Progress 05/24/10 to 09/30/13
Outputs
Target Audience:
Nothing Reported
Changes/Problems: Was deployed to Afghanistan for from December 2012 through mid-November 2013, so no accomplishments for current reporting period. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? OUTPUTS: Activities included conducting and analyzing experiments on (1) cotton plants and soils to develop sensors related to the cotton root rot disease and (2) algae to develop sensors for measuring lipid and nutrient content. Activities also involved teaching the following graduate course at Texas A&M University: BAEN 689, Optoelectronic Sensor Design for Agricultural and Biological Applications. Events included attending and presenting research at the following conferences and workshops: (1) American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, Louisville, KY, August 2011; (2) Agricultural Equipment Technology Conference, Atlanta, GA, February 2011; (3) Texas State Support Committee Meeting, Lubbock, TX, December 2011; (4) Texas Plant Protection Conference, Bryan, TX, October, 2011; (5) European Conference on Precision Agriculture, Prague, Czechoslovakia, July 2011; and (6) 1st International Conference on Algal Biomass, Biofuels and Bioproducts, St. Louis, MO, July, 2011. Products include the following: (1) a prototype instrument for measuring Nile Red fluorescence of algae as an indicator of lipid content; (2) a computer model that calculates the effects of various cotton lint-cleaning variables on fiber quality and bale value; (3) collaborations with counterparts in Mexico, Morocco, Florida, Georgia, and TAMU's MEEN department; (4) completion of master of science degree in BAEN by Vince Schielack. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Yes, all research has been published to the scientific community and presented at technical conferences to audiences of scientists and technology users. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
2010: The cotton module-tracking system makes it possible to link data collected with the system together with cotton classing data, enabling the creation of fiber-quality maps. It was shown that the automated wireless module-tracking system could be adapted to a commercial farming operation to provide geospatial data for the purpose of mapping fiber quality, revenue, and profit. The optical-density sensor for algae can enable automated control of an algae production system for biofuels. With the potential growth of bioenergy and algae in particular, this type of instrumentation is a critical element in moving forward with industrial-scale production. The grain tracers resulting from our research will have great potential for application in a comprehensive grain-tracing system. Grain can be sampled at any point in the supply chain, and a tracer particle can be removed and scanned for information on its origin. 2011: 1. Results of research with algae have led to new knowledge regarding sensing techniques for lipid content. Specifically, optimal protocols for maximizing Nile Red fluorescence and techniques with FTIR-ATR instruments have been developed. This is an important result in the development of systems for industrial algae production processes. 2. Furthermore, our research in cotton fiber-quality variability has led to the first publication that apportions revenue variability between yield and fiber quality. This result is important in showing farmers that fiber quality is a significant factor in profitability and should be considered even in the farm field. 3. Our work in modeling lint cleaners is web-ready and thus becoming available to ginners and researchers for considering how to process their cotton for maximum quality and profitability. 2012: Dr. J. Alex Thomasson was called to active military duty in December 2012, and is currently overseas. We expect him to return to the department sometime in Fall 2013. I request that his AD-421 be marked to indicate his active military service and that his report will be delayed until sometime later in the year. Per: Stephen W. Searcy, P.E. Professor and Head
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2011
Citation:
Sjolander, A. J., J. A. Thomasson, R. Sui, and Y. Ge. 2011. Wireless tracking of cotton modules. Part 1: automatic message triggering. Comput. Electron. Agric. 75(1):23-33.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2011
Citation:
Sjolander, A. J., J. A. Thomasson, R. Sui, and Y. Ge. 2011. Wireless tracking of cotton modules. Part 2: automatic machine identification and system testing. Comput. Electron. Agric. 75(1):34-43.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2011
Citation:
Sui, R., B. E. Hartley, J. M. Gibson, C.Yang, J. A. Thomasson, and S. W. Searcy. 2011. High-biomass sorghum yield estimate with aerial imagery. J. Appl. Remote Sens. 5(3523):1-9.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2011
Citation:
Ge, Y., J. A. Thomasson, and R. Sui. 2011. Remote sensing of soil properties in precision agriculture: a review. Front. Earth Sci. (DOI: 10.1007/s11707-011-0175-0).
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2011
Citation:
Ge, Y., J. A. Thomasson, R. Sui, and J. R. Wooten. 2011. Regression-kriging for characterizing soils with remote sensing data. Front. Earth Sci. (DOI: 10.1007/s11707-011-0174-1).
