Hydrogen sulfide gas is a serious issue in and around barns with liquid manure storage. The decomposition of organic matter in manure results in the release of several gases: ammonia, carbon dioxide, methane and hydrogen sulfide among them. Most of the time these gases are emitted at low levels, but any time manure is being agitated …Continue reading “Pit gases pose a danger in beef barns”
“Not many people realize this, but Iowa is in the top third of states in terms of solar potential,” said Mark Hanna, agricultural engineering specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. “The cost per watt for generating electricity has been dropping steadily, down to about $3 per watt as opposed to $10-15 per watt …Continue reading “Hanna: Installing solar arrays becomes more attractive for farmers”
Better distribution of manure nitrogen can help reduce the need to apply supplemental N as sidedressing in spring, thus resulting in cost savings and water quality benefits.
Various aspects of farmland drainage will be the focus of a daylong workshop March 3 at the Iowa Bioprocess Training Center in Eddyville. The program is from 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. “This workshop is being offered due to the increased interest in this topic the past year,” says Kapil Arora, field agricultural engineer with Iowa …Continue reading “ABE faculty and extension specialists to present at farmland drainage workshop”
Dan Andersen, an ag engineer at Iowa State University, said between 25 and 30 percent of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium needs are provided through manure usage. “We have plenty of room for more,” he told producers at the Iowa Pork Congress here Jan. 25.
“The majority of our fields without trials are planted with cover crops. We also have planted milkweed for monarch butterfly conservation and for pollinator habitat,” said Schnabel, a 2010 graduate of ISU in agricultural systems technology. “All these practices add benefits to the land, environment and cropping system. Installing and utilizing these practices on our …Continue reading “ISU Research Farms utilize conservation practices for science, stewardship”
By Brett C. Ramirez, Iowa State University Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Graduate Research Assistant. As we enter the middle of winter, it is essential we revisit the importance and role of Minimum Ventilation. It is understood that poor ventilation during the winter months can lead to moisture problems, hazardous gas build-up, and in general, …Continue reading “Ramirez: Minimum Ventilation – Design versus operation”
Kristina Craft is a graduate student working toward a master’s degree in agricultural and biosystems engineering. The goal of her graduate work is to increase understanding in the science involved in mitigating adverse water quality and soil health impacts of row crop systems while maintaining or improving upon production. Kurt Rosentrater, associate professor of agricultural …Continue reading “Craft and Rosentrater named to CALS Sustainability Task Force”
Congratulations to the following ABE graduate students who were recently recognized by the Iowa State University Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering and the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE): Conrad Brendel – Iowa Section ASABE Outstanding M.S. student: Brendel grew up in Elizabethtown, PA and completed his B.S. at Iowa State in …Continue reading “ABE graduate students awarded scholarships”
Name: Brad Kruse, Title and Company: Test Engineer, Kine Manufacturing, Hometown: Dyersville, IA, Major and Graduation Date: M.S. Industrial and Agricultural Technology- Fall 2015; B.S. Agricultural Systems Technology- Spring 2014 Major Job/Position Responsibilities: I support product testing from the point of initial concept to production on new products and options for the both planter and grain cart product …Continue reading “CALS young alum of the month: Kruse (AST)”
As Iowa State University researchers Dr. Martin Gross (former graduate student in agricultural and biosystems engineering) and Dr. Zhiyou Wen worked in their lab to develop an algal growth technology to create algal biomass, they never imagined that what they developed would also solve a problem much bigger and way beyond the original scope of …Continue reading “ABE alum creates ISU startup factory company to take on the mitigation of N and P”
Matt Darr, an associate professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering at Iowa State University, called UAVs a “bleeding-edge technology” with great potential in agriculture. And faculty and students at Iowa State are playing a multifaceted role in advancing this emerging technology, he says. Iowa State engineers are developing software to make UAVs smarter and faster at …Continue reading “Birds-eye view of agriculture”
When Iowans talk about water quality, they sometimes think the major problem is manure. “I’m a big fan of the nutrient reduction strategy,” says Iowa State University Extension Agricultural Engineer Dan Andersen. “I’m not a big fan of when people call it the manure reduction strategy.” Andersen was one of the speakers at a manure management workshop …Continue reading “Andersen: Workshop offers insight on water quality issues”
Amy Kaleita, associate professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering, has many reasons for working with remote sensing. “I got into sensors because I think they’re cool and fun,” she says, “but also as a grad- uate student I did enough field work by hand that I thought, we’d never be able to answer these big questions …Continue reading “Soil to space”
