UK Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Extension Newsletter Spring 2019 Issue 6

BAE EXTENSION

Photo courtesy of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.

BIOSYSTEMS AND AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING

Stay Safe When Extracting Stuck Equipment

By Mark Purschwitz, Ph.D. Extension Professor Agricultural Safety and Health With spring around the corner farmers everywhere will be dealing with muddy fields and stuck equipment. Unfortunately, people have been seriously injured or even killed while extracting stuck equipment, so it is not a subject to be taken lightly.

ISSUE 6

SPRING 2019 IN THIS ISSUE STAY SAFE WHEN EXTRACTING STUCK EQUIPMENT GEOSPATIAL TOOLS FOR FARMSTEAD PLANNING AND RECORDKEEPING KYH2O PODCAST LAUNCHES UNDERSTANDING WATER PRESSURE ENERGY SAVINGS ON KENTUCKY DAIRY FARMS

Perhaps the best way to illustrate the risk is to read a WET YEAR. WET WINTER. WILL IT concise, well-written 2006 investigative report about STOP? a 38-year-old South Dakota volunteer firefighter who died during an extraction of a stuck fire truck from a soybean field. An undersized shackle on the tractor failed; the photos alone are worth a thousand words. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/ face200622.html Danger in a Flying Clevis If that is not enough, watch what a flying clevis can do to a tree in this 39-second demonstration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxQy1E4CCWs University of Kentucky Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY BIOSYSTEMS AND AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING

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Photos courtesy of Brian Volland, UK College of Agriculture.

Or, watch a farmer’s-eye view of a rebounding rope after bolts on a truck tow hook failed (the second half of the 53-second video is in slow motion): https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/ news-opinion/news/local/flying-hook-nearly-hitsfarmer/ Resources for Safe Extractions Fortunately, there are excellent resources to provide guidance for safe extractions. First up is a 15-minute online educational video developed by county extension agents Curtis Dame and Darrell Simpson and UK Agricultural Communications Services: “Proper and Improper Equipment Extraction Techniques.” https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=PsRxfSRUlEk&feature=youtu.be Second is a 96-page downloadable guide from Purdue University, “Extracting Stuck Equipment Safely – How to Avoid Expensive and Painful Incidents,” referenced in the aforementioned video. Outside of professional recovery training materials, it is probably the most complete guide available on the subject. It can be downloaded here, or purchased as a glossy book if desired:

https://mdc.itap.purdue.edu/item.asp?itemID=21020 Use the Right Gear One big takeaway point from both the video and the guide is use of the right gear. For example, recovery straps and tow straps are two different products, and if a strap is used for stuck equipment, it should be a recovery strap, not a tow strap. The latter is much more likely to fail and cause a dangerous situation.

Pay Attention to the Condition of Your Gear A second big takeaway point is the importance of the condition of the gear. Sometimes chains on farms are have been weakened by wear, abuse, or corrosion. Chains cannot be bolted together; in fact, bolts have no place in recovery operations, especially in place of pins. Straps may be cut, worn, or knotted, all of which are problems.

The Purdue guide is full color and filled with fascinating photos. To provide additional incentive to download and use the guide, here is the table of contents:

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• There’s More to Equipment Extraction than Hooking and Pulling • When an Unstoppable Force Meets an Immovable Object • A Lucky Pull • Just Because You Can Doesn’t Mean You Should • Know What You’re Dealing With • Communicate With the Recovery Team • Understand the Zones of Extraction and Forces of Resistance • Choose the Right Connecting Equipment • Check Attachment Device Ratings • Tips for Recovering Vehicles or Equipment • Remain Calm • What to Do if Bad Things Happen • Properly Inspect, Clean, and Store Recovery Devices • Inspect Equipment Post-Recovery • Take Action Today • Conclusion • Acknowledgments • Disclaimer In Summary

Preventing serious injury or death, or property damage, while recovering stuck vehicles requires the right equipment and proper technique.

Preparation, by viewing the UK Extension video and reading the Purdue guide, is the best way to prepare for muddy conditions.

