HighlightsControlled Environment Agriculture facilities can achieve better resource efficiency and productivity than field farming.Controlled Environment Agriculture food systems provide resiliency and economic benefits for communities.Efficient Controlled Environment Agriculture strategies can reduce solid waste and wastewater emissions by recycling materials and using closed loop system approaches.Benchmarking is key to measurement and validation and certification systems can encourage and promote circularity.Abstract. Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) approaches offer pathways to circular economy systems. CEA facilities have the potential to offer increased climate resiliency and efficient use of land. Recirculating water practices in CEA operations can substantially reduce water use in the face of resource scarcity. The greenhouse gas emissions associated with food production remain a major concern for both field agriculture and CEA facilities. Benchmarking tools and certification programs can encourage and promote circular systems. Keywords: Circular economy, Energy, Greenhouse, Greenhouse gas emissions , Productivity, Protected agriculture, Regeneration, Resilience, Vertical farming, Water.
{"title":"Perspective: Benchmarking Opportunities Can Contribute to Circular Food Systems in Controlled Environment Agriculture","authors":"Carmen Azzaretti, Gretchen E. Schimelpfenig","doi":"10.13031/aea.14888","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13031/aea.14888","url":null,"abstract":"HighlightsControlled Environment Agriculture facilities can achieve better resource efficiency and productivity than field farming.Controlled Environment Agriculture food systems provide resiliency and economic benefits for communities.Efficient Controlled Environment Agriculture strategies can reduce solid waste and wastewater emissions by recycling materials and using closed loop system approaches.Benchmarking is key to measurement and validation and certification systems can encourage and promote circularity.Abstract. Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) approaches offer pathways to circular economy systems. CEA facilities have the potential to offer increased climate resiliency and efficient use of land. Recirculating water practices in CEA operations can substantially reduce water use in the face of resource scarcity. The greenhouse gas emissions associated with food production remain a major concern for both field agriculture and CEA facilities. Benchmarking tools and certification programs can encourage and promote circular systems. Keywords: Circular economy, Energy, Greenhouse, Greenhouse gas emissions , Productivity, Protected agriculture, Regeneration, Resilience, Vertical farming, Water.","PeriodicalId":55501,"journal":{"name":"Applied Engineering in Agriculture","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"67050537","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
James Y. Kim, Myung-Na Shin, Ji Hyun Lee, Weon-tai Jeon, Seung-Woo Cho
HighlightsRGB-based vegetation and leaf area indexes using a smartphone camera.Geo-rectification of skewed images via row detection using Hough Transformation.Open-source software to automate the image stitching and plot-level phenotypic metrics extraction. Abstract. An agricultural field is not always accessible for plant phenotyping with existing mobile platforms due to the limited space and regulated aviation area. Smartphone-triggered ground images were collected on a wheat field that has a limited access to monitor growth conditions of four wheat varieties: Shinyoung (SY), Joseong (JS), Taewoo (TW), and Cheongwoo (CW). For field mapping during the growing season, six sets of the raw images were acquired by a smartphone in an oblique view angle and processed to transform into nadir view images. Algorithms were developed to process the raw tile images for geometric rectification via row detection using Hough Transformation. Stitching software was developed to automate the high throughput image analytics of the skewed tile images into a stitched field image through deskewing, row alignment, overlap trimming, and resizing. Plot-level metrics were extracted to analyze plant growth of the wheat varieties using a gridding method for vegetation and leaf area indexes. The processed images resulted in the successful transformation and consistency of algorithms on image alignment and stitching. Plot-level analysis indicated that SY variety performed superior to the other varieties in both vegetation and leaf area indexes and was significantly different in the canopy coverage from the least performed TW variety. The image analytic methods developed in the study offer a flexible solution to stitch and align tile images by a hand-held camera in both oblique and nadir view via user-friendly interface software for high through plant phenotyping and can be adapted to other stationary or mobile imaging platforms in greenhouse and fields. Keywords: Calibration, Image processing, Phenotyping, Python, Software, Stitching.
