AS-458-96 Resolution on Department Name Change for the Agricultural Engineering Department

Changes Agricultural Engineering Department to the BioResource and Agricultural Engineering Department

Fall 2017 Water News

Page 2-3: Understanding E. coli behavior may improve water qualityPage: 4 Winter manure application can improve soil healthPage 5: Capping material helps alum inactivate phosphorus in lakesPage 6-7: Duckweed absorbs nutrients, provides protein for animal feedPage 8: Did you know

Spring 2018 Water News

Page 2-4 : State, district monitor water quality to protect public health in South DakotaPage 5: White paper documents challenges, sets research prioritiesPage 6: Steel chips show promise at removing E. coli from storm drain waterPage 7: Sunlight, titanium dioxide remove harmful compounds from wastewate

PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF A THREE BOTTOM STANDARD DISC PLOUGH AT VARYING TILT AND DISC ANGLES

Ploughing which is the primary tillage operation aims at reducing the soil strength, cover plant residues, and rearrange soil aggregates. In this operation, considerable amount of farm tractor power is expended, and therefore efficient tillage system is desirable which minimizes the amount of energy required to till the soil. In this experiment, the combination of tilt and disc angle of a three bottom standard disc plough as they affect ploughing operation was studied in terms of width of cut, depth of cut, and volume of soil ploughed at a constant speed of 5.6km/hr. The test was carried out with five disc angles; 37o, 40o, 43o, 46o and 49o, in combination with five tilt angles; 15o, 20o, 22.5o, 25o, and 30o at constant ploughing length. The experiment was run at different passes of 3-blade combination maintained at 25 m ploughing length and data were taken at 5 m interval. The physicomechanical properties of the soil in the experimental plot were determined and found to be 6.7% soil moisture content (wb), bulk density is 1.53g/cm3, soil aggregate distribution of 7:1:2 (sand, silt and clay). The best performance of the three bottom standard disc plough was found at the combination of tilt angle in the range of 15o-25o, and 43o-46o disc angles. Ploughing below and beyond these values was not efficient

Raising irrigation productivity and releasing water for intersectoral needs (RIPARWIN): RIPARWIN final technical report

River basinsHydrologyRiver basin managementRiver basin developmentDevelopment projectsWater allocationIrrigation waterProductivityIrrigation managementRiceTanzaniaGreat Ruaha River BasinUsangu River Basin

Evaluating the Hydrologic and Water Quality Benefits Associated with Retrofitting Vegetated Swales with Check Dams

Two swales (Mango Creek and I-40) treating highway runoff were retrofitted with simple check dams typically used for construction site sediment and erosion control to determine if these devices might improve post-construction stormwater management. The Mange Creek swale was retrofitted with a pair of standard rock check dams. The I-40 swale was retrofitted with a system of excelsior fiber wattle check dams and bags with proprietary phosphorus-adsorptive media (ViroPhosTM) to investigate if additional treatment for dissolved phosphorus was provided. Each swale was instrumented for approximately six months to collect data prior to the installation of check dams (pre-retrofit period) in March and April of 2014. Monitoring continued for an additional twelve months post-retrofit. Hydrologic data were collected at Mango Creek to examine peak flow mitigation and volume reduction imparted by the check dams due to additional storage and infiltration. Flow-proportional water quality samples were obtained to investigate removal of nitrogen and phosphorus species and total suspended solids (TSS) during the pre- and post-retrofit phases of the research. The inclusion of rock check dams in the Mango Creek swale did not significantly improve the volume reduction or peak flow mitigation of the SCM; however, these statistics were impacted substantially by the small pre-retrofit data set. Improvements were observed for volume reduction, peak flow mitigation, and hydraulic retention time, especially for small (<0.75 inch) and moderate (0.75-1.5 inch) rainfall events. Rock check dams did not significantly improve the removal rates of nutrients or TSS. However, these statistics were again impacted by the small pre-retrofit data set. Total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations from the highway were low compared to the literature, limiting the potential for significant reduction. Even so, TN and TP concentrations exiting the swale (0.81 mg/L and 0.13 mg/L, respectively) remained low and generally met \u201cgood\u201d water quality conditions based on ambient stream health. Rock check dams were effective in the filtration of gross solids, which led to clogging of the check dams and degradation (due to extensive ponding) of the swale vegetation over time. Inclusion of excelsior fiber wattle check dams at I-40 did not significantly improve any pollutant event mean concentrations (EMCs) compared to pre-retrofit conditions. The ViroPhosTM media amendments did not significantly improve the treatment of O-PO43- in the swale relative to pre-retrofit conditions. Due to their high permeability, visual inspection during rain events showed the wattle check dams did not pond water; therefore, sedimentation was not improved. Overall, results from this study indicate rock check dams are preferable to straw wattles because they are able to pond stormwater, modestly improving swale performance

