College of Agriculture & Natural Resources

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The collections in this community comprise faculty research works, as well as graduate theses and dissertations.

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Author: search.filters.author.Hanna, Kalim

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    Developing a Decision Support System for Economic Analysis of Irrigation Applications in Temperate Zones
    (MDPI, 2021-07-27) Hanna, Kalim; Paul, Manashi; Negahban-Azar, Masoud; Shirmohammadi, Adel
    Climate variability and farmers’ desire to improve the crop yield have resulted in an increase in irrigated agriculture in the mid-Atlantic region. However, the huge initial capital cost associated with the installation and operation of irrigation systems is generally prohibitive, with most farmers finding difficulty in justifying the expenditure, and uncertainty of the overall return on their investment. The objective of this study was to develop a decision tool for farmers in temperate regions to evaluate the cost-benefit of irrigation installations. The developed irrigation economic model involved the development of an economic component that balances the expected economic return, based on anticipated crop yield increases due to supplemental irrigation, versus the water, maintenance, and capital costs associated with the irrigation system. Model development included the input of relevant data and required local calibration. Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) output files were used as the basis for data input into the irrigation economic model. An irrigation-scheduling component was incorporated into the model to prescribe irrigation volumes for each agricultural field defined within the area of interest. The economic component of the model identifies and prioritizes those fields in which supplemental irrigation will result in the greatest economic return in terms of increased agricultural production and revenue. The study is conducted on the Pocomoke river basin in the Coastal Plain of Maryland’s eastern shore. Results showed that irrigation system selection was mainly influenced by cost of water and irrigation installation costs, and to a lesser extent by physical characteristics of the terrain and the associated properties.
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    ELECTROPHORETIC REMOVAL OF FINE PARTICULATES FROM AQUCULTURE EFFLUENT
    (2004-04-26) Hanna, Kalim; Wheaton, Fredrick; Biological Resources Engineering; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    As larger waste particles breakdown into smaller pieces under the mechanical stress of a recirculating system, it becomes increasingly more difficult to remove these particles through standard methods. This current work explores the possibility of using an impressed electric field as a means of water clarification. In this study aquaculture effluent is passed through an imposed electric field, where the fluid column is divided into two fluid streams: one closest to the positive electrode, and the other closest to the negative electrode. The water quality of each fluid stream is analyzed to determine if any difference results due to its exposure to the electric field. While this study did show that there was a statistically significant difference in certain water quality parameters between the two fluid streams, it was clear that the process was not efficient enough to be considered a viable and effective means of water clarification.