{"title":"High Throughput Image Analytics Using Hough Transformation for Wheat Phenotyping","authors":"James Y. Kim, Myung-Na Shin, Ji Hyun Lee, Weon-tai Jeon, Seung-Woo Cho","doi":"10.13031/aea.14956","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13031/aea.14956","url":null,"abstract":"HighlightsRGB-based vegetation and leaf area indexes using a smartphone camera.Geo-rectification of skewed images via row detection using Hough Transformation.Open-source software to automate the image stitching and plot-level phenotypic metrics extraction. Abstract. An agricultural field is not always accessible for plant phenotyping with existing mobile platforms due to the limited space and regulated aviation area. Smartphone-triggered ground images were collected on a wheat field that has a limited access to monitor growth conditions of four wheat varieties: Shinyoung (SY), Joseong (JS), Taewoo (TW), and Cheongwoo (CW). For field mapping during the growing season, six sets of the raw images were acquired by a smartphone in an oblique view angle and processed to transform into nadir view images. Algorithms were developed to process the raw tile images for geometric rectification via row detection using Hough Transformation. Stitching software was developed to automate the high throughput image analytics of the skewed tile images into a stitched field image through deskewing, row alignment, overlap trimming, and resizing. Plot-level metrics were extracted to analyze plant growth of the wheat varieties using a gridding method for vegetation and leaf area indexes. The processed images resulted in the successful transformation and consistency of algorithms on image alignment and stitching. Plot-level analysis indicated that SY variety performed superior to the other varieties in both vegetation and leaf area indexes and was significantly different in the canopy coverage from the least performed TW variety. The image analytic methods developed in the study offer a flexible solution to stitch and align tile images by a hand-held camera in both oblique and nadir view via user-friendly interface software for high through plant phenotyping and can be adapted to other stationary or mobile imaging platforms in greenhouse and fields. Keywords: Calibration, Image processing, Phenotyping, Python, Software, Stitching.","PeriodicalId":55501,"journal":{"name":"Applied Engineering in Agriculture","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"67050769","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Chaiporn Jaikaeo, Aphirak Jansang, Suchaisri Li-On, Songrit Kitisriworapan, Withawat Tangtrongpairoj, A. Phonphoem, H. Valls‐Fox, J. Menassol, Dương Hồng Việt, S. Sripiboon, A. Sangmalee, Jean-Daniel Cesaro, M. Blanchard, Michel de Garine-Wichatitsky
Highlights Monitoring movement is crucial to improve livestock management. GPS livestock tracking method using LoRa with an effective medium access control mechanism. Adaptive data collection with near real-time monitoring. GPS data were collected for improving home-range management. Low implementation costs with increasing lifespan of the devices. Abstract. Extensive livestock grazing systems are in line with agroecological principles. However, these systems are particularly complex to manage. Developing accurate and reliable monitoring of livestock movements and activities is a promising tool to improve the global performances of these systems. Various livestock management systems have been developed over the past decades, culminating in sophisticated systems in intensive controlled environments that allow the real-time monitoring of movements, behaviors, health and production parameters for livestock individuals/herds (e.g. dairy cattle). However, extensive and semi-extensive systems for which the animals are ranging freely outdoors at least part of the time, are presenting specific challenges for combined tracking data acquisition and communication. In this article, we present a GPS livestock tracking method using LoRa communication with a new medium access control mechanism. The node lifespan and performance of the system were evaluated in real on-farm conditions in three different locations in Thailand and Vietnam. The results showed that our system performed adequately well in terms of position accuracy and timeliness. The accuracy of GPS data collected are compatible with their usage for improved rangeland management, monitoring livestock movements and impacts on the environment, and for back-tracking epidemiological movements and contacts of individuals/herds to control diseases outbreaks. The communication system via LoRa allowed to some extent real-time location of livestock herds by farmers due to instant position updates to the Internet, although the performance depended largely on the relief of the landscape surrounding the rangeland used. Finally, reducing costs and increasing the lifespan of the devices remain critical objectives to foster the adoption of such system by farmers and by certification groups to provide field-based evidence for the traceability and quality control of livestock and animal products raised under healthy and environmental-friendly productions systems. Our current design, if produced in a large quantity of at least 100 units, would cost approximately $65 USD per unit, with an average lifetime of 20 days. Keywords: Cattle, GPS, LoRa, Tracking system.
{"title":"Design and Field Test of a Low-cost Device for Real-time Livestock Tracking Using GPS/LoRa Communication","authors":"Chaiporn Jaikaeo, Aphirak Jansang, Suchaisri Li-On, Songrit Kitisriworapan, Withawat Tangtrongpairoj, A. Phonphoem, H. Valls‐Fox, J. Menassol, Dương Hồng Việt, S. Sripiboon, A. Sangmalee, Jean-Daniel Cesaro, M. Blanchard, Michel de Garine-Wichatitsky","doi":"10.13031/aea.15102","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13031/aea.15102","url":null,"abstract":"Highlights Monitoring movement is crucial to improve livestock management. GPS livestock tracking method using LoRa with an effective medium access control mechanism. Adaptive data collection with near real-time monitoring. GPS data were collected for improving home-range management. Low implementation costs with increasing lifespan of the devices. Abstract. Extensive livestock grazing systems are in line with agroecological principles. However, these systems are particularly complex to manage. Developing accurate and reliable monitoring of livestock movements and activities is a promising tool to improve the global performances of these systems. Various livestock management systems have been developed over the past decades, culminating in sophisticated systems in intensive controlled environments that allow the real-time monitoring of movements, behaviors, health and production parameters for livestock individuals/herds (e.g. dairy cattle). However, extensive and semi-extensive systems for which the animals are ranging freely outdoors at least part of the time, are presenting specific challenges for combined tracking data acquisition and communication. In this article, we present a GPS livestock tracking method using LoRa communication with a new medium access control mechanism. The node lifespan and performance of the system were evaluated in real on-farm conditions in three different locations in Thailand and Vietnam. The results showed that our system performed adequately well in terms of position accuracy and timeliness. The accuracy of GPS data collected are compatible with their usage for improved rangeland management, monitoring livestock movements and impacts on the environment, and for back-tracking epidemiological