Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering - (Archive)

ABE Weekly Newsletter for March 7, 2008

Recent Publications

Gates, R.S. and H. Xin. 2008. Extracting poultry behavior from time-series weigh scale records. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 62(1):8-14.

Shao, B. and Xin, H. 2008. A real-time computer vision assessment and control of thermal comfort of group-housed pigs. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 62(1):15-21.

Roberts, S.A., H. Xin, B. J. Kerr, J. R. Russell, and K. Bregendahl. 2007. Effects of dietary fiber and low crude protein on nitrogen balance and egg production in laying hens. Poultry Science 86:1625-1632.

Roberts, S.A., H. Xin, B. J. Kerr, J. R. Russell, and K. Bregendahl. 2007. Effects of dietary fiber and low crude protein on ammonia emission from laying-hen manure. Poultry Science 86:1716-1725.

Zhu, Z., H. Xin, H. Li, R.T. Burns and H. Dong. 2007. Assessment of in-line filter type and condition on ammonia measurement, Transactions of the ASAE 50(5): 1823-1830.

Send your recent publications to Alex.

Meet the (Relatively) New Staff Member: Katie Heathcote

Katie Heathcote started working at ABE back in November as manager of the Olfactometry Lab. She manages the lab by making sure the equipment is in order, communicating with clients, and managing the employees. Her supervisor is Dr. Steve Hoff.

Katie graduated from ISU with a degree in animal ecology in 2004, then moved to Birmingham, Alabama for a few years. While there, she worked as a zookeeper, and her husband Adam went to graduate school. They moved back to Ames, and now Adam is working toward his Ph.D. in EEOB. Katie and Adam live with their two dogs, Bowser and Poppy in northwest Ames.

So if you see her, say hello and welcome her to ABE!

Upcoming Events

RUSLE2 and Iowa Phosphorus Index Workshop

March 19, 2008 08:30 AM

Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and the Iowa Manure Management Action Group (IMMAG), in collaboration with the Iowa USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, have scheduled a workshop to train service providers on how to use the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation 2 (RUSLE2) and the Iowa Phosphorus Index for use in nutrient management and manure management plans required by both the NRCS and the DNR. 

The workshop will be held on March 19, at the Carroll County Extension Office in Carroll, Iowa. The workshop starts at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m.

This workshop will provide training to service providers who are planning to work with livestock producers in developing nutrient and manure management plans. Livestock producers are welcome to attend.  Participants will learn where to find the necessary software and how to install it on their computers, how to determine critical field areas, and how to determine erosion rates using RUSLE2.

Online registration, program information and directions to the workshop are available at: www.ucs.iastate.edu/mnet/rusle2/home.html. Questions regarding the workshop should be directed to Kapil Arora at (515) 382-6551or Angie Rieck-Hinz at (515) 294-9590.

National Liners and Covers for Agricultural Waste Storage

Iowa State University's Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering department in cooperation with the Natural Resources Conservation Service and industry specialists is offering a national Liners and Covers for Agricultural Waste Storage Short Course March 25-27 in Fresno, CA.

The Liners and Covers course is designed for engineers, consultants, regulators, educators, and others who are involved in the selection, specification, design, installation, or testing of liner and cover systems for manure or waste storage systems. The course will focus on the selection, design, installation, and testing of both compact clay liners and geosynthetic waste storage system liners, as well as flexible membrane cover systems. Technical site tours are included as a part of the training. This course may be used for continuing education requirements for Professional Engineers and Technical Service Providers.

More Information

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