Yi Liang, assistant professor of biological and agricultural engineering, has conducted research at the University of Arkansas since 2007. She earned a bachelor’s of science and master’s of science from China Agricultural University in Beijing.
Intro to Engineering
Liang’s college experience led her to engineering. She began with a love for math and science, which turned to interest in civil engineering structures and architecture. “During my undergraduate (studies), I combined livestock design, animal structure into an interest in environment control for animals.”
Liang’s experience in wastewater treatment led her to working on indoor air quality and the mitigation or reduction in air emission from animal housing.
Engineering Influences
Liang credits the success of her career in part to her Post-doctorate mentor, who was an influential researcher in her education. “My mentor was a professional, dedicated person who was both detail oriented and a big picture person,” she said. “He has vision, research that will help the sustainability of the industry.”
University of Arkansas Experience
Liang main career responsibilities have always been extension and research, which she has continued at the University of Arkansas. When a course is offered in her realm of research, she steps up as a professor as well.
“I serve farmers, growers and people who live in rural areas to improve the quality of life,” she said. Liang works for the division of agriculture and teaches local farmers and growers how to use different technologies and develop practical solutions. For example, Liang worked with a wheat scientist to develop ways to bring
in pesticides.
“We’re solution-oriented,” said Liang about her work. She is constantly directing herself by asking, “Does it work? Is it the right solution? How can we meet regulations and still be efficient?” and continually comes to more efficient solutions based on climate, environment and other factors.
While at her research post in Canada, Liang focused on nitrogen loss in the composting waste treatment technology, using a heating process with the livestock compost to reduce air emissions by killing pathogens. Now, she says, the University of Arkansas is using a similar technique for food waste.
Research
Liang’s agricultural research is investigative. She’s trained to always bring in new findings, ideas and technology, as well as find new applications for existing technology for climate, animal species and irrigation. Her solutions are valued by the local Tyson Foods Company.
A major concern for Tyson, the second largest poultry producer, is that “the process of raising chickens is very prone to ammonia pollution,” she said. “We created a low-cost ammonia sensor, developed an in-house sensor and compared a reference-sensor, which was older and not low-cost or robust.”
Liang said they are still figuring out the basic parameters for the sensor and searching for gaps in the system.
Her latest research focuses on the use of surface wetting, the use of water nozzles to distribute little flecks of water that are small enough to bring the body temperature down without being annoyingly noticeable.
The practice is typically used for cattle, but she hopes to adapt the technology for use on chickens, and even on people.
“In Arizona, where it is hot for most of the year, restaurants were trying to figure out how to bring people onto their patios,” she said, explaining that surface wetting was the ideal solution.
Surface wetting allows cattle to maintain milk production. “Heat affects milk production…they can’t eat well, so they can’t make milk,” she said. The use of surface wetting for chickens is generally not accepted, because the popular belief is that the feathers provide too much protection from the water. “People say it would never work to cool them,” but Liang believes otherwise. Her experiments on chickens are commercial trials, where success is measured by how much the chickens eat.
Off the clock
When Liang isn’t in the lab or communicating with farmers about how to improve their crops, she likes to read and listen to classical and country music. She loves the outdoors, but doesn’t have time to enjoy it. When she gets the chance, she goes for a walk or some sightseeing.
