Mechanical Snake River Undisturbed Soil Core Sampler

A power-driven undisturbed soil core sampler was designed to obtain undisturbed soil cores from a much greater depth than the original hand-operated sampler

Plant Nutrients in Potato Processing Waste Water Used for Irrigation

Food processing industries discharge large volumes of waste water that are generally characterized by high organic matter content, large amounts of suspended solids, and various inorganic constituents including nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (3, 4, 5, 6). Until recently, food processing waste water was discharged into streams or rivers, but governmental regulations now prohibit this. Food processors must either treat their waste water to meet established water quality standards before discharging it, or find an alternative waste water disposal method. Secondary treatment, although expensive, has been satisfactory in some cases, but tertiary treatment with removal of nitrogen and phosphorus may be required in the future. Energy requirements for secondary treatment are high, and plant nutrients usually contained in the waste water are a valuable resource. Irrigating cropped agricultural land requires little energy and some of the nutrients can be used by growing plants. Therefore, irrigating with food processing waste water may be a long-term solution to the waste water disposal problem. This report gives the nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium concentrations in potato processing waste water and the amounts of water and included nutrients applied to fields at five potato processing plants in Idaho

Military Culture in Counselor Education: Assessing Educators’ Perceptions of Inclusion

Counselor educators are tasked with preparing counselors to effectively engage a wide range of topics and populations within counseling practice. The cultural experience of clients is often a significant focus both in content and experiential learning opportunities. Given the attention within the profession of counseling on our ability to effectively serve military service members and veterans, this begs the question as to the degree the context of the military is viewed as a unique culture within the field of counselor education. This article describes a research study of counselor educators’ perceptions of the military as a unique culture. In addition, current and potential strategies designed to address the experience of military service members, veterans, and their families employed within counselor training programs was also surveyed. The study found counselor educators did view the military as a unique culture. Participants also indicated their view of the potential to utilize a wide range of strategies to enhance understanding on the part of counselors-in-training of the unique experience of military service members, veterans, and their families. Limitations of the study, implications for practice, and future research ideas are also provided

Military Culture in Counselor Education: Assessing Educators’ Perceptions of Inclusion

Counselor educators are tasked with preparing counselors to effectively engage a wide range of topics and populations within counseling practice. The cultural experience of clients is often a significant focus both in content and experiential learning opportunities. Given the attention within the profession of counseling on our ability to effectively serve military service members and veterans, this begs the question as to the degree the context of the military is viewed as a unique culture within the field of counselor education. This article describes a research study of counselor educators’ perceptions of the military as a unique culture. In addition, current and potential strategies designed to address the experience of military service members, veterans, and their families employed within counselor training programs was also surveyed. The study found counselor educators did view the military as a unique culture. Participants also indicated their view of the potential to utilize a wide range of strategies to enhance understanding on the part of counselors-in-training of the unique experience of military service members, veterans, and their families. Limitations of the study, implications for practice, and future research ideas are also provided

Treatment and Disposal of Sugarbeet Processing Waste Water by Irrigation

Irrigation with sugarbeet processing waste water was studied at three locations for 2 or 3 years where perennial grass and alfalfa were irrigated by flooding specially graded fields. Experimental sites were scheduled for irrigation at intervals of 1, 2, or 4 weeks. This schedule was maintained for the first year until the weekly irrigated plots were discontinued because of excessive loading. Waste water was sampled twice weekly from the sugar factories, and water samples were extracted from the soil at depths of from 15 to 150 cm each time the fields were irrigated. All water samples were analyzed for chemical oxygen demand, total nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, electrical conductivity, calcium, magnesium, sodium, sodium absorption ratio, pH, chlorine, sulfate, and bicarbonate. Soil and plants were also analyzed for selected constituents. N applications to the experimental plots ranged from 280 to 4200 kg/ha and, on the fields, from 277 to 1425 kg/ha. P applications ranged from 5 to 50 kg/ha on the experimental plots and from 11 to 43 kg/ha on the fields. K applications ranged from 195 to 6350 kg/ha on the experimental plots and from 490 to 3410 kg/ha on the fields. Water applications ranged from 28 to 201 cm/year, and COD applications ranged from 8 to 140 metric tons/ha. COD reduction in the waste water at Twin Falls averaged 48 percent in winter and 98 percent in summer; at Rupert, it averaged 84 percent in winter and 98 percent in summer; and at Nampa, it averaged 75 percent in winter and 88 percent in summer. Nitrates found in water samples extracted from 150 cm in the soil were mostly below 10 parts per million N with a few samples higher. Irrigation with sugarbeet processing waste water works well in the field