References University of Kentucky video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsRxfSRUlEk&feature=youtu.be Purdue University guide: https://www.extension. purdue.edu/extmedia/PPP/PPP-98.pdf CDC investigatory report: https://www.cdc.gov/ niosh/fire/reports/face200622.html Youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=sxQy1E4CCWs Manitoba Co-Operator: https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/news-opinion/news/local/flyinghook-nearly-hits-farmer/ Mark Purschwitz, Ph.D., is an Extension Professor in Agricultural Safety and Health.

Photo courtesy of Brian Volland, UK College of Agriculture.

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Geospatial Tools for Farmstead Planning and Recordkeeping

By Josh Jackson, Ph.D. Assistant Extension Professor Livestock Systems Geospatial tools can be very helpful for farmstead planning and recordkeeping. Geospatial tools can be used for tracking assets, measuring pasture area, and distances. A list of some of the available options is provided in Table 1; all have capabilities that lend them to different uses. For instance, Google Maps can be used to quickly find distance and area measurements. Once the program is open, simply right click at a point of interest on the map. A drop-down list will appear. From the drop-down list that appears, select “Measure Distance.” Left-click to measure the desired points.

If you completely enclose the points, it will give you the area in square feet or meters. With Google Maps you can only measure one area at a time.

Kentucky’s Base Map Another option is to use Commonwealth Map, or Kentucky’s Base Map. The KY Base Map allows

Table 1. Different geospatial tool options. you to measure the distance and area of multiple pastures or fields. Additionally, you can specify the units used for measurement of length of area, saving some time from having to convert between different units. You can also differentiate your fields by using different colors. (Figure 1).

AgSite Another tool that gives you a little more information is the Ag Site Assessment Tool (AgSite) from the University of Missouri Extension. This is a good site to use when considering purchasing a property or for general analysis. The AgSite will provide the area, central locations, hydrologic summary (stream length, water bodies, wetlands, and 12-digit hydrologic unit code (often referred to as an HUC), soil characterization and productivity, environmental concerns (endangered species,

Figure 1. Fields can be indicated with different colors using the Commonwealth Map. University of Kentucky Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

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Polygons are useful for assessing pastures — both area and boundary fencing. Within Google Earth, there are two main file types: KML and KMZ. KMZ files provide more data, because images can also be embedded in the data.

Figure 2. A wind rose provides the magnitude and direction the wind is coming from. flood hazards, and karst geography), and climate (temperature, precipitation {monthly and annual}, and wind rose {7-year average}) (Figure 2) for the area of interest identified.

Google Earth Pro files can be created by the farmer and shared with agriculture and natural resource agents or other extension personnel.

For instance, knowing waterer location, pasture size, shade options, and overall boundaries would help them assess rotational grazing strategies (Figure 3). File organization would be important as all of the pastures within a close geographic area or directly adjacent could be located in the same file folder. Making quick inferences between

Google Earth Pro Google Earth Pro, which can be downloaded for free, is another option for obtaining measurements. Unlike the other mapping tools discussed, Google Earth Pro allows for producers to save their data. Similar to other professional geospatial tools, different aspects of the farm can be represented using points, lines, and polygons.

Points are good for indicating the location of waterers, feeders, or other unique features. Lines

Figure 4. Entering data into Google Earth Pro using properties.

Figure 3. Layout of pastures and waterers in Google Earth Pro. are good for representing and measuring boundary or interior fencing, water lines, or other paths.

farms could be easier. From a record-keeping standpoint, basic information about the soil quality or yields could be saved within the data. Soil sample properties for each year could be recorded in Google Earth (Figure 4). For livestock producers, Google Earth Pro could provide an additional way to quickly reference and record what is taking place on the farm.

All of these geospatial tools can help a farmer or producer create data-rich representations of their property. Some farmers may

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find that there is a learning curve with geospatial mapping but farmstead planning and recordkeeping can be enhanced by recording multiple layers of data for reference or future use.

Josh Jackson, Ph.D., is an Assistant Extension Professor in Livestock Systems Engineering.

