2002 Annual Report
Significant Accomplishments
Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Teaching, Research, and Outreach
- Awarded $28,000 in scholarships to undergraduate students from department funds held in the University of Minnesota Foundation.
- Graduated ten students with undergraduate degrees and five students with graduate degrees.
- Produced over 100 research and extension publications, 40 of which were refereed.
- Received almost $750,000 in new grants through activities of department faculty, staff, and students.
- Received three patents and applied for two others.
- Initiated an erosion/sediment control and management certification program for road construction personnel in partnership with Mn/DOT
- Offered a new on-site sewage treatment alternatives program for small communities.
- Demonstrated that radar-based sensing technologies have potential for automatic warning or machine shut down in hazardous situations.
- Initiated research on a process to simultaneously deodorize and reduce cholesterol in fats and oils.
- Initiated research on a process to reduce pesticides in fruits and vegetables.
- Demonstrated a liquefaction process to produce biopolymers from crop residues and fibrous byproducts.
- Initiated research in conjunction with entomologists using low temperatures to control insects in grain storages.
- Demonstrated that controlled drainage can reduce drainage volumes, and hence, nitrate losses from drained fields.
- Showed that placing subsurface drains at shallower depths (e.g. 3 ft. instead of 4 ft.) substantially reduces drainage volumes and nitrate losses.
- Enhanced understanding of erosion processes used in models to evaluate Total Maximum Daily Load (TDML) pollution guidelines.
- Initiated research on dairy wastewater treatment systems.
- Demonstrated that properly managed biofilters in livestock facilities can attain high efficiencies in removing odors, hydrogen sulfide, and ammonia.
- Initiated research on measuring physical and chemical properties of granular materials with a radio frequency (RF) sensor.
- Reached over 1000 individuals with drainage information through workshops, field days, and other meetings.
- Initiated training programs on the use of the Feedlot Evaluation Model (FLEval).
- Raised public awareness of biodegradable plastics by making approximately 60,000 starch-based biodegradable milk-shake spoons for distribution at the Minnesota State Fair by the University of Minnesota Gopher Dairy Club.
- Established that reducing solids content in swine manure reduces the level of odor generation.