A Simple Portable Reflectometer for Field Use

A small, portable, battery-powered field reflectometer, which utilized an integrating sphere, was developed for measuring reflectance from soils and intact leaves. Its light source was a flashlight bulb; its wavelength selection within the range of 0.4µ to 1.1µ was achieved with interference filters. Comparison with laboratory instruments was favorable

Emergence and Yield of Beans Planted with a Seed-Oriented Planter

Recent observations from an unrelated bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) field experiment indicated a possible relationship between emergence and seed orientation. To test the benefits of a "lay flat" orientation, a furrow opener was developed that horizontally orients bean seeds at uniform soil depths. Beans planted through this furrow opener emerged through the soil crust sooner and in significantly greater numbers than did those planted with a standard two-disk furrow opener. Oriented and unoriented plantings of dry and snap beans did not differ in final total emergence. Nevertheless, early snap bean yields were greater from the seed-oriented plots. Increased yield was due to earlier emergence, and uniform depth of planting. On uncrusted soil, seed orientation did not significantly increase dry bean yield

Soil Strength and Porosities Associated with Cropping Sequences

The effects of cropping sequences on the strength and porosity of the Portneuf silt loam soil were studied in south-central Idaho under normal field conditions. Undisturbed soil cores were collected from the surface 20 cm of seven fields with cropping histories ranging from continuous pasture to continuous beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). The soil in all fields was a uniform silt loam developed under arid conditions. The pore size distribution and soil hardness were measured on the undisturbed cores as well as on bulk samples collected from each site. The results indicated that both the pore size distribution and the hardness are rather independent of cropping history. While both these parameters can be changed by mechanical manipulation, the soil soon reverts hack to a stable range of values under field conditions

Influence of Seed Orientation on Bean Seedling Emergence

Observation from an unrelated field bean experiment indicated that certain seed orientations might reduce emergence. Consequently, studies were initiated to determine if orientation variations occur in planting and if these variations influence emergence. Orientation of bean seeds, dropped into both "V" and flat-bottom furrows, were classified and tabulated. In "V" furrows almost all orientations were possible; 36% assumed the "lay-flat" orientation. In the flat-bottom furrow 85% of the beans were in the "lay-flat" position. The influence of 11 different seed orientations on emergence was evaluated in greenhouse studies. With crusted soils seeds planted "hypocotyl end down" produced significantly less emerged seedlings (1% level) and a lower emergence rate. Orientation effects were observed to a lesser degree in noncrusted soils. The adverse influence of "hypocotyl end down" orientations was attributed to seed rotation within the soil. For controlled plantings the "lay-flat" orientation is recommended due to both its high frequency of occurrence and high emergence

Irrigating with Sugarbeet Processing Wastewater

In recent years, irrigating agricultural land with wastewater has become a major wastewater management practice. Irrigation has replaced much of the discharge to streams and conventional primary and secondary waste treatment for food processing wastewater (4, 11, 12, 13). Irrigating agricultural land for treatment and disposal of the food processing wastewater is a good practice if the wastewater does not contain toxic constituents. Crops grown on the land remove part of the plant nutrients supplied by the wastewater and can be fed to livestock (1, 2). Considerable information has been published about wastewater irrigation in recent years and several food processing wastewaters have been evaluated for irrigation use (5, 6, 17, 18, 19). These systems work well, oxygen demand and the chemical constituents, except potassium, were satisfactorily removed at moderate applications, as wastewater passed through the soil, and using wastewater for irrigation can economically benefit users. Nutrient concentrations in wastewaters, and in some cases feasibility for irrigation use, have been evaluated for several food processing wastewaters: cannery wastes (8, 16), citrus wastes (10), vegetable wastes (14, 21, 22, 23), fruit processing wastes (15, 21, 22, 25), and grain wastes (22). For the most part these wastewaters can be used for irrigating agricultural land with a minimum of problems