movements and contacts of individuals/herds to control diseases outbreaks. The communication system via LoRa allowed to some extent real-time location of livestock herds by farmers due to instant position updates to the Internet, although the performance depended largely on the relief of the landscape surrounding the rangeland used. Finally, reducing costs and increasing the lifespan of the devices remain critical objectives to foster the adoption of such system by farmers and by certification groups to provide field-based evidence for the traceability and quality control of livestock and animal products raised under healthy and environmental-friendly productions systems. Our current design, if produced in a large quantity of at least 100 units, would cost approximately $65 USD per unit, with an average lifetime of 20 days. Keywords: Cattle, GPS, LoRa, Tracking system.","PeriodicalId":55501,"journal":{"name":"Applied Engineering in Agriculture","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"67051227","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Highlights Walk-behind tractor. No-till vegetable transplanter. Small local garden type farming. Transplanting precision. Abstract. A no-till vegetable transplanter powered by a walk-behind tractor was developed to reduce heavy physical labor, that is often required on small scale farming operations. Currently, there are no existing commercially available no-till transplanters made for walk-behind tractors. This concept can be an important factor in improving field transplanting operations by reducing time and human labor. The original patented concept was heavy (103 kg) and included complex mechanical assemblies to be powered by the tractor’s PTO (power-take-off). It was designed for walk-behind tractors not equipped with a battery and alternator to charge the battery in which newer walk-behind tractors are equipped. Therefore, the original functional idea of the transplanter did not change, but the transplanter’s components were modified and simplified by substituting mechanical drives and control mechanisms with a single 12-V electric motor allowing variable rpm (infinitely variable spacing) and reversible direction of rotation. The improved version of the transplanter has fewer components and weighs only 83 kg, a decrease of 20 kg. Powering the transplanter electrically (not mechanically) reduced overall weight by 19%. This new version of a modular design allows easier and faster transplanter fabrication, giving farmers an option to fabricate their own transplanter to reduce costs and increase adoption of no-till vegetable systems with cover crops. Keywords: 12-V DC variable speed reversible electric motor, No-till transplanter, Power take-off (PTO), Walk-behind two-wheel tractor.
{"title":"Development of a No-till Transplanter for Walk-behind Tractors","authors":"T. Kornecki, C. Kichler","doi":"10.13031/aea.15126","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13031/aea.15126","url":null,"abstract":"Highlights Walk-behind tractor. No-till vegetable transplanter. Small local garden type farming. Transplanting precision. Abstract. A no-till vegetable transplanter powered by a walk-behind tractor was developed to reduce heavy physical labor, that is often required on small scale farming operations. Currently, there are no existing commercially available no-till transplanters made for walk-behind tractors. This concept can be an important factor in improving field transplanting operations by reducing time and human labor. The original patented concept was heavy (103 kg) and included complex mechanical assemblies to be powered by the tractor’s PTO (power-take-off). It was designed for walk-behind tractors not equipped with a battery and alternator to charge the battery in which newer walk-behind tractors are equipped. Therefore, the original functional idea of the transplanter did not change, but the transplanter’s components were modified and simplified by substituting mechanical drives and control mechanisms with a single 12-V electric motor allowing variable rpm (infinitely variable spacing) and reversible direction of rotation. The improved version of the transplanter has fewer components and weighs only 83 kg, a decrease of 20 kg. Powering the transplanter electrically (not mechanically) reduced overall weight by 19%. This new version of a modular design allows easier and faster transplanter fabrication, giving farmers an option to fabricate their own transplanter to reduce costs and increase adoption of no-till vegetable systems with cover crops. Keywords: 12-V DC variable speed reversible electric motor, No-till transplanter, Power take-off (PTO), Walk-behind two-wheel tractor.","PeriodicalId":55501,"journal":{"name":"Applied Engineering in Agriculture","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"67051448","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A. Mante, E. Ndulue, R. Sri Ranjan, F. Zvomuya, Krishna Kaja
HighlightsSubsoil is highly susceptible to compaction based on texture and packing density.Imperfect natural drainage increases the risk of subsoil vulnerability to compaction.Irrespective of drain spacing, the risk for subsoil compaction was high.The upper soil layer protects the subsoil from compaction at drain spacing = 12 m in this soil. Abstract. Subsoil compaction negatively impacts soil hydrological processes and promotes anaerobic conditions, reducing soil productivity and enhancing greenhouse gas emissions from the soil. Additionally, it is challenging and expensive to alleviate subsoil compaction once it occurs. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of subsurface drainage in minimizing the risk of subsoil compaction under different weather patterns in Southern Manitoba. The assessment of the risk of subsoil compaction was done in two stages. That is, 1) determination of the subsoil’s intrinsic susceptibility to compaction based on soil texture and packing density and 2) determination of the wetness condition of the subsoil and ability of the strength of the upper layer of the soil to protect the subsoil. A long-term simulation of soil water content data (i.e., 2000 to 2015) under different drainage spacings (i.e., 8, 10, 12, 15, 25, and 30 m) maintained at 0.9-m depth was obtained to determine the soil wetness condition using a validated HYDRUS 2D/3D model. The study showed that the subsoil’s intrinsic susceptibility level to compaction at the study site was high, implying that the subsoil had a very weak natural potential to resist compaction. Throughout the 16 years considered, the subsoil wetness condition was either “moist” or “wet” irrespective of drain spacing, making the subsoil very vulnerable to compaction. However, for drain spacing = 12 m, the subsoil was found to be protected for most of the spring operation period with minimum impact on the spring operation days based on the criterion that the soil water content in the upper layer should be equal to or less than 90% of the lower plastic limit. In contrast, drain spacing wider than 12 m resulted in a lack of protection of the subsoil for 21 to 50 d. The intrinsic susceptibility of the subsoil to compaction, the “imperfect” internal natural drainage, and excess soil water during the early growing season suggest it is critical to consider the benefits of installing subsurface drains at narrower spacing (= 12 m) because of the ability to improve the soil wetness condition for field operations and prevent short and long-term impacts due to subsoil compaction. Keywords: Bulk density, HYDRUS (2D/3D), Lower plastic limit, Sandy loam, Soil water content.
