Comparison and analysis of energy consumption in typical Iowa swine finishing systems
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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
Fossil fuel use in agriculture is an increasingly important topic of concern. Iowa is the largest swine producing state in the United States. A systems analysis was performed to evaluate energy use in deep bedded hoop and confinement swine finishing systems for typical Iowa conditions. Energy use for feed production, facility operation, bedding production, manure application, and swine management were analyzed and the use of on-farm versus off- farm feed processing was compared. Energy for feed required 68 to 82% of the overall energy use. The hoop system required an average of 3.6% less overall energy and 47% less non-feed energy than the confinement system. On-farm feed processing reduced the overall energy an average of 9.5% when compared to off-farm feed processing. 774 MJ of non-solar energy was required to produce 104.5 kg of gain for a pig raised in a deep bedded hoop system with on-farm feed processing while 879 MJ was required in a confinement system with off-farm feed processing. Development of low external input integrated cropping and swine production systems will be key to reducing energy use in swine finishing systems.