Removal of Ergot from Barley by Density Separation
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Since 1905, the Department of Agricultural Engineering, now the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (ABE), has been a leader in providing engineering solutions to agricultural problems in the United States and the world. The department’s original mission was to mechanize agriculture. That mission has evolved to encompass a global view of the entire food production system–the wise management of natural resources in the production, processing, storage, handling, and use of food fiber and other biological products.
History
In 1905 Agricultural Engineering was recognized as a subdivision of the Department of Agronomy, and in 1907 it was recognized as a unique department. It was renamed the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering in 1990. The department merged with the Department of Industrial Education and Technology in 2004.
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1905–present
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- Department of Agricultural Engineering (1907–1990)
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- College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (parent college)
- College of Engineering (parent college)
- Department of Industrial Education and Technology, (merged, 2004)
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Abstract
A laboratory experiment was conducted to determine the feasibility of density separation for reducing ergot contamination in barley. Four 1.1-m3 (30-bu) lots of contaminated barley were conditioned with an air-screen cleaner followed by density separator. Samples were collected before and after conditioning with each machine. The amount of ergot in collected samples was determined separating and weighing the ergot and calculating the percentage by weight. The ergot contamination level was significantly reduced from 0.52%, 0.16%, 0.10%, and 0.12% to 0.02%, 0.01%, 0.02%, and 0.01%, respectively, for the four contaminated lots near the conditioning operations. An economic analysis indicated that it was advantageous to clean barley and use it as an animal feed rather than to sell it at salvage value.
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This article is from Applied Engineering in Agriculture 20 (2004): 39–43, doi:10.13031/2013.15678. Posted with permission.