{"title":"Subsurface Drainage for Minimizing the Risk of Subsoil Compaction in Seasonally-Frozen Soils","authors":"A. Mante, E. Ndulue, R. Sri Ranjan, F. Zvomuya, Krishna Kaja","doi":"10.13031/aea.14598","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13031/aea.14598","url":null,"abstract":"HighlightsSubsoil is highly susceptible to compaction based on texture and packing density.Imperfect natural drainage increases the risk of subsoil vulnerability to compaction.Irrespective of drain spacing, the risk for subsoil compaction was high.The upper soil layer protects the subsoil from compaction at drain spacing = 12 m in this soil. Abstract. Subsoil compaction negatively impacts soil hydrological processes and promotes anaerobic conditions, reducing soil productivity and enhancing greenhouse gas emissions from the soil. Additionally, it is challenging and expensive to alleviate subsoil compaction once it occurs. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of subsurface drainage in minimizing the risk of subsoil compaction under different weather patterns in Southern Manitoba. The assessment of the risk of subsoil compaction was done in two stages. That is, 1) determination of the subsoil’s intrinsic susceptibility to compaction based on soil texture and packing density and 2) determination of the wetness condition of the subsoil and ability of the strength of the upper layer of the soil to protect the subsoil. A long-term simulation of soil water content data (i.e., 2000 to 2015) under different drainage spacings (i.e., 8, 10, 12, 15, 25, and 30 m) maintained at 0.9-m depth was obtained to determine the soil wetness condition using a validated HYDRUS 2D/3D model. The study showed that the subsoil’s intrinsic susceptibility level to compaction at the study site was high, implying that the subsoil had a very weak natural potential to resist compaction. Throughout the 16 years considered, the subsoil wetness condition was either “moist” or “wet” irrespective of drain spacing, making the subsoil very vulnerable to compaction. However, for drain spacing = 12 m, the subsoil was found to be protected for most of the spring operation period with minimum impact on the spring operation days based on the criterion that the soil water content in the upper layer should be equal to or less than 90% of the lower plastic limit. In contrast, drain spacing wider than 12 m resulted in a lack of protection of the subsoil for 21 to 50 d. The intrinsic susceptibility of the subsoil to compaction, the “imperfect” internal natural drainage, and excess soil water during the early growing season suggest it is critical to consider the benefits of installing subsurface drains at narrower spacing (= 12 m) because of the ability to improve the soil wetness condition for field operations and prevent short and long-term impacts due to subsoil compaction. Keywords: Bulk density, HYDRUS (2D/3D), Lower plastic limit, Sandy loam, Soil water content.","PeriodicalId":55501,"journal":{"name":"Applied Engineering in Agriculture","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"67048653","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
D. Handa, Blessing Masasi, S. Frazier, S. Taghvaeian, J. Warren, D. Moriasi
Highlights63% of the 24 center pivots tested in western Oklahoma had acceptable uniformity.On average, 7% of pumped water was lost before reaching the soil surface.Irrigation nonuniformity can have major, yet variable effects on water fluxes.Abstract. Nonuniform application of water through center pivots can lead to under- or over-irrigation at parts of the field, which can lead to water stress and yield reductions or loss of limited water resources and leaching of applied chemicals, respectively. In this study, irrigation uniformity tests were performed to determine the application uniformity and conveyance efficiency of 24 center pivots in western Oklahoma. The average coefficient of uniformity and low quarter distribution uniformity of the tested systems were 78% and 69%, respectively. These values indicate an overall borderline acceptable application uniformity. The average water conveyance efficiency was 93%, indicating that 7% of pumped water was lost before reaching the soil surface. Measured ratios of collected water in each collector to the average collected water for corresponding center pivots were used to simulate the effects of observed nonuniformity on water fluxes for a 10-year period. Under-irrigation (e.g., caused by clogged nozzles) led to considerable reduction in crop transpiration at the simulation location in the Panhandle, while the decreasing effects were more notable for deep percolation for the location in west-central Oklahoma. Over-irrigation (e.g., caused by leaks or missing nozzles) resulted in substantially larger deep percolations at both locations. Keywords: Catch-can, Conveyance efficiency, Water fluxes.
