Oliveira, Rubens M. Kautzmann, Claudete G. Ramos, Maria Izquierdo, Shifeng Dai, Jennifer Wilcox, Jeremy Hoffman, James C. Hower

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

The fuel, bed ash, and fly ash were sampled from a circulating fluidized bed combustion (CFBC) unit at two times. The first sampling was a high-sulfur (S) coal-only run, and the second sampling coincided with an experimental burn of up to 10% switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) pressed pellets mixed with a high-S coal. The latter blend had a higher moisture content and a lower heating value than the coal-only fuel. Given the time between the samplings and the special needs for the experimental run, unavoidable changes in the coal and limestone complicate comparisons of the bed ash and fly ash chemistry …

Trends In Coal Utilization And Coal Combustion Product Production In Kentucky: Results Of The 2012 Survey Of Power Plants, James C. Hower, Gerald A. Thomas, Shelley G. Hopps

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

The University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research has conducted a survey of Kentucky’s utility coal-fired power plants every 5 years since 1992. The survey includes a collection of the feed coal and the coal combustion products (CCPs). The latest collection was in 2012, with the accompanying information survey covering trends in 2011. Overall coal-fired energy production decreased, and the nature of the CCPs changed for a number of reasons, including but not limited to, increased gas production in the Appalachians, a series of warm winters, energy conservation, depletion of Appalachian coal reserves, and utility responses to regulations. From …

2014 Nebraska Water Monitoring Programs Report, Marty Link, Ryan Chapman

Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality: Reports

The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) is charged with monitoring, assessing, and to the extent possible, managing the state’s water resources. The purpose of this work is to protect and maintain high quality water and encourage or execute activities to improve poor water quality. Monitoring is done on nearly 17,000 miles of flowing rivers and streams, more than 134,000 acres of surface water in lakes and reservoirs, as well as the vast storage of groundwater in Nebraska’s aquifers.

2014 Nebraska Groundwater Quality Monitoring Report

Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality: Reports

The 2001 Nebraska Legislature passed LB329 (Neb. Rev. Stat. §46-1304) which, in part, directed the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) to report on groundwater quality monitoring in Nebraska. Reports have been issued annually since December 2001. The text of the statute applicable to this report follows: “The Department of Environmental Quality shall prepare a report outlining the extent of ground water quality monitoring conducted by natural resources districts during the preceding calendar year. The department shall analyze the data collected for the purpose of determining whether or not ground water quality is degrading or improving and shall present the …

Flash Hydrolysis Of Microalgae Biomass For Biofuels Intermediates Production, Protein Extraction, And Nutrients Recycle, Jose Luis Garcia Moscoso

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Microalgae have shown much higher growth rates and productivity when compared to conventional agricultural crops, aquatic plants and tree species, requiring much less land area than other biodiesel feedstock. To harness that potential the hydrothermal liquefaction of algae biomass was studied and a new process called "Flash Hydrolysis" was developed to use water under subcritical conditions, this process capitalizes on the difference in reaction kinetics of algae polymeric components and fractionates proteins in liquid phase in seconds of residence time.

The main objectives for this study are: Analyze the effect of temperature in FH process to maximize the extraction of …