Resource: Engineering & Technology for a Sustainable World articles from May 2002

Resource: Engineering & Technology for a Sustainable World archives from May 2002

Scientists battle cold weather mold.(Update)
May 1, 2002... Snow molds--dead grass usually caused by fungi--are common after winter snows. The molds not only turn golf courses from green to brown, but often are responsible for the destruction of other plants including winter wheat and evergreen trees....

Buried dams help clean recycled water.(Update)
May 1, 2002... Disease-causing microbes can effectively be eliminated from recycled water by storing it underground, says research scientists from the Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) in Australia. Researchers at CSIRO...

OSU professor puts the lid on stink.(Update)
May 1, 2002... An Oregon State University (OSU) professor has found a way to stop the stink in manure ponds by using the stuff of tennis shoes. Ron Miner, a professor of bioengineering at OSU, has spent much of his career developing effective ways to...

Hassle-free harvesting for baby greens.(Update)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Baby salad mixes offer an array of crisp, bite-sized greens. But harvesting the tiny plants can pose a problem for conventional and organic growers according to Eric Brennan, a research horticulturist with the Agricultural Research Service in...

Adhesive science can save timber resources.(Update)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The North American supply of large trees and timbers has diminished from harvest and environmental regulation, but the demand continues to rise. Chip Frazier, associate professor of wood science and forest products at Virginia Tech, is...

Atmospheric aerosols can brighten clouds.(Update)
May 1, 2002... Scientists at Purdue University and the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory have combined satellite measurements of cloud brightness, water content and other variables with model calculations of atmospheric aerosols to...

The latest in insect control: cotton candy.(Update)
May 1, 2002... One day farmers might exchange pesticides for an industrial grade polymer that looks and acts like cotton candy as a major weapon against onion maggots, cabbage maggots, corn earworms and other agricultural pests. Michael Hoffmann. Cornell...

Rubber produced from sunflowers?(Update)
May 1, 2002... Colorado State University is leading a team of researchers who plan to develop sunflowers into a rubber-producing crop, alleviating the harvest of rubber trees in Southeast Asia and Brazil--currently the only natural source of rubber in the...

Old drains, new challenges: Illinois engineers study base flow in tile-drained watersheds.
May 1, 2002... Tile-drainage systems are commonly used in many agricultural watersheds in the midwestern United States. In central Illinois, tile drains and ditches installed in mainly flat watersheds in the early 1850s drain wetlands that once spent much...

Cluster criteria: Auburn develops optical sensor for measuring discrete particle flows.
May 1, 2002... Two centuries ago, Italian scientist Giovanni Battista Venturi developed a mass flow measurement device for incompressible fluids based on the characteristic pressure drop that fluids exhibit when accelerated to a higher velocity. As this...

Fertilizer sense: new techniques boost nitrogen efficiency for corn.
May 1, 2002... Making nitrogen (N) fertilizer recommendations based on inadequate knowledge of a soil's N supply can lead to inefficient N use. Remote sensing techniques that use the crop to indicate its N status could help improve N management. ...

Streamlining processes: lab develops breakthroughs in food systems technology.(Pacific Northwest National Lab in Richland, WA, ultrasonic measurement techniques)
May 1, 2002... Process control problems can be costly for food processors managing expenses associated with raw ingredients and waste streams. These glitches can be solved faster and with less disruption to operations than previous methods by using...

Grants help fill lab with minority talent.(Business Briefs)(Texas A&M-Kingsville Citrus Center recruits Hispanic students)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Molecular biologist Eliezer Louzada arrived at his new job in the Lower Rio Grande Valley in 1997 with no idea it would be so difficult to hire people to work in his laboratory. Louzada, a Brazilian native, runs the citrus breeding program...

Donations put Cal Poly ag college in the money.(Business Briefs)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... A record year of donations is funding expansions to Cal Poly's College of Agriculture. Additions include: * A new dairy cattle and applied research and technology program, * new professors in plant biotechnology and poultry...

Cummins forms emissions business unit.(Business Briefs)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Cummins Inc. has unveiled a new venture within its filtration business unit to create and sell solutions to treat byproducts from engine combustion. Company officials say Fleetguard Emission Solutions technology will enable reciprocating...

Leaders in watershed protection to be honored.(Business Briefs)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Applications are being accepted for the 2002 CF Industries National Watershed Award, which recognizes corporate and community excellence in watershed protection. The application deadline is June 1, 2002. Each year, one corporation and...

New on the net.(Business Briefs; agricultural websites)
May 1, 2002... The grasshopper CD project--www.sidney.ars.usda.gov/grasshopper/index.htm The USDA Agricultural Research Service has developed a CD-ROM and Web site to provide land managers with pest management resources to help them deal with...

Deere to close Illinois manufacturing plant.(Business Briefs)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Deere & Company recently announced plans to close its Phoenix International facility in Springfield. Ill., later this year. Deere officials say operations performed by the Springfield plant will be eliminated, outsourced or consolidated...