{"title":"Evaluating Uniformity of Center Pivot Irrigation Systems in Western Oklahoma","authors":"D. Handa, Blessing Masasi, S. Frazier, S. Taghvaeian, J. Warren, D. Moriasi","doi":"10.13031/aea.14626","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13031/aea.14626","url":null,"abstract":"Highlights63% of the 24 center pivots tested in western Oklahoma had acceptable uniformity.On average, 7% of pumped water was lost before reaching the soil surface.Irrigation nonuniformity can have major, yet variable effects on water fluxes.Abstract. Nonuniform application of water through center pivots can lead to under- or over-irrigation at parts of the field, which can lead to water stress and yield reductions or loss of limited water resources and leaching of applied chemicals, respectively. In this study, irrigation uniformity tests were performed to determine the application uniformity and conveyance efficiency of 24 center pivots in western Oklahoma. The average coefficient of uniformity and low quarter distribution uniformity of the tested systems were 78% and 69%, respectively. These values indicate an overall borderline acceptable application uniformity. The average water conveyance efficiency was 93%, indicating that 7% of pumped water was lost before reaching the soil surface. Measured ratios of collected water in each collector to the average collected water for corresponding center pivots were used to simulate the effects of observed nonuniformity on water fluxes for a 10-year period. Under-irrigation (e.g., caused by clogged nozzles) led to considerable reduction in crop transpiration at the simulation location in the Panhandle, while the decreasing effects were more notable for deep percolation for the location in west-central Oklahoma. Over-irrigation (e.g., caused by leaks or missing nozzles) resulted in substantially larger deep percolations at both locations. Keywords: Catch-can, Conveyance efficiency, Water fluxes.","PeriodicalId":55501,"journal":{"name":"Applied Engineering in Agriculture","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"67048792","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
HighlightsIn this study, a compact, mobile manure distributor capable of operating effectively on narrow farm roads and applying undiluted, highly concentrated manure on fields was developed.The inclusion of three manure distribution functions is expected to reduce manure transport and application costs.The use of this machine can reduce livestock waste disposal costs, increase soil fertility, enhance the physical and chemical properties of soil, reduce the use of commercial fertilizers when planting crops, upgrade the technology employed for recycling domestic livestock resources, and assist with animal husbandry by facilitating the planting of forage and high-energy crops.Abstract. In this study, the aim has been developed a manure collecting, processing, and distributing processor (machine) that is suitable for farming in Taiwan’s agricultural lands. The designed machine is composed of a stirring and draw unit, a manure containing barrel, a manure output mechanism, a ditch excavator, and a soil covering device or filling pipes set with pan-breakers. A tractor both carries and supplies power to the machine. Undiluted manure is pumped from an anaerobic fermentation tank into the manure containing barrel within which the stirring and draw unit is set, and after the manure is thoroughly mixed and stirred, it well the manure is delivered to the manure output mechanism through a 2-in. round pipe. The processing and spreading units developed here are soil-surface-spreading type, soil-stratum-setting type, and deep-soil-setting type. The soil-surface spreading type unit output manure on land surface directly then mixes the manure into soil by tillage, the soil-stratum-setting-type unit uses the ditch excavator to first dig a ditch, and after manure is pumped into the ditch, the soil covering device covers the ditch with the excavated soil. The deep soil setting enables manure to be deposited 30~40 cm below the soil surface, with the loose soil being spread back over the manure after filling. In field tests, manure was spread over the soil surface, incorporated into the soil, or deep filled into subsoil at three test sites, namely Yilan County riverside land, the Tainan County Livestock Research Institute, and a sweet potato field and cornfield in Tainan County. The results revealed that the 3-ton capacity of soil-stratum-setting method field capacity reached 0.58 ha/h at a speed of 2.92 ± 0.07 km/h, and the average cultivation depth was 17.5 ± 0.3 cm. The 5-ton capacity of soil-surface-spreading method working capacity was 1.02 ha/h at a speed of 3.49 ± 0.23 km/h. The 5-ton capacity of soil-stratum-setting method working capacity was 0.61 ha/h at a speed of 2.52 ± 0.32 km/h, and the average cultivation depth was 21.29 ± 1.31 cm. For the 5-ton capacity barrel of the deep-soil-setting type manure spreading machine field capacity was 0.62 ha/h at a speed of 2.8 ± 0.43 km/h. By using the soil-surface-spreading method can fast to handle livestock wastewate