A Learning Experience The KYH2O podcast is more than just a listening experience, it’s a learning experience. With interactive transcripts and an Explore More section, on the podcast’s website, listeners can find

KYH2O Podcast Launches

By Carmen Agouridis, Ph.D., PE, M.P.P. Associate Extension Professor Bioenvironmental Engineering In February 2019, Amanda Gumbert (UK CAFE Agriculture and Natural Resources), Brian Volland (UK CAFE Agricultural Communications Services), and I launched the KYH2O podcast series. KYH2O is a podcast about all things water in Kentucky and covers a wide range of topics of relevance to Kentuckians.

Conversations with Experts For each episode, we travel to the field to speak with an expert. Our first podcast features UK CAFE Entomology Extension Specialist Blake Newton teaching a group of children how to sample aquatic macroinvertebrates in the Dix River.

Our second episode took us to Raven Run Nature Sanctuary where Dr. Steve Price (UK CAFE Forestry and Natural Resources Department) lead us on an excursion for the streamside salamander. In future podcasts, we explore water-related topics, of natural resources and/or cultural importance, such as geology and bourbon, trees and stormwater, stream restoration, bottle water, and home irrigation. We welcome suggestions from our listeners on future podcast topics.

Carmen Agouridis’ student records data from a local stream. Photo courtesy of UK College of Agriculture. topic-relevant materials such as UK Cooperative Extension Service publications, videos, websites, and social media pages. For example, our podcast on aquatic macroinvertebrates with Blake Newton, the Explore More section contains links to the publication ID-228 Aquatic Macroinvertebrates: Biological Indicators of Stream Health, a video on a dragonfly larva attaching a mosquito larva, and a link to the Kentucky Critter Files.

Interested in Podcasts?

Interested in starting your own podcast? Our recent interview with WUKY’s Alay Lytle includes information on how we started KYH2O along with some lessons learned, even at this early stage. If you have questions, feel free to reach out to me at carmen.agouridis@uky.edu.

Subscribe to KYH2O through the Podbean app, iTunes, or through our website at https://www. uky.edu/bae/kyh2o.

Carmen Agouridis, Ph.D., PE, M.P.P., is an Associate Extension Professor in Bioenvironmental Engineering.

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Understanding Water Pressure

By Morgan Hayes, Ph.D., PE Assistant Extension Professor Livestock Systems Water pressure can be a challenge on farms due to improperly sized pipes, too many supplemental pipes to watering systems, too many fittings, or even issues with city water supply or meters influencing pressure. Both high and low pressure are challenging. High pressure creates leaks in the system and can even burst pipes. Low pressure creates challenges with household appliances and slows refill rates on watering tanks for animals.

Photo courtesy of Lee Moser.

tion in pressure. Increasing the length of lines can therefore reduce pressure at the end of the line, which will thereby reduce the flow rate available One of the main challenges on farms is the distance water has to travel to reach the point where at a house or tank at the end of the line. Keep in mind water delivered from a municipal supply it is delivered to the home or water tank. In order will vary based on your local line, but is often for water to reach the final destination a minibetween 40 and 50 pounds per square inch (psi). mum level of pressure needs to be maintained in It is not suggested that a watering system on a the water lines. This pressure provides the force to move the volumes of water needed to the final farm operate with incoming pressures above 75 to 80 psi. Additionally, the design should allow for destination. As water moves through the lines or at least 10 psi available at the ends of the lines. pipes, the movement is restricted by the friction Often pressure regulators are installed near the along the edge of the pipe, which causes a reducmeters in rural Table 1. Pressure drop (friction loss) in psi for 100 feet of plastic pipe at given nominal lines if pressures diameters. Values from MWPS-14 “Private Water Systems.� tend to vary greatly; a pressure regulator or pressure sensor could be a good investment for managing water supplied by local water district.

Table 1 shows how much pressure is lost as friction in 100 feet of plastic pipe with different diameters.

Delivery Distance

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What flow rate is needed?

MENTS/nrcs144p2_010859.xls

The second consideration people need to address is what kind of flow rate may need on their farm.

