Abstract Title
Improving the Tools for Wheat Strength Measurement
Additional Funding Sources
This project was supported by the Grand Challenge Scholars Program of the Idaho Space Grant Consortium.
Abstract
My research is focused on increasing wheat yield. Wheat yield has been steadily increased with selective breeding and genetic engineering, but the increased weight of the kernel has led to more strain on the stalk itself. As we make biological advances in this field, mechanical advances need to be met to keep the overall yield of wheat increasing. Wheat lodging; wheat stalks becoming over-strained and falling over, is caused by factors like weather, climate, and the weight of the kernel. Researching the strength of wheat stalk will help grow our understanding about what causes it and how to minimize it in the future. This research will be conducted with a push trailer with force sensors on the front. As the trailer is pushed through the field, it will gather data on how much force it took to displace the wheat while correlating how far it’s been pushed. Advancing this field of study may also help the local economy around the University of Idaho, considering that wheat is a staple crop of Northern Idaho. It is imperative to maximize sustainable food production if we are to support our growing population.
Improving the Tools for Wheat Strength Measurement
My research is focused on increasing wheat yield. Wheat yield has been steadily increased with selective breeding and genetic engineering, but the increased weight of the kernel has led to more strain on the stalk itself. As we make biological advances in this field, mechanical advances need to be met to keep the overall yield of wheat increasing. Wheat lodging; wheat stalks becoming over-strained and falling over, is caused by factors like weather, climate, and the weight of the kernel. Researching the strength of wheat stalk will help grow our understanding about what causes it and how to minimize it in the future. This research will be conducted with a push trailer with force sensors on the front. As the trailer is pushed through the field, it will gather data on how much force it took to displace the wheat while correlating how far it’s been pushed. Advancing this field of study may also help the local economy around the University of Idaho, considering that wheat is a staple crop of Northern Idaho. It is imperative to maximize sustainable food production if we are to support our growing population.
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