{"title":"Development of the Manure Distributing Machine","authors":"Y. Chiu, Chi-Hui Chen, Gang-Jhy Wu","doi":"10.13031/aea.14727","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13031/aea.14727","url":null,"abstract":"HighlightsIn this study, a compact, mobile manure distributor capable of operating effectively on narrow farm roads and applying undiluted, highly concentrated manure on fields was developed.The inclusion of three manure distribution functions is expected to reduce manure transport and application costs.The use of this machine can reduce livestock waste disposal costs, increase soil fertility, enhance the physical and chemical properties of soil, reduce the use of commercial fertilizers when planting crops, upgrade the technology employed for recycling domestic livestock resources, and assist with animal husbandry by facilitating the planting of forage and high-energy crops.Abstract. In this study, the aim has been developed a manure collecting, processing, and distributing processor (machine) that is suitable for farming in Taiwan’s agricultural lands. The designed machine is composed of a stirring and draw unit, a manure containing barrel, a manure output mechanism, a ditch excavator, and a soil covering device or filling pipes set with pan-breakers. A tractor both carries and supplies power to the machine. Undiluted manure is pumped from an anaerobic fermentation tank into the manure containing barrel within which the stirring and draw unit is set, and after the manure is thoroughly mixed and stirred, it well the manure is delivered to the manure output mechanism through a 2-in. round pipe. The processing and spreading units developed here are soil-surface-spreading type, soil-stratum-setting type, and deep-soil-setting type. The soil-surface spreading type unit output manure on land surface directly then mixes the manure into soil by tillage, the soil-stratum-setting-type unit uses the ditch excavator to first dig a ditch, and after manure is pumped into the ditch, the soil covering device covers the ditch with the excavated soil. The deep soil setting enables manure to be deposited 30~40 cm below the soil surface, with the loose soil being spread back over the manure after filling. In field tests, manure was spread over the soil surface, incorporated into the soil, or deep filled into subsoil at three test sites, namely Yilan County riverside land, the Tainan County Livestock Research Institute, and a sweet potato field and cornfield in Tainan County. The results revealed that the 3-ton capacity of soil-stratum-setting method field capacity reached 0.58 ha/h at a speed of 2.92 ± 0.07 km/h, and the average cultivation depth was 17.5 ± 0.3 cm. The 5-ton capacity of soil-surface-spreading method working capacity was 1.02 ha/h at a speed of 3.49 ± 0.23 km/h. The 5-ton capacity of soil-stratum-setting method working capacity was 0.61 ha/h at a speed of 2.52 ± 0.32 km/h, and the average cultivation depth was 21.29 ± 1.31 cm. For the 5-ton capacity barrel of the deep-soil-setting type manure spreading machine field capacity was 0.62 ha/h at a speed of 2.8 ± 0.43 km/h. By using the soil-surface-spreading method can fast to handle livestock wastewate","PeriodicalId":55501,"journal":{"name":"Applied Engineering in Agriculture","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"67049512","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
J. Boac, M. Casada, L. Pordesimo, F. Arthur, R. Maghirang, Christian D. Mina
HighlightsSingle kernel mass and particle density were not significantly affected by the number of rice weevils feeding within a corn kernel and lesser grain borers feeding within a wheat kernel.In both corn and wheat, single kernel mass decreased after the larval stage of internally feeding insects.Particle density increased linearly with insect age for both rice weevils in corn and lesser grain borer in wheat.The increasing particle density while the kernel mass was being eroded indicates that the kernel internal void was detected by the gas pycnometer employed for measurement of the true volume of grain kernels.Abstract. To model the dynamics of insect infestation in a grain handling system using the discrete element method (DEM), physical properties of the infested kernels compared to their sound counterparts are needed, specifically particle density and single kernel mass of infested kernels. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the particle density and single kernel mass of internally infested kernels as affected by insect age. Corn and wheat were infested with internal feeders: rice weevil (RW), Sitophilus oryzae (L.), in corn and lesser grain borer (LGB), Rhyzopertha dominica (F.), in wheat. The internal feeders were allowed to grow and mature inside the kernels and properties were measured for representative samples selected using X-ray imaging approximately 14, 28, 35, and 42 days after the end of a 4-day oviposition period. The measured kernel physical properties were not affected by the number of internal insects per kernel. In both corn and wheat, single kernel mass decreased after the larval stage of internally feeding insects. Single kernel mass decreased from 374 mg in sound corn to 346 mg in corn with pre-emerged RW adults and from 31.4 mg in sound wheat to 25.9 mg in wheat with pre-emerged LGB adults. Particle density increased with insect age for both RW in corn and LGB in wheat with a linear trend. The increasing particle density while the kernel mass eroded indicates that kernel internal void was detected by the gas pycnometer employed for measurement of the true volume of grain kernels. Data obtained from this study enables effective DEM modeling of grain commingling of insect-infested and sound grain kernels in grain handling systems. Keywords: Corn, Insect age, Internal feeders, Insect infestation, Lesser grain borer, Particle density, Rice weevil, Single kernel mass, Wheat.