A lot of systems are designed to meet or maintain flow rates for either a house or a water tank, but occasionally they are not designed to provide enough capacity for both. Many people will set a target of approximately 8-10 gallons per minute for a house flow; however if animals are drinking off the tank in the house using water at the same time, a flow rate of at least 8 gallons per minute may not be adequate for both systems. Most would hope to have 5 to 10 gallons per minute at the furthest tank in the watering system in addition to the 8 to 10 gallons per minute at the house. There are a number of articles and resources to assist with sizing pipes to reduce pressure loss through the lines and some materials for sizing pumps on well systems.

University of Missouri Extension Publication “Pumps and Watering Systems for Managed Beef Grazing” is available at: https://extension2.missouri.edu/eq380 Midwest Plan Service’s Publication MWPS-14 “Private Water Systems” is available at: https://www-mwps.sws.iastate.edu/catalog/water-septic-systems/private-water-systems-pdf University of Kentucky’s ID-143 “Rotational Grazing” and AEN-133 “Tire Tanks for Watering Livestock” are available at: http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agcomm/pubs/id/id143/ id143.pdf http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agcomm/pubs/AEN/133/ AEN133.pdf

Resources An NRCS Excel sheet to assist in sizing pipes is available at: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCU-

Morgan Hayes, Ph.D., PE, is an Assistant Extension Professor in Livestock Systems.

Energy Savings on Kentucky Dairy Farms

ergy source and requires electricity to run pumps and motors to milk cows, transport and cool milk, and provide lighting and ventilation for milk parlors and loafing barns.

By Sam McNeill, Ph.D., PE Extension Professor Food and Bioprocess Engineering

Energy Saving Improvements

and

By Doug Overhults, Ph.D., PE Extension Professor Emeritus Controlled Environment Engineering Production from 56,000 dairy cows generated just over 1 billion pounds of milk and $195 million (~$3500 per cow) in 2017, placing the industry as the fourth highest livestock enterprise that contributes to Kentucky’s agricultural economy. Dairy production is highly dependent on a reliable en-

In 2016-2018 Cooperative Extension Service engineers led projects to help 82 farmers (including 21 dairies) identify potential energy saving improvements for their operations. At the same time, USDA Rural Development and the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board have made costshare funds available annually for agricultural and rural energy efficiency improvements. Both programs require an energy assessment as part of the cost-share application. Cooperative Extension Service engineers from the UK Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Department were asked to provide technical assistance in the form of energy assessments for potential program ap-

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plicants. From 2008 through 2018, UK engineers have provided energy assessments for projects on 445 farms (including 55 dairies) that have applied for cost-share funds from one or both of these available programs.

Increasing Future Energy Efficiency Dairy farmers used the energy assessments to apply for and receive cost-share funds to install energy efficiency improvements on their farms that will carry into the future. Most farms had two or more potential energy efficiency improvements.

Adding milk pre-coolers and variable speed drives to milk handling equipment were two frequently applied improvements. Several farms also had potential energy savings from changing compressors and/or adding heat recovery from refrigeration equipment or replacing old ventilation fans with more energy efficient units.

Proposed projects for the 21 dairy farms in 20162018 required an estimated $286,556 in total

investment. A little over 48% of the total project cost was supported by cost-share funds with growers contributing the remaining 52%. Energy assessments showed that the estimated annual value of energy savings was $32,660 per year or $1,555 per farm on average. The average simple payback for all projects was 10 years before applying any cost-share assistance or tax credits.

This project has been a collaborative effort with USDA Rural Development (KY Office), KY Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy, and private grant writers.

Sam McNeill, Ph.D., PE, is an Extension Professor in Food and Bioprocess Engineering.

Doug Overhults, Ph.D., PE, is an Extension Professor Emeritus in Controlled Environment Systems Engineering.

Wet Year. Wet Winter.

Will It Stop?

