September-October 2001
The topics in this newsletter
are considered to be timely and of interest. Comments and suggestions are
invited. The use of trade names in this newsletter is not an endorsement of any
company or product by the Maryland Cooperative Extension, University of
Maryland, College Park.
David S. Ross, Extension Agricultural Engineer
NRAES has new publications available
NRAES (Natural Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering Service) provides good Extension publications prepared by Extension faculty to support clientele. Several books are described in this issue of TOPICS. For more information or a free publications catalog, contact NRAES by phone at (607) 255-7654, by fax at (607) 254-8770, on the web at <www.nraes.org>, or by email at <nraes@cornell.edu>. Their catalog is available on line. The mailing address is NRAES, Cooperative Extension, 152 Riley-Robb Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853-5701.
Updated Book Teaches Energy Conservation
For Commercial Greenhouses
Profitability in greenhouse production can be improved by finding ways to conserve energy. Advanced greenhouse design principles, better glazings and insulating materials, energy blankets, improved heating and ventilating systems, and new management methods have made today's greenhouses much more energy efficient than those only a few years old.
Energy Conservation for Commercial Greenhouses ($17.00 plus S&H; 84 pages; October 2001) is a newly revised, highly practical book that reviews the merits and limitations of current energy-conservation strategies for commercial greenhouses. Written by John W. Bartok, Jr., an authority on greenhouses for over 30 years, the 84-page book contains ten chapters; 53 illustrations; 26 tables; and equations and calculation examples to help greenhouse operators find ways to conserve energy and thus save money. The book will be of interest to anyone who is constructing a new greenhouse, considering renovating an existing greenhouse, or simply looking to increase energy conservation and efficiency in daily greenhouse operation.
Topics covered in the book include principles of heat loss, site selection and modification, construction materials, insulation, fuels and heating, ventilation and cooling, space utilization, utilities, strategies for reducing trucking costs, and managing for efficiency. Four appendixes complete the text: an energy conservation checklist, heat loss calculations, selected product manufacturers and distributors, and useful conversions.
This book is a revision of the 1989 version of Energy Conservation for Commercial Greenhouses. Information has been updated to reflect current trends and technology, including hinged roofs, ebb-and-flood irrigation, boom watering, controllers, and computers. The three chapters on utilities, trucking costs, and management are new in this revision. New tables and illustrations have been added as well.
The 2001 revision of Energy Conservation for Commercial Greenhouses, NRAES-3, was published by NRAES, the Natural Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering Service. It was written by John W. Bartok, Jr., an extension professor emeritus and agricultural engineer with the Natural Resources Management and Engineering Department at the University of Connecticut-Storrs. Mr. Bartok is author of over 400 technical papers, bulletins, and magazine articles and is co-author of Greenhouse Engineering, NRAES-33, and other books also published by NRAES. He is a consultant on greenhouse and nursery design, environment control, and mechanization to universities, schools, manufacturers, and commercial growers in the United States and Canada.
The 2001 revision of Energy Conservation for Commercial Greenhouses, NRAES-3, is available for $17.00 per copy, plus shipping and handling, from NRAES, Cooperative Extension, 152 Riley-Robb Hall, Ithaca, New York 14853-5701. Shipping and handling for one copy is $3.75 within the continental United States. If ordering more than one copy or if ordering from outside the United States, contact NRAES for shipping rates and possible quantity discounts. All major credit cards are accepted, and checks should be made payable to NRAES.Contact NRAES by phone at (607) 255-7654, by fax at (607) 254-8770, or by e-mail at <nraes@cornell.edu>
Popular Guide Focuses on Greenhouse Engineering
Attention greenhouse growers, managers, extension specialists, researchers, builders, and designers! Greenhouse Engineering ($30.00 plus S&H; 212 pages; 1994) will provide you with valuable information on planning, constructing, and controlling a commercial greenhouse.
Written by extension specialists at the University of Connecticut, Greenhouse Engineering has been used over the past several years as a valuable guide for starting and maintaining an efficient greenhouse operation. This 212-page publication covers the various aspects of greenhouses, from site selection, layout, and growing systems to construction, remodeling, and environmental control. The comprehensive appendix includes a list of greenhouse construction and supply companies; plans for greenhouses; and information on topics such as heating and cooling, container capacity, and labor output. Also included in this publication are worksheets to assist operators in determining storage and mechanization requirements, machinery costs, greenhouse heat loss and cooling, and aerated steam heating.
The publication contains many other sections and topics to meet the needs of today's greenhouse industry. Some of the topics added to the original version of this publication are insect exclusion screens, current technology for low-volume sprayers, ebb-and-flow watering systems, and the effect of air pollutant levels on plant growth. Updated sections include headhouse design, layout, and functions; fan and pad systems; fog systems; supplemental lighting equipment; glazing materials and spectral transmittance; construction costs; and a list of equipment supply companies in North America.