{"title":"Effect of Internal Insect Infestation on Single Kernel Mass and Particle Density of Corn and Wheat","authors":"J. Boac, M. Casada, L. Pordesimo, F. Arthur, R. Maghirang, Christian D. Mina","doi":"10.13031/aea.14858","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13031/aea.14858","url":null,"abstract":"HighlightsSingle kernel mass and particle density were not significantly affected by the number of rice weevils feeding within a corn kernel and lesser grain borers feeding within a wheat kernel.In both corn and wheat, single kernel mass decreased after the larval stage of internally feeding insects.Particle density increased linearly with insect age for both rice weevils in corn and lesser grain borer in wheat.The increasing particle density while the kernel mass was being eroded indicates that the kernel internal void was detected by the gas pycnometer employed for measurement of the true volume of grain kernels.Abstract. To model the dynamics of insect infestation in a grain handling system using the discrete element method (DEM), physical properties of the infested kernels compared to their sound counterparts are needed, specifically particle density and single kernel mass of infested kernels. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the particle density and single kernel mass of internally infested kernels as affected by insect age. Corn and wheat were infested with internal feeders: rice weevil (RW), Sitophilus oryzae (L.), in corn and lesser grain borer (LGB), Rhyzopertha dominica (F.), in wheat. The internal feeders were allowed to grow and mature inside the kernels and properties were measured for representative samples selected using X-ray imaging approximately 14, 28, 35, and 42 days after the end of a 4-day oviposition period. The measured kernel physical properties were not affected by the number of internal insects per kernel. In both corn and wheat, single kernel mass decreased after the larval stage of internally feeding insects. Single kernel mass decreased from 374 mg in sound corn to 346 mg in corn with pre-emerged RW adults and from 31.4 mg in sound wheat to 25.9 mg in wheat with pre-emerged LGB adults. Particle density increased with insect age for both RW in corn and LGB in wheat with a linear trend. The increasing particle density while the kernel mass eroded indicates that kernel internal void was detected by the gas pycnometer employed for measurement of the true volume of grain kernels. Data obtained from this study enables effective DEM modeling of grain commingling of insect-infested and sound grain kernels in grain handling systems. Keywords: Corn, Insect age, Internal feeders, Insect infestation, Lesser grain borer, Particle density, Rice weevil, Single kernel mass, Wheat.","PeriodicalId":55501,"journal":{"name":"Applied Engineering in Agriculture","volume":"102 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"67050420","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sanjay B. Shah, K. Earnest, E. Oviedo-Rondón, P. Kolar, I. Singletary
HighlightsPen-scale system eliminated thermal stratification while full-scale system reduced thermal stratificationPen-scale system was moderately effective in trapping ammonia and reduced pen ammonia concentrations modestlyAmmonia trapping performance was mainly affected by dust build-upDust build-up was partly mitigated by a shakerCitric acid coated burlap placed upstream of livestock barn exhaust fans may reduce ammonia and dust emissionsAbstract. High ammonia (NH3) concentrations during poultry brooding can reduce bird performance and welfare. Thermal stratification during brooding can increase energy use and reduce bird welfare. A proof-of-concept heat recovery and NH3 control (HRAC) system consisting of a low-cost NH3 filter consisting of citric acid treated burlap placed upstream of a fan was evaluated for its ability to reduce barn NH3 concentration and thermal stratification. In the lab, 5% citric acid on burlap trapped 13 times more NH3 per unit mass of sorbent than activated carbon reported in the literature. Pen-scale and barn-scale HRAC prototypes using 15% citric acid on burlap eliminated and greatly reduced thermal stratification, respectively. The pen-scale HRAC had significant NH3 removal efficiencies ranging from the 17% to 42% in seven of nine events and compared, to the Control pens (no HRAC), significantly reduced floor [NH3] in two of nine events by 26% and 42%. The pen-scale HRAC also reduced footpad dermatitis at 15 d. Performance of the full-scale HRAC was highly variable. Clogging of the filter with particulate matter reduced airflow rates that was partially mitigated using a shaker. A vertical HRAC with a shaker might improve performance. There is need to investigate the effectiveness of 5% citric acid. The citric acid-treated burlap screen placed upstream of barn exhaust fans could reduce dust and NH3 emissions. Keywords: Breakthrough curve, Burlap, Citric acid, Emissions, Energy use, Footpad dermatitis.