Evaluating dairy waste management systems' influence on fecal coliform concentration in runoff

This report examines environmental factors influencing the die-off and transport of fecal coliform bacteria present in wastes applied to the land surface. These factors are examined specifically for dairy waste management systems and the net effect each system has on runoff water quality. A model is developed that considers the effects of precipitation, season, method of wastes storage and application, die-off of the bacteria in storage, die-off of the bacteria on the land surface, infiltration of bacteria into the soil profile, soil characteristics, overland transport of bacteria (runoff), and buffer zones. The model is then applied to the Tillamook Basin in northwestern Oregon to evaluate which waste management procedures significantly decrease bacterial pollution potential in agricultural runoff.Published November 1982. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalo

How well do blood folate concentrations predict dietary folate intakes in a sample of Canadian lactating women exposed to high levels of folate? An observational study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In 1998, mandatory folic acid fortification of white flour and select cereal grain products was implemented in Canada with the intention to increase dietary folate intakes of reproducing women. Folic acid fortification has produced a dramatic increase in blood folate concentrations among reproductive age women, and a reduction in neural tube defect (NTD)-affected pregnancies. In response to improved blood folate concentrations, many health care professionals are asking whether a folic acid supplement is necessary for NTD prevention among women with high blood folate values, and how reliably high RBC folate concentrations predict folate intakes shown in randomized controlled trials to be protective against NTDs. The objective of this study was to determine how predictive blood folate concentrations and folate intakes are of each other in a sample of well-educated lactating Canadian women exposed to high levels of synthetic folate.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The relationship between blood folate concentrations and dietary folate intakes, determined by weighed food records, were assessed in a sample of predominantly university-educated lactating women (32 ± 4 yr) at 4-(n = 53) and 16-wk postpartum (n = 55).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Median blood folate concentrations of all participants were well above plasma and RBC folate cut-off levels indicative of deficiency (6.7 and 317 nmol/L, respectively) and all, except for 2 subjects, were above the cut-off for NTD-risk reduction (>906 nmol/L). Only modest associations existed between total folate intakes and plasma (r = 0.46, <it>P </it>< 0.001) and RBC (r = 0.36, <it>P </it>< 0.01) folate concentrations at 16-wk postpartum. Plasma and RBC folate values at 16-wk postpartum correctly identified the quartile of folate intake of only 26 of 55 (47%) and 18 of 55 (33%) of subjects, respectively. The mean RBC folate concentration of women consuming 151–410 μg/d of synthetic folate (2^ndquartile of intake) did not differ from that of women consuming >410 μg/d (3^rdand 4^thquartile).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Folate intakes, estimated by food composition tables, and blood folate concentrations are not predictive of each other in Canadian lactating women exposed to high levels of folate. Synthetic intakes > 151–410 μg/d in these women produced little additional benefit in terms of maximizing RBC content. More studies are needed to examine the relationship between blood folate concentration and NTD risk. Until data from such studies are available, women planning a pregnancy should continue to consume a daily folic acid supplement of 400 μg.</p