By Matt Dixon Meterologist UK Ag Weather Center Location A saw 71.98 inches last year. Location B came in at 61.45 inches. Now match those with the following cities: Miami, Fla., and Lexington, Ky. If you matched Lexington with 71.98, you are correct! Yes, much of Kentucky was wetter this past year than the Florida peninsula, a region with a more humid, tropical environment. In fact, Kentucky averaged 63.70 inches last year, making it the second wettest year of all time, using data going back to 1895. Florida came in at an average of 60.52 inches.

Kentucky just could not get a break from the rainfall in 2018. The state averages 47.90 inches

a year, but as everyone knows, 2018 was not a normal year. Regionally, it was the wettest alltime for both the Bluegrass Region and Eastern Kentucky, at 68.63 and 64.51 inches, respectively.

Western Kentucky came in at 58.29 inches, good for 13th all-time, and Central Kentucky came in at Number 4, with an average of 63.80 inches. Below is a look at annual rainfall totals across the state based on data retrieved at the UK Ag Weather Center.

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That wet pattern has continued into 2019. In fact, the state has averaged 13.98 inches over the first two months alone, which is nearly seven inches above normal and good for the fifth wettest two-month stretch to start a year. February came up just shy of the all-time wettest February on record and just one spot ahead of 2018, averaging 9.21 inches for the month. Just like last year, the rainfall has absolutely plagued farmers across the state. Saturated fields and pastures will continue to be a problem as Kentucky heads into planting season. Kentucky has now gone four straight years – and six of the past eight – with above normal rainfall. Not much can be done now about the mud this year, but it gives farmers and producers Figure 1. Six to 10 Day Precipitation Outlook, Climate Prediction Center.

a chance to be proactive about mud in the future.

Recently, specialists across the College have discussed strategies moving forward. In UK Forage News, Dr. Jimmy Henning mentioned strategies such as growing a “thick stand of grazing and traffic tolerant grass” before next winter season.

Additionally, in a recent publication from UK Ag Communications, “Wet Week intensifies stressed pasture problems,” Dr. Bob Coleman (UK Equine Specialist), mentioned lessening muddy conditions by installing concrete pads around feeding areas. In the following extension publication from the Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, AEN-115, “Appropriate All Weather Figure 2. Eight to 14 Day Precipitation Outlook, Climate Prediction Center

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in Midwest Climate Watch that the Midwest was completely free of abnormally dry conditions for just third time in the history of the U.S. Drought Monitor, which goes back to January 2000.

Surfaces for Livestock” are discussed, including the “different types of hardened surfaces and pads that agricultural producers should use to reduce mud creation and ultimately increase production efficiency and protect natural resources.”

It has been a prolonged, wet period, so the state has avoided a different danger: drought. The Midwestern Regional Climate Center recently stated

Can we expect the wet conditions to hang around? Unfortunately, I do not have good news.

Long-range outlooks continue to have higher confidence in above normal precipitation through the first half of March (Figure 1). The 8 to 14 day outlook (Figure 2), extending into the March 15th to 21st timeframe does offer hope for dry conditions.

While soil moisture is still extremely high, it has been somewhat of a drier March so far. Through March 7, the state has only averaged 0.30 inches.

Hopefully dry conditions win out, at least in the short term. Our county forecast is a good product for monitoring the forecast, outlooks, and precipitation for your specific location.

Matt Dixon is a meteorologist in the Agricultural Weather Center.

The BAE Extension Newsletter is published quarterly by the University of Kentucky Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Department. ©2019 Editorial Committee

Director: Michael Montross, Ph.D., P.E. Editor, Designer: Karin Pekarchik Contributors: Carmen Agouridis, Ph.D., PE, M.P.P., Matt Dixon, Morgan Hayes, Ph.D., PE, Joshua Jackson, Ph.D., Doug Overhults, Ph.D., PE, Mark Purschwitz, Ph.D., Sam McNeill, Ph.D., PE

Contact the editor: karin.pekarchik@uky.edu Educational programs of Kentucky Cooperative Extension serve all people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability.

The University of Kentucky is an Equal Opportunity Organization.

Mention or display of a trademark, proprietary product, or firm in text or figures does not constitute an endorsement and does not imply approval to the exclusion of other suitable products or firms.

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