NCGA project focuses on "E-diesel" research.(Business Briefs; National Corn Growers' Association)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Ethanol-blended diesel fuel (E-diesel) commercialization took a step forward recently as a new research project partnership formed among several industry and non-profit organizations. The partners are the National Corn Growers Association...

Ag industry seeks to improve public image.(Business Briefs; agriculture)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... This spring, farmers were advised in an Ag Day program to look at emerging issues and set their agendas in advance to avoid becoming "media road kill." The Ag Day event brought two panels--one of farm producers from across the country and...

Award to recognize fossil fuel advances.(Business Briefs)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Fossil Energy will recognize the United States' most outstanding fossil fuel scientist or engineer chosen by peers. The office has reinstituted its Homer H. Lowry Award to provide a $25,000 prize...

AGCO takes over Challenger tractor line.(Business Briefs)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... AGCO Corp., a worldwide designer, manufacturer and distributor of agricultural equipment, recently purchased the design, assembly and marketing rights of the new MT Series of Caterpillar's Challenger high-tech farm tractors. Merlin Van...

Funds increase to reduce world's pollution.(Business Briefs)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The World Bank's Prototype Carbon Fund is expanding its carbon emissions reduction reach in developing countries by increasing its subscribed capital from $145 million to $180 million. The two-year-old fund aims to bring financing and...

Fertilizer sales could increase this year.(Business Briefs)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Terra Industries Inc. of Sioux City, Iowa, recently found via a survey of more than 850 corn growers that nitrogen fertilizer consumption will increase in 2002 as farmers plant more corn. Growers in 13 states with operations of various...

Compact system treats waste where it happens.(Business Briefs)
May 1, 2002... A treatment system that can be taken to where people are creating wastewater will debut at a Virginia pump station in June. The compact unit, developed with the help of a Small Business Innovation Research grant from the U.S. Army, is the...

DOE promotes new power generation options.(Business Briefs; Department of Energy)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has contracted with five energy service companies to use biomass and alternative methane to generate power. Under these agreements, biomass includes dedicated energy crops and trees, agricultural crop...

Lumber industry seeks treatment alternatives.(Business Briefs)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... With the recent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decision to phase out lumber treated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA) the building industry must find an alternative to protect wood structures from termites, fungi and other...

Chinese engineering connection.(Inside ASAE; Association of Overseas Chinese Agricultural Engineers)
May 1, 2002... In 1948, 19 Chinese agricultural engineering pioneers studying in the United States formed the first Association of Overseas Chinese agricultural engineers (AOC) in Stockton, Calif. On July 31, 2001, more than 100 professionals of Chinese...

ASAE's technical expertise database now available: ASAE president R. Wayne Skaggs, North Carolina State University.(A Word from the President; American Society of Agricultural Engineers)
May 1, 2002... ASAE has entered a new era of service to members via electronic connectivity through the Web. Available online to members are an increasing number of valuable tools, data and publications. They include the ASAE Member Roster with its...

2002 election results of ASAE officers.(Inside ASAE; American Society of Agricultural Engineers)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... President-Elect ('02-'03) Robert J. Gustafson Board of Trustees ('02-'04) At Large--Douglas M. Durant At Large--John W. Hummel At Large--Harvey B. Manbeck At Large--Eileen F. Wheeler Nominating Committee...

Cooperative standards program.(Inside ASAE; agricultural engineering)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Revised Standards EP329.1 MAR02, Single-Phase Rural Distribution Service for Motors and Phase Converters, that is the revision of EP 329 JAN01, Single-Phase Rural Distribution Service for Motors and Phase Converters. S575.1 MAR02, Farm...

Nominations sought for 2003 ASAE election.(Inside ASAE; American Socirty of Agricultural Engineers)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The ASAE Nominating Committee is seeking nominees for several ASAE offices. The committee is responsible for recommending candidates for: Board of Trustees * 2004-2005 ASAE President. This candidate should be an industry person who...

Environmental Design Student Competition to showcase on-site performance at joint ASAE-CIGR meeting in Chicago.(Inside ASAE; American Society of Agricultural Engineers)
May 1, 2002... The 2002 Environmental Design Student Competition will take place at the joint ASAE-CIGR meeting in Chicago. This year, the competition has added an on-site performance category to the judging. Student teams, serving as student consultants to...

Nebraska wins Teaching Award.(Inside ASAE)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The Department of Biological Systems Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, recently received the University-wide Departmental Teaching Award. This award recognizes a department within the university that has demonstrated outstanding...

Total Maximum Daily Load Environmental Regulations.(Professional Development; agriculture conference)
May 1, 2002... More than 250 participants attended the Watershed Management to Meet Emerging Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Environmental Regulations Conference and Exhibition, March 10-14, in Fort Worth, Texas. Two workshops preceded the conference--The...

