GIBSI – A Watershed-Based Software System for Water Resources Management.

Posted in: Environment by admin on January 1, 1997 | No Comments

A software system is presented, GIBSI, and this system was developed as a tool to assist decision makers in their management of water resources considering water quality and also quantity at watershed level. Simulations can be done with this software that is composed of a Geographical Information System (GIS), a Relational DataBase Management System (RDBMS) and simulation models. The user-friendly interface of the GIBSI is design for easy use and simulations with different management practices for agriculture, industrial and municipal applications can be made. The Chaudiere River watershed is currently represented in the GIBSI, as all spatial and attribute data have been collected and integrated in the GIS and the RDBMS.

The GIS system used is Grassland and the database system is Access TM. The model is made of submodels that represent five major processes: hydrologic cycle, the soil erosion process, the river erosion process, the transport of agricultural chemicals and the evolution of water quality. The precision of such system depends greatly on the accuracy of the data used and also the ability of the model used to well represent the reality. No information is given on this accuracy and the sensitivity of the system to different manure management or practices and the impact on the water quality.

Effects of repeated swine building exposures on normal naA?ve subjects

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Ergonomic evaluation of feeder design

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Five ergonomic studies were conducted using a feeder on which the lip height, feeder depth (front to back), width, and feeding shelf height could be adjusted. Pigs were tested at various weights from 22 to 96 kg. Stepping-into the feeder was more common as feeder depth was increased, but was also dependent upon the size of pig. Grower pigs stepped into a feeder with a depth of 20 cm, but large pigs did not do so until the depth was 30 cm or more. Lip height had only a minor influence of stepping-in. The appropriate feeder depth for each weight group of pig could be approximated by the distance from the toe of the pig to its snout when eating without a feeder lip. The feeder lip restricts access to the front of the feeding zone, particularly for small pigs. Pigs prefer to stand at an angle of approximately 30A?A? to the feed access, but in restrictive feeders will turn their heads to obtain an angled approach. Pigs also rotate their heads approximately 45 – 55A?A? while eating to improve access to the feed.

Ergonomic: is the study of the interaction of animals (or humans) with equipment

Evaluation of welfare of transgenic farm animals: lessons from a case study in cattle.

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Vocal response of piglets to weaning: effect of piglet age .

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Dual Ventilation Gives the Best of Both Worlds

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Dual ventilation fans and natural ventilation in the same room. Fans are used in cold months and in warm months, shut off as the sidewall curtains begin to open up. Exhaust that is too low or too high impacts energy by wasting dollars. Excess drafting from gusty winds through open sidewalls is also eliminated. With a 16-km per hour wind, a naturally ventilated barn can achieve about four times the airflow than that of a fan system. Energy dollars can be saved by not having to run the fans. Estimated fan operating costs for a dual system are 25 cents per pig compared to $1 to $1.25 for a conventional fan ventilated barn.

Opportunities in Coordinated Hog Production

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The rapidly changing pork industry is providing new opportunities in coordinated production. Producers should examine the goals of coordinated systems to see if they match the objectives of their operations. Much of the current activity in the industry is attempting to find better ways to link all stages of pork production to provide the highest quality pork relative to costs. Many programs and alternatives exist for producers to consider.

On-Farm Trial to Determine the Durability of Different Concrete Slats for Fattening Pigs

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A full-scale, on-farm trial in a pig building with concrete AYoor slats was initiated. The slats were made from seven diA

Sensitivity analysis of particle cut-size to deduster parameters.

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The particle cut-size for a uniflow deduster is affected by many factors such as chamber configuration, particle characteristics, and air flow patterns. Sensitivities of five parameters on particle cut-size were analyzed. These include the vortex chamber length, annular tunnel height between inside and outside cylinders, vane angle, tangential and axial air velocities. It is not effective to reduce particle cut-size by changing air velocity when air velocity is higher than 10.0 m/s, or by changing the length when the length of Section 1 of the chamber is longer than 1.0 m. The sensitivity changes much faster when the annular gap is smaller than 2.0 cm. The sensitivity increases dramatically as the average radius decreases from 0.5 m, or when the vane angle is smaller than 4o. Further research is needed to examine the sensitivity of particle cut-size to turbulence intensity.

Emissions of Ammonia and Greenhouse Gases during Storage and Composting of Animal Manures

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The experiment has been done with cattle and pig manure. No statistical analysis is presented which make the results more difficult to draw conclusions. The emissions from the storage covers were measured using cattle manure.