Purpose: Greenhouses for a protected horticulture covered with a plastic or glass are easy to have weakness in a heat loss by deterioration, damage, poor construction, and so on. To grasp the vulnerable points of heat loss of the greenhouses is important for heating energy saving. In this study, an on-site heat loss audit and energy consulting system were developed for an efficient energy usage of a greenhouse. Method: Developed system was mounted with infrared thermal and visual cameras to grasp the heat loss from the greenhouse quickly and exactly, and a trial calculation program of heating load of greenhouse to provide farmers with the information of heating energy usage. Results: Developed system could print out the reports about the locations and causes of the heat losses and improvement methods made up by an operator. The mounted trial calculation program could print out the information of the period heating load and fuel cost according to the conditions of greenhouse and cultivation. The program also mounted the databases of the information on the 13 horticultural energy saving technologies developed by the Korea Rural Development Administration and simple economic analysis sub-program to predict the payback period of the technologies. Conclusion: The developed system was expected to be used as the basic equipment for an instructors of district Agricultural Technology and Extension Centers to conduct the energy consulting service for the farmers within the jurisdiction.

Purpose: Recent research showed that total mixed ration (TMR) feeding for pigs improved the productivity and reduced feed cost and manure odor. An automatic TMR feeding system was developed for this study because the conventional feeder cannot deliver the TMR containing roughage. Methods: Conventional feeding systems and physical properties of TMR were surveyed, and performance tests of the conventional feeder were conducted to develop a TMR feeder. Based on the TMR feeder was developed and installed, driving, measuring weight, radio frequency identification (RFID) reading, and discharging test for feeding were conducted to ensure the performance. Results: Moisture content, density, and angle of repose of the TMR 1 (mixture of 30% cut IRG silage and 70% concentrates) were 31.6%, 387 kg/m3, and 51°, respectively. Moisture content, density, and angle of repose of the TMR 2 (mixture of 45% concentrates, 30% cut IRG silage and byproducts,10% bean curd refuse, 10% others, and 5% fermenter) were 22.2%, 544 kg/m3, and 50°, respectively. The coefficient of variation (C.V.) of conventional concentrate feeding were 1.9~4.1%, and C.V. of TMR containing 1~3% cut IRG roughage feeding by conventional feeder were 9~42%. The conventional disc type feeder was not suitable for TMR feeding because the supply unit was clogged. The C.V. of TMR 1 was 0.6~7.9% when 0.5~10 kg of the TMR supplied, and it was suitable for feeding grow-finish pigs and sows. On the contrary, the C.V. with TMR 2 was 28% when 0.5 kg of the TMR supplied, and it was not suitable for feeding sows. Conclusions: The TMR feeder developed in this study was suitable for feeding grow-finish pigs because the feeder performed stably with over 5.0 kg feed. However, the feeder showed a lack of accuracy for feeding sows because the amount of each feed was more than 0.5 kg per a feeding. Therefore, the improvement of outlet structure for accurate feeding is needed for sow feeding.