World Congress of Computers in Agriculture and Natural Resources.(Professional Development)
May 1, 2002... The World Conference of Computers in Agriculture and Natural Resources was held March 13-15, at Iguacu Falls, Brazil, with 239 attendees. This conference was a joint effort by many organizations worldwide to bring experts together to share...

Richard S. Gates, P.E.(Member News)(appointed by University of Kentucky. College of Agriculture)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Richard S. Gates, P.E., has been named chair of the biosystems and agricultural engineering department at the University of Kentucky effective April 1. He has been a member of ASAE for 19 years. Gates earned his bachelor's degree in...

Claude Lague, P.E.(Member News)(appointed dean of the college at University of Saskatchewan )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Claude Lague, P.E., has been appointed dean of the college of engineering at the University of Saskatchewan effective July 1. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Lague is professor in the department of agricultural and bioresource engineering and...

Michael A. Zoebisch.(Member News)(appointed by World Association of Soil and Water Conservation)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Michael A. Zoebisch has been appointed deputy president of the World Association of Soil and Water Conservation for 2002-2004. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Zoebisch is associate professor of Integrated Watershed Management at the Asian...

Rodney D. Zimmerman.(Member News)(received 2002 Wisconsin Section of the ASAE Young Engineer Award)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Rodney D. Zimmerman, project engineer with Miller St. Nazianz Inc., was recently presented with the 2002 Wisconsin Section of the ASAE Young Engineer Award. Zimmerman was recognized for his outstanding work in the design and development of...

Joel T. Walker, P.E.(In Memoriam)(Obituary)
May 1, 2002... Joel T. Walker, P.E., 48, of Columbus, Ohio, died March 21 of a heart attack. He had been a member of ASAE for 23 years. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Walker received a bachelor degree in agricultural engineering from the University of...

Disability income plan premium credit.(Inside ASAE; American Society of Agricultural Engineers)
May 1, 2002... Members insured in the ASAE disability income plan as of April 30, 2002, will receive a premium credit of 30 percent of their premium due for the policy year May 1, 2002 through April 30, 2003. This premium credit will effectively lower the...

Events calendar.(Inside ASAE)(Calendar)
May 1, 2002... ASAE Conferences and International Meetings To receive more information about ASAE conferences and meetings, contact Brenda West at 800-371-2723, 616-428-6327 or west@asae.org. For the complete list, see...

Top 10 reasons to contribute to the ASAE publications legacy fund.(ASAE Online; American Society of Agricultural Engineers)
May 1, 2002... On Jan. 1, 2001, ASAE launched a new electronic library. The full text of all ASAE technical publications since that date is available online to ASAE members and those with site licenses. It would be very desirable to bring materials...

ASAE Technical Library.(ASAE Online)(American Society of Agricultural Engineers )(Brief Article)(Bibliography)
May 1, 2002... Check out the latest additions to the ASAE Technical Library: * Applied Engineering in Agriculture, Vol. 18, Issue 2. * Journal of Agricultural Safety and Health, Vol. 6, Issue 2. * Proceedings--Computers in Agriculture and Natural...

Complete ASAE-CIGR meeting program available online.(ASAE Online)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Need a complete listing of paper titles, authors, room numbers and times? The online version of the program for the upcoming ASAE Annual International Meeting and CIGR World Congress offers enhanced details not included in the printed copy...

Models IR400 and IR500 infrared temperature thermometers.(From the Manufacturers)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Models IR400 and IR500 Infrared Temperature Thermometers can safely measure hot, hazardous or hard-to-reach materials without affecting or contaminating the material's surface. The Model IR400 has a single point laser sighting, and a...

PXR3 controller.(From the Manufacturers)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... PXR3 Controller offers a wide variety of inputs and outputs, plus a 16-segment ramp-soak profile. A new option is the program configuration loader with Windows[R]-based software. Remote monitoring of up to 31 controllers at a time is possible....

BOS-S sensor signal adaptors.(From the Manufacturers)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... BOS-S Sensor Signal Adaptors provide counter, timer and signal inverter functions for automotive, packaging, material handling and food/beverage applications. Compatible with any sensor that has a four-pin micro-style DS connector, these...

Series MIL mini in-line IR sensor.(From the Manufacturers)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Series MIL Mini In-line IR Sensor is a miniature, low-cost, accurate and easy to install temperature measurement system that performs as well as much larger systems. It is designed for applications with temperature ranges from -40[degrees]F to...

HLP-10 hyperlogger power plus.(From the Manufacturers)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... HLP-10 HyperLogger Power Plus is the first self-contained, easy-to-use instrument that can measure both the power consumption of a device and the resulting equipment output, enabling engineers to calculate system efficiency. The unit logs AC...

Tree supply and demand: globally, forests face uncertain future.(Last Word)
May 1, 2002... All signs indicate that we do not have enough forests in the world to fulfill current and future demands on a global scale. There may not be a physical shortage of forests, but different types of demands for trees and land will be difficult...