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2011
Citation:
Ge, Y., J. A. Thomasson, C. L. S. Morgan, S. Stanislav, and R. Sui. 2011. Cotton revenue apportioned between lint yield and fiber quality: a precision agriculture perspective. J. Cotton Sci. 15:274-281.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2010
Citation:
Schielack, V. P., III, J. A. Thomasson, R. Sui, C. L. S. Morgan, and E. Hequet. 2010. Improvement of a harvester based, multispectral, seed cotton fiber quality sensor. ASABE Paper No. 1009412. St. Joseph, Mich.: ASABE.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2010
Citation:
Lee, K. M., P. R. Armstrong, J. A. Thomasson, B. Sui, M. Casada and T. J. Herrman. 2010. Development and characterization of food-grade tracers for the global grain tracing and recall system. J. Agric. Food Chem. 58(20):10945-10957.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2010
Citation:
Schielack, V. P., III, J. A. Thomasson, R. Sui, C. L. S. Morgan, and E. Hequet. 2010. Improvement of a harvester based, multispectral, seed cotton fiber quality sensor. In Proc. Beltwide Cotton Conf. Memphis, Tenn.: Nat. Cotton Council Am.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2010
Citation:
Ge, Y., J. A. Thomasson, and R. Sui. 2010. Cotton fiber quality characterization with Vis-NIR reflectance spectroscopy: toward an optimal sensor. In Proc. Beltwide Cotton Conf. Memphis, Tenn.: Nat. Cotton Council Am.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2010
Citation:
Thomasson, J. A., Y. Yao, Y. Ge, and R. Sui. 2010. Toward on-line measurement of algal properties. ASABE Paper No. 1009359. St. Joseph, Mich.: ASABE.
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Progress 01/01/12 to 12/31/12
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Dr. J. Alex Thomasson was called to active military duty in December 2012, and is currently overseas. We expect him to return to the department sometime in Fall 2013. I request that his AD-421 be marked to indicate his active military service and that his report will be delayed until sometime later in the year. Per: Stephen W. Searcy, P.E. Professor and Head PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
Dr. J. Alex Thomasson was called to active military duty in December 2012, and is currently overseas. We expect him to return to the department sometime in Fall 2013. I request that his AD-421 be marked to indicate his active military service and that his report will be delayed until sometime later in the year. Per: Stephen W. Searcy, P.E. Professor and Head
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/11 to 12/31/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Activities included conducting and analyzing experiments on (1) cotton plants and soils to develop sensors related to the cotton root rot disease and (2) algae to develop sensors for measuring lipid and nutrient content. Activities also involved teaching the following graduate course at Texas A&M University: BAEN 689, Optoelectronic Sensor Design for Agricultural and Biological Applications. Events included attending and presenting research at the following conferences and workshops: (1) American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, Louisville, KY, August 2011; (2) Agricultural Equipment Technology Conference, Atlanta, GA, February 2011; (3) Texas State Support Committee Meeting, Lubbock, TX, December 2011; (4) Texas Plant Protection Conference, Bryan, TX, October, 2011; (5) European Conference on Precision Agriculture, Prague, Czechoslovakia, July 2011; and (6) 1st International Conference on Algal Biomass, Biofuels and Bioproducts, St. Louis, MO, July, 2011. Products include the following: (1) a prototype instrument for measuring Nile Red fluorescence of algae as an indicator of lipid content; (2) a computer model that calculates the effects of various cotton lint-cleaning variables on fiber quality and bale value; (3) collaborations with counterparts in Mexico, Morocco, Florida, Georgia, and TAMU's MEEN department; (4) completion of master of science degree in BAEN by Vince Schielack. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
1. Results of research with algae have led to new knowledge regarding sensing techniques for lipid content. Specifically, optimal protocols for maximizing Nile Red fluorescence and techniques with FTIR-ATR instruments have been developed. This is an important result in the development of systems for industrial algae production processes. 2. Furthermore, our research in cotton fiber-quality variability has led to the first publication that apportions revenue variability between yield and fiber quality. This result is important in showing farmers that fiber quality is a significant factor in profitability and should be considered even in the farm field. 3. Our work in modeling lint cleaners is web-ready and thus becoming available to ginners and researchers for considering how to process their cotton for maximum quality and profitability.
Publications
- Sjolander, A. J., J. A. Thomasson, R. Sui, and Y. Ge. 2011. Wireless tracking of cotton modules. Part 1: automatic message triggering. Comput. Electron. Agric. 75(1):23-33.
- Sjolander, A. J., J. A. Thomasson, R. Sui, and Y. Ge. 2011. Wireless tracking of cotton modules. Part 2: automatic machine identification and system testing. Comput. Electron. Agric. 75(1):34-43.
- Sui, R., B. E. Hartley, J. M. Gibson, C.Yang, J. A. Thomasson, and S. W. Searcy. 2011. High-biomass sorghum yield estimate with aerial imagery. J. Appl. Remote Sens. 5(3523):1-9.
- Ge, Y., J. A. Thomasson, and R. Sui. 2011. Remote sensing of soil properties in precision agriculture: a review. Front. Earth Sci. (DOI: 10.1007/s11707-011-0175-0).
