THE “THREADS” OF BIOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING

The core concepts, or threads, of biosystems engineering (BSEN) are variously understood by those within the discipline but have never been unequivocally defined due to BSEN’s early stage of development. This makes communication and teaching difficult compared to other well-established engineering disciplines. Biosystems engineering is a field of engineering that integrates engineering science and design with applied biological, environmental, and agricultural sciences. It represents an evolution of the agricultural engineering discipline applied to all living organisms but generally does not include biomedical applications. The key element for the emerging EU biosystems engineering program of studies is to ensure that it offers essential minimum fundamental engineering knowledge and competences. A core curriculum developed by successive Erasmus thematic networks has benchmarked agricultural and biosystems engineering studies in Europe. The common basis of a core curriculum for the discipline across European countries and the U.S. has been defined by an EU-US Atlantis project, but this needs to be taken further by defining the threads that link courses together. This article presents a structured approach to define the threads of BSEN. Definition of the mid-level competences and the associated learning outcomes has been one of the objectives of the EU-US Atlantis project TABE.NET. The mid-level competences and learning outcomes for each of six specializations within BSEN are defined, while the domain-specific knowledge to be acquired for each outcome is proposed. Once the proposed definitions are discussed, modified, and ultimately adopted, these threads will be available for the global development of BSEN

Characterization of sounds in maize produced by internally feeding insects: Investigations to develop inexpensive devices for detection of prostephanus truncatus (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) and sitophilus zeamais (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in small-scale storage facilities in Sub-Saharan Africa

Florida Entomologist Society 2015, Vol 98(2)Infestations by Prostephanus truncatus Horn (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) and Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) are prevalent in small-scale Zea mays L. storage facilities in Tanzania and other regions of sub-Saharan Africa. It is especially difficult to detect these species’ larvae, which feed unseen inside the grain kernels. An electronic device that acoustically detects and reliably indicates the presence of such larvae could assist pest managers in maintaining the quality of the stored maize. A study was conducted in a sound- and vibration-controlled environment to estimate the amplitudes and spectral ranges of signals that an inexpensive electronic system would encounter while detecting insects in maize storage facilities. Larva-infested wheat kernels from a laboratory colony of Sitophilus oryzae (L.), a species similar in size and behavior to S. zeamais, were placed in a pouch and inserted near the side or the bottom of a bag of maize. An acoustic probe was inserted into the bag, and recordings were made at multiple positions, 5–35 cm from the pouch. Numerous sounds of 4 different types were detected over a range of frequencies extending to 7 kHz, well within the signal-processing capabilities of currently available low-cost microcontroller platforms. Larval sound impulses were detected frequently within 25 cm from the pouch, but not at 35 cm. However, adjustable-length probes could be used to reach within 30 cm of all maize kernels in the types of containers commonly used in regional storage facilities. Thus, there is considerable potential to develop an inexpensive sensor/ microcontroller system useful for managing stored product insect pests in sub-Saharan Africa

Characterization of sounds in maize produced by internally feeding insects: Investigations to develop inexpensive devices for detection of prostephanus truncatus (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) and sitophilus zeamais (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in small-scale storage facilities in Sub-Saharan Africa

Florida Entomologist Society 2015, Vol 98(2)Infestations by Prostephanus truncatus Horn (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) and Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) are prevalent in small-scale Zea mays L. storage facilities in Tanzania and other regions of sub-Saharan Africa. It is especially difficult to detect these species’ larvae, which feed unseen inside the grain kernels. An electronic device that acoustically detects and reliably indicates the presence of such larvae could assist pest managers in maintaining the quality of the stored maize. A study was conducted in a sound- and vibration-controlled environment to estimate the amplitudes and spectral ranges of signals that an inexpensive electronic system would encounter while detecting insects in maize storage facilities. Larva-infested wheat kernels from a laboratory colony of Sitophilus oryzae (L.), a species similar in size and behavior to S. zeamais, were placed in a pouch and inserted near the side or the bottom of a bag of maize. An acoustic probe was inserted into the bag, and recordings were made at multiple positions, 5–35 cm from the pouch. Numerous sounds of 4 different types were detected over a range of frequencies extending to 7 kHz, well within the signal-processing capabilities of currently available low-cost microcontroller platforms. Larval sound impulses were detected frequently within 25 cm from the pouch, but not at 35 cm. However, adjustable-length probes could be used to reach within 30 cm of all maize kernels in the types of containers commonly used in regional storage facilities. Thus, there is considerable potential to develop an inexpensive sensor/ microcontroller system useful for managing stored product insect pests in sub-Saharan Africa