{"title":"Simultaneous Reduction of Thermal Stratification and Ammonia Concentrations in Poultry House During Brooding and in Cool Weather","authors":"Sanjay B. Shah, K. Earnest, E. Oviedo-Rondón, P. Kolar, I. Singletary","doi":"10.13031/aea.14862","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13031/aea.14862","url":null,"abstract":"HighlightsPen-scale system eliminated thermal stratification while full-scale system reduced thermal stratificationPen-scale system was moderately effective in trapping ammonia and reduced pen ammonia concentrations modestlyAmmonia trapping performance was mainly affected by dust build-upDust build-up was partly mitigated by a shakerCitric acid coated burlap placed upstream of livestock barn exhaust fans may reduce ammonia and dust emissionsAbstract. High ammonia (NH3) concentrations during poultry brooding can reduce bird performance and welfare. Thermal stratification during brooding can increase energy use and reduce bird welfare. A proof-of-concept heat recovery and NH3 control (HRAC) system consisting of a low-cost NH3 filter consisting of citric acid treated burlap placed upstream of a fan was evaluated for its ability to reduce barn NH3 concentration and thermal stratification. In the lab, 5% citric acid on burlap trapped 13 times more NH3 per unit mass of sorbent than activated carbon reported in the literature. Pen-scale and barn-scale HRAC prototypes using 15% citric acid on burlap eliminated and greatly reduced thermal stratification, respectively. The pen-scale HRAC had significant NH3 removal efficiencies ranging from the 17% to 42% in seven of nine events and compared, to the Control pens (no HRAC), significantly reduced floor [NH3] in two of nine events by 26% and 42%. The pen-scale HRAC also reduced footpad dermatitis at 15 d. Performance of the full-scale HRAC was highly variable. Clogging of the filter with particulate matter reduced airflow rates that was partially mitigated using a shaker. A vertical HRAC with a shaker might improve performance. There is need to investigate the effectiveness of 5% citric acid. The citric acid-treated burlap screen placed upstream of barn exhaust fans could reduce dust and NH3 emissions. Keywords: Breakthrough curve, Burlap, Citric acid, Emissions, Energy use, Footpad dermatitis.","PeriodicalId":55501,"journal":{"name":"Applied Engineering in Agriculture","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"67050430","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
HighlightsA commercial-scale prototype press to extract the juice from sweet sorghum biomass was designed, built, and tested.Extraction rates of up to 45% were obtained with this prototype.Abstract. With the rising concerns related to climate change issues, different alternatives have been explored to reduce the use of fossil fuels. Laws forcing the use of ethanol at gas pumps have been enforced across North America. While ethanol is a good alternative, it is mainly made from corn, which is a very demanding crop in terms of water, fertilizers, and climate conditions. The sweet sorghum has been proved to be a good alternative crop, but current pressing methods require transportation of the biomass to a plant, thus resulting in high transportation costs and emissions as well as depriving the soil from an important source of fertilization, which is the pressing residue. The objective of this research was to develop and test a commercial scale prototype press able to extract juice from the sweet sorghum directly in the field. A sequential two-chamber piston press able to apply up to 1.6 MPa of pressure on the biomass was developed and tested. The prototype press was used in extracting juice from sweet sorghum and the influence of operational parameters (pressure and extraction time) on the extraction rate and juice yield was evaluated. Sweet sorghum plants were first harvested and chopped with a forage harvester, then weighed and pressed. The pressing juice was collected and the residue (bagasse) was returned to the field as fertilizer. Obtained results from pressing tests carried out in 2014, 2015, and 2018 showed a juice extraction rate of up to 45% of the initial weight of the biomass. Keywords: Bioethanol, Biomass, Ethanol, Juice, Pressing, Sweet sorghum.
{"title":"Design and Testing of a Commercial Prototype Press to Extract the Juice from Sweet Sorghum Biomass","authors":"N. Lefebvre, M. Khelifi","doi":"10.13031/aea.14971","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13031/aea.14971","url":null,"abstract":"HighlightsA commercial-scale prototype press to extract the juice from sweet sorghum biomass was designed, built, and tested.Extraction rates of up to 45% were obtained with this prototype.Abstract. With the rising concerns related to climate change issues, different alternatives have been explored to reduce the use of fossil fuels. Laws forcing the use of ethanol at gas pumps have been enforced across North America. While ethanol is a good alternative, it is mainly made from corn, which is a very demanding crop in terms of water, fertilizers, and climate conditions. The sweet sorghum has been proved to be a good alternative crop, but current pressing methods require transportation of the biomass to a plant, thus resulting in high transportation costs and emissions as well as depriving the soil from an important source of fertilization, which is the pressing residue. The objective of this research was to develop and test a commercial scale prototype press able to extract juice from the sweet sorghum directly in the field. A sequential two-chamber piston press able to apply up to 1.6 MPa of pressure on the biomass was developed and tested. The prototype press was used in extracting juice from sweet sorghum and the influence of operational parameters (pressure and extraction time) on the extraction rate and juice yield was evaluated. Sweet sorghum plants were first harvested and chopped with a forage harvester, then weighed and pressed. The pressing juice was collected and the residue (bagasse) was returned to the field as fertilizer. Obtained results from pressing tests carried out in 2014, 2015, and 2018 showed a juice extraction rate of up to 45% of the initial weight of the biomass. Keywords: Bioethanol, Biomass, Ethanol, Juice, Pressing, Sweet sorghum.","PeriodicalId":55501,"journal":{"name":"Applied Engineering in Agriculture","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"67050896","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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