- Ge, Y., J. A. Thomasson, R. Sui, and J. R. Wooten. 2011. Regression-kriging for characterizing soils with remote sensing data. Front. Earth Sci. (DOI: 10.1007/s11707-011-0174-1).
- Ge, Y., J. A. Thomasson, C. L. S. Morgan, S. Stanislav, and R. Sui. 2011. Cotton revenue apportioned between lint yield and fiber quality: a precision agriculture perspective. J. Cotton Sci. 15:274-281.
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Progress 01/01/10 to 12/31/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: A wireless cotton-module tracking system was developed including automatic wireless-message triggering and the ability to function with multiple harvesting machines of the same type in the same field. This sensing and control system was added to a harvester to indicate when the machine is dumping a basket load of cotton so that wireless messages can be automatically sent from the harvester to subsequent field machines. An RFID system was also incorporated, and it enabled the wireless module-tracking system to correctly and consistently differentiate among various harvesting vehicles. The automated system was field tested, and it ultimately operated as designed, without human intervention. The improved wireless module-tracking system subsequently sent wireless messages to the correct machines when cotton transfers were made in the presence of multiple harvest machines. Overall testing proved that the automated wireless module-tracking system worked largely as designed. When both complete and partial cotton basket dumps were simulated, the correct wireless-messaging decision was made 100% of the time. We also developed an opto-electronic sensor for measuring cotton fiber quality during harvesting. Related to this research, Vince Schielack completed the requirements for his M.S. degree in Biological & Agricultural Engineering. An opto-electronic sensor was developed for the purpose of measuring optical density of algae in real time in situ. A prototype was built and proved to be very accurate, with an R-squared value greater than 0.98 when compared to laboratory optical-density measurements. The prototype also worked very well in a field test in which the range of optical-density values measured was limited. We developed a tracer particle that can be inserted into grain at the point of harvest. We produced two types of tracers with a pharmaceutical-grade tablet press: one composed of a particular starch and sugar combination, and the other composed of a particular sugar-based material. Both types are food-grade and contain no protein, minimizing concerns about allergic reactions. Research on hardness of the tracers has shown them to resist breakage that might occur during mechanical delivery of tracers into grain and as they flow along with grain. The surface texture of the tracers enables them to be marked with ID codes that can be read by opto-electronic devices. Printing technologies are being developed for imprinting tracers with codes that are durable, readable, and carry adequate information. PARTICIPANTS: Vince Schielack, Graduate Research Assistant, Biological & Agricultural Engineering, Texas A&M University. Yufeng Ge, Research Assistant Professor, Biological & Agricultural Engineering, Texas A&M University. Yao Yao, Graduate Research Assistant, Biological & Agricultural Engineering, Texas A&M University. Tim Herrman, Director, Office of Texas State Chemist, Texas A&M University. Kyung-min Lee, Research Scientist, Office of Texas State Chemist, Texas A&M University. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The cotton module-tracking system makes it possible to link data collected with the system together with cotton classing data, enabling the creation of fiber-quality maps. It was shown that the automated wireless module-tracking system could be adapted to a commercial farming operation to provide geospatial data for the purpose of mapping fiber quality, revenue, and profit. The optical-density sensor for algae can enable automated control of an algae production system for biofuels. With the potential growth of bioenergy and algae in particular, this type of instrumentation is a critical element in moving forward with industrial-scale production. The grain tracers resulting from our research will have great potential for application in a comprehensive grain-tracing system. Grain can be sampled at any point in the supply chain, and a tracer particle can be removed and scanned for information on its origin.
Publications
- Schielack, V. P., III, J. A. Thomasson, R. Sui, C. L. S. Morgan, and E. Hequet. 2010. Improvement of a harvester based, multispectral, seed cotton fiber quality sensor. ASABE Paper No. 1009412. St. Joseph, Mich.: ASABE.
- Lee, K. M., P. R. Armstrong, J. A. Thomasson, B. Sui, M. Casada and T. J. Herrman. 2010. Development and characterization of food-grade tracers for the global grain tracing and recall system. J. Agric. Food Chem. 58(20):10945-10957.
- Schielack, V. P., III, J. A. Thomasson, R. Sui, C. L. S. Morgan, and E. Hequet. 2010. Improvement of a harvester based, multispectral, seed cotton fiber quality sensor. In Proc. Beltwide Cotton Conf. Memphis, Tenn.: Nat. Cotton Council Am.
- Ge, Y., J. A. Thomasson, and R. Sui. 2010. Cotton fiber quality characterization with Vis-NIR reflectance spectroscopy: toward an optimal sensor. In Proc. Beltwide Cotton Conf. Memphis, Tenn.: Nat. Cotton Council Am.
- Thomasson, J. A., Y. Yao, Y. Ge, and R. Sui. 2010. Toward on-line measurement of algal properties. ASABE Paper No. 1009359. St. Joseph, Mich.: ASABE.
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