Greenhouse Engineering, NRAES-33, is available for $30.00 per copy (plus shipping and handling) from NRAES (Natural Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering Service), Cooperative Extension, 152 Riley-Robb Hall, Ithaca, New York 14853-5701. Shipping and handling for a single copy is $5.50 within the continental United States.If ordering more than one copy or if ordering from outside the continental United States, please contact NRAES for shipping and handling rates and possible quantity. All major credit cards are accepted, and checks should be made payable to NRAES.Contact NRAES by phone at (607) 255-7654, by fax at (607) 254-8770, or by e-mail at <nraes@cornell.edu>
New Book Helps Dairy Farmers Better Manage Farm Odors
With rural populations increasing and farms becoming more concentrated, conflicts between dairy farmers and their nonfarming neighbors are on the rise. Larger farms and increased use of manure storages are forcing dairy farmers to deal with odor complaints on a regular basis. There is no low-cost, complete, and easy way to control odors from manure and other on-farm sources, but there are many steps a dairy farmer can take to reduce odors on the farm.
A new book titled Guideline for Dairy Odor Management ($10.00 plus S&H; 34 pages; October 2001) presents various ways to reduce or eliminate odor from dairy manure and other sources on dairy farms. Topics covered include odors: perception, characteristics, and measurement; sources of on-farm odors; preventing and reducing odors from livestock and other facilities; preventing and reducing odors from manure handling systems; reducing odors during land application; and neighbor relations and regulation. An appendix provides an off-site odor report that can be used by producers to survey farm neighbors and help pinpoint odor problems. Nineteen figures and three tables supplement the text. The book will be of interest to dairy producers, cooperative extension personnel, dairy and waste management advisors and consultants, environmental regulators, and public officials.
Guideline for Dairy Odor Management is a joint publication between the Natural Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering Service (NRAES) and The Dairy Practices Council (DPC). It was written by Peter E. Wright, Animal Waste Specialist, PRO-DAIRY, Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University; Robert E. Graves, Professor, Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University; and Richard K. Koelsch, Associate Professor, Departments of Biological Systems Engineering and Animal Science, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Guideline for Dairy 0dor Management, NRAES-146, is available for $10.00 per copy, plus shipping and handling, from NRAES, Cooperative Extension, 152 Riley-Robb Hall, Ithaca, New York 14853-5701. Shipping and handling for one copy is $3.75 within the continental United States. If ordering more than one copy or if ordering from outside the United States, contact NRAES for shipping rates and possible quantity discounts. All major credit cards are accepted, and checks should be made payable to NRAES. Contact, NRAES by phone at (607) 255-7654, by fax at (607) 254-8770 , or by e-mail at <nraes@cornell.edu>.
New Conference Proceedings Focuses on Dairy Manure Handling Systems
Dairy producers in both the United States and Canada are under increasing pressure to minimize the effects of animal waste on air and water quality, as well as on their nonfarming neighbors. Dairy Manure Systems: Equipment and Technology, NRAES-143 ($30.00 plus S&H; 424 pages; March 2001), is the proceedings from a conference held March 20-22, 2001 in Rochester, New York. Included are 34 papers authored by manure-systems experts from the U.S. land-grant university system; dairy producers; and both U.S. and Canadian government officials and private-sector equipment representatives.
This proceedings discusses the most recent technologies, as well as traditional manure-management methods, providing the information needed by producers to plan and manage their systems and achieve comprehensive nutrient management plan (CNMP) goals. Papers are divided into eight categories: system goals and selection guidelines; barn to storage; anaerobic digestion; liquid-solid separation; land application systems; handling, storage, and treatment of sand-laden dairy manure; handling manure as a solid; and pathogens in dairy manure. The proceedings will be a valuable resource, not only to dairy producers, but also to farm managers, producer advisors, soil and water conservation districts, nutrient management consultants, extension educators, equipment distributors, designers and builders, environmental professionals, and regulatory agencies.
Financial support for planning the conference and the conference proceedings was provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The conference was sponsored by Ag-Chem. Equipment Co., Inc.; Agricultural Consulting Services, Inc.; Albers Manufacturing Company, Inc.; Brubaker Consulting Group; Cadman Power Equipment, Ltd.; Cummings and Bricker Irrigation; Farm Finance, Inc.; Genesee Valley Irrigation/Hydro Engineering; JND Thomas Co., Inc.; McLanahan Corporation; NC Nutrient Control Systems-FSES, Inc.; Northeast Agriculture Technology Center, Inc.; Penn Jersey Products, Inc.; and TICO Manufacturing, Inc.
Dairy Manure Systems: Equipment and Technology, NRAES-143, is available for $30.00 per copy, plus shipping and handling, from NRAES, Cooperative Extension, 152 Riley-Robb Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853-5701. Shipping and handling for one copy is $5.50 within the continental United States. If ordering more than one book, or if ordering from outside the United States, contact NRAES for shipping rates and quantity discounts. All major credit cards are accepted, and checks should be made payable to NRAES. Contact NRAES by phone at (607) 255-7654, by fax at (607) 254-8770, or by e-mail at <nraes@cornell.edu>.
