Though several maize varieties have been developed and introduced over the years in Ghana, farmers still face challenges of access to quality seed maize. Among the major constraint is lack of proper drying systems to ...Though several maize varieties have been developed and introduced over the years in Ghana, farmers still face challenges of access to quality seed maize. Among the major constraint is lack of proper drying systems to guarantee quality of seed produced. As in most parts of Africa, drying of maize in the open, on bare ground along shoulders of roads is still a common practice in Ghana. In this study, a 5-tonne capacity hybrid solar biomass dryer was developed for drying maize for seed and food/feed in Ghana. Effect of air temperature in the dryer on the physiological quality and germination of maize kernels was investigated. Maize grains were dried in the open sun simulating farmers practice and using the dryer at 4 varying levels (L1, L2, L3 and L4) with corresponding heights (0.6 m, 1.2 m, 1.8 m and 2.4 m, respectively) from the ground. Harvested maize at 22.8% moisture content was dried at the varying levels until reaching the final desired moisture content of 12.8% ± 0.2% (wb). Results showed that, air temperatures in the dryer increased in accordance with height with lowest mean temperature of 44.4°C ± 4.6°C recorded at L1 and mean maximum of 52.8°C ± 5.4°C at L4. Drying temperatures recorded at L1 - L3 and ambient had no significant effect (p < 0.05) on kernel damage and viability. Drying conditions at L1-L3 were considered optimum (<50°C) for kernel drying compared to the topmost tray, L4. Kernel stress crack index (multiple and checked) was therefore reduced on average by 14% while kernel germination increased by 33%. This satisfies the dryer’s potential to be used for commercial drying of maize grains for seed production for smallholder farmers in Ghana.展开更多
The present work deals with the study of the thermal performances of a convective dryer for fruits and vegetables. This dryer, operating with energy generated from the combustion of biomass in a boiler connected to a ...The present work deals with the study of the thermal performances of a convective dryer for fruits and vegetables. This dryer, operating with energy generated from the combustion of biomass in a boiler connected to a water/air heat exchanger could be a solution to the problematic of energy related to drying. An experimental and theoretical study is carried out on the temperature profile inside the dryer. For this purpose, 10.3 kg of tomatoes were dried on the experimental setup. The operation lasted about 16 hours and reduced the moisture content from 93.8% to 12% in wet basis. The overall thermal efficiency of the convective dryer during the trial is 10.76%. For the theoretical study, the dryer components (boiler, water/air exchanger and drying chamber) are first modeled individually;the different sub-programs are then coupled to form the convective dryer program. The method of global heat balances combined with the one called “ε-NUT” is used. The set of equations is discretized using the implicit method of finite differences, then solved with the Gauss algorithm in Fortran 90. The theoretical results obtained are in good agreement with those measured.展开更多
Biomass and carbon stock in a forested areas are now prime important indicators of forest management and climate change mitigation measures. But the accurate estimation of biomass and carbon in trees of forests is now...Biomass and carbon stock in a forested areas are now prime important indicators of forest management and climate change mitigation measures. But the accurate estimation of biomass and carbon in trees of forests is now a challenging issue. In most cases, pantropical and regional biomass models are used frequently to estimate biomass and carbon stock in trees, but these estimation</span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">s</span></span></span><span><span><span style="font-family:""><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> have some uncertainty compared to the species-specific allometric biomass model. </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Acacia</span></i><span> <i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">nilotica</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">, </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Casuarina</span></i> <i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">equisetifolia</span></i></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> and </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Melia</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> <i>azedarach</i> </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">have been planted in different areas of Bangladesh considering the species-specific site requirements. While </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Barringtonia</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> <i>acutangula</i></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> and </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Pongamia</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> <i>pinnata</i> </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">are the dominant tree species of the freshwater swamp forest of Bangladesh. This study was aimed to develop species-specific allometric biomass models for estimating stem and above ground biomass (TAGB) of these species using the non-destructive method and to compare the efficiency of the derived biomass models with the frequently used regional and pantropical biomass models. Four Ln-based models with diameter at breast height (DBH) and total height (H) were tested to derive the best fit allometric model. Among the tested models, Ln (biomass) = a + b Ln (D) + c Ln (H) was the best-fit model for </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">A</span></i><span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">. </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">nilotica</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">, </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">M</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">. </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">azedarach</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">, </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">B</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">. </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">acutangula</span></i> </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">and</span><span> <i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">P</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">. </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">pinnata</span></i> </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">and Ln (biomass) = a + b Ln (D</span><sup><span style="font-family:Verdana;">2</span></sup><span style="font-family:Verdana;">H) was best-fit for </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">C</span></i><span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">. </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">equisetifolia</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">. </span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Finally</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">,</span></span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> the derived best-fit species-specific TAGB models have shown superiority over the other frequently used pantropical and regional biomass models in relation to model efficiency and model prediction error.展开更多
Wheat biomass can be estimated using appropriate spectral vegetation indices.However,the accuracy of estimation should be further improved for on-farm crop management.Previous studies focused on developing vegetation ...Wheat biomass can be estimated using appropriate spectral vegetation indices.However,the accuracy of estimation should be further improved for on-farm crop management.Previous studies focused on developing vegetation indices,however limited research exists on modeling algorithms.The emerging Random Forest(RF) machine-learning algorithm is regarded as one of the most precise prediction methods for regression modeling.The objectives of this study were to(1) investigate the applicability of the RF regression algorithm for remotely estimating wheat biomass,(2) test the performance of the RF regression model,and(3) compare the performance of the RF algorithm with support vector regression(SVR) and artificial neural network(ANN) machine-learning algorithms for wheat biomass estimation.Single HJ-CCD images of wheat from test sites in Jiangsu province were obtained during the jointing,booting,and anthesis stages of growth.Fifteen vegetation indices were calculated based on these images.In-situ wheat above-ground dry biomass was measured during the HJ-CCD data acquisition.The results showed that the RF model produced more accurate estimates of wheat biomass than the SVR and ANN models at each stage,and its robustness is as good as SVR but better than ANN.The RF algorithm provides a useful exploratory and predictive tool for estimating wheat biomass on a large scale in Southern China.展开更多
Background:National and international institutions periodically demand information on forest indicators that are used for global reporting.Among other aspects,the carbon accumulated in the biomass of forest species mu...Background:National and international institutions periodically demand information on forest indicators that are used for global reporting.Among other aspects,the carbon accumulated in the biomass of forest species must be reported.For this purpose,one of the main sources of data is the National Forest Inventory(NFI),which together with statistical empirical approaches and updating procedures can even allow annual estimates of the requested indicators.Methods:Stand level biomass models,relating the dry weight of the biomass with the stand volume were developed for the five main pine species in the Iberian Peninsula(Pinus sylvestris,Pinus pinea,Pinus halepensis,Pinus nigra and Pinus pinaster).The dependence of the model on aridity and/or mean tree size was explored,as well as the importance of including the stand form factor to correct model bias.Furthermore,the capability of the models to estimate forest carbon stocks,updated for a given year,was also analysed.Results:The strong relationship between stand dry weight biomass and stand volume was modulated by the mean tree size,although the effect varied among the five pine species.Site humidity,measured using the Martonne aridity index,increased the biomass for a given volume in the cases of Pinus sylvestris,Pinus halepensis and Pinus nigra.Models that consider both mean tree size and stand form factor were more accurate and less biased than those that do not.The models developed allow carbon stocks in the main Iberian Peninsula pine forests to be estimated at stand level with biases of less than 0.2 Mg·ha^(-1).Conclusions:The results of this study reveal the importance of considering variables related with environmental conditions and stand structure when developing stand