“We have 172 plots in all, and take about 4,000 water samples a year from them,” ISU Agricultural Engineering Specialist Dr. Matt Helmers told a group of farmers and agribusiness reps at the ISU Ag Engineering and Agronomy Research Farm near Boone. He said ISU has more than a $500,000 investment in drainage water quality …Continue reading “Helmers: Tile water nitrate testing”
Grant Ives is discovering ways to add value to ethanol production. As an undergraduate in industrial technology, he’s worked alongside researchers in the Iowa Grain Quality Initiative lab using Near Infrared Spectroscopy to analyze grain samples for protein, oil, fiber and fat content. His internship has allowed him to make strides towards his real passion— making …Continue reading “Adding value, advancing energy”
It was August 1967 when Carl Bern first walked into a classroom at Iowa State University. He began his career in agricultural engineering as a teaching assistant, and has taught students at Iowa State every term since.
Deere is setting up a research and innovation center collaborating with, among others, Matt Darr in the agricultural and biosystems engineering department. Darr, who was recently named to the Kinze Manufacturing Fellowship in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, has conducted several projects with Deere, many dealing with biomass harvesting equipment at Iowa State’s BioCentury Research Farm …Continue reading “ISU Research Park boosts learning, economic development”
Large companies with extensive research and development facilities still seek their help, says Darren Jarboe (’85 ag business, ’86 agronomy, ’12 PhD industrial and ag technology), CCUR’s program manager for technology commercialization, marketing and communication. “Multi-national companies are innovating all the time and sometimes they like the idea of getting away from the company headquarters and …Continue reading “Iowa State’s industrial playground”
Shawn Shouse, a field specialist with Iowa State University Extension, said producers should inspect their bins when empty to ensure they’re in good condition and they’re not allowing in water. It’s important to keep them clean and dry on the inside to avoid mold buildup and rust.
Calm and muggy days are particularly troublesome for feedlot cattle, says Shawn Shouse, Extension ag engineer with Iowa State University. Many feedlots are without shade, leaving cattle to sometimes bake in the summer sun. Some feedlots offer natural or manmade shade, and Shouse says adding even the smallest bit of shade can make a difference.
For Sophie Rotole, a junior in agricultural engineering, it’s been a great experience for an undergraduate. “Miniponics 3.0 was a great success for me personally. It was a great opportunity to experience the engineering design process. I really enjoyed designing and constructing a product from start to finish and watching it function as intended,” she …Continue reading “Ag engineering student brings aquaponics to ISU and beyond”
ISU Extension ag engineer Mark Hanna told attendees that a proper planter setting is critical for the row crop. He advises placing the corn seed at a soil depth of 2 inches using down pressure to ensure consistency of seed placement, and having the disk openers set such that they would hold a piece of …Continue reading “Hanna: Integrating cover crops and livestock operations”
Representatives from Iowa State University’s Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering recently met with officers of APOSGRAN at the Bolsa de Cereales in Rosario, Argentina, to discuss plans for a faculty-led study abroad course in Argentina in May 2018.
The 2017 Cyclone Power Pullers hope to build on the success of previous years by refining concepts and components that worked well in past competitions. The team designed and built their quarter-scale tractor, called the ExCYter, from scratch this academic year.