Evaluating Soil Tillage Practices Using X-Ray Computed Tomography and Conventional Laboratory Methods
Date
Authors
Major Professor
Advisor
Committee Member
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Authors
Research Projects
Organizational Units
The Center for Nondestructive Evaluation at Iowa State has been involved in the use of nondestructive evaluation testing (NDT) technologies to: assess the integrity of a substance, material or structure; assess the criticality of any flaws, and to predict the object’s remaining serviceability. NDT technologies used include ultrasonics and acoustic emissions, electromagnetic technologies, computer tomography, thermal imaging, and others.
History
In October of 1985 the CNDE was approved by the State Board of Regents after it had received a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) as an Industry/University Cooperative Research Center.
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.
Dates of Existence
1905–present
Historical Names
- Department of Agricultural Engineering (1907–1990)
Related Units
- College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (parent college)
- College of Engineering (parent college)
- Department of Industrial Education and Technology, (merged, 2004)
Journal Issue
Is Version Of
Versions
Series
Department
Abstract
Using x-ray computed tomography (CT) for non-destructive 3-D imaging and analysis of soil physical properties has been investigated for over 30 years. However, applying this system in soil science has remained a specialized research area using primarily low-resolution medical-grade x-ray CT units that were not designed for soil analysis applications. The main research objectives were to characterize and compare physical properties of soil core samples from long-term chisel plow (CP) and no-till (NT) agricultural field management sites using a high-resolution industrial-grade x-ray CT unit and two conventional soil laboratory method (SLM) soil macroporosity analysis procedures. Field research activities during 1999 included collecting four soil columns for each CP and NT soil management practice at the Iowa State University Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm at Nashua, Iowa. Findings from this study indicate that percent macroporosity and soil bulk density values were significantly higher and lower, respectively, for annual CP rowcrop (corn and soybean) versus annual NT rowcrop systems. Since the soil structure of perennial NT vegetation (native grasses and trees) is similar to CP, rowcrop practices could explain inconsistent soil hydraulic conductivity values from NT cropping systems. These results underscore the potential of x-ray CT as an effective soil porosity analysis tool and suggest the development of an online database of x-ray CT 3-D soil core images based on soil type and tillage system. This readily available information could aid scientists in soil structural analysis applications, potentially avoiding the limitations of x-ray CT unit cost and system availability issues.
Comments
This article is from Transactions of the ASABE 59 (2016): 455–463, doi:10.13031/trans.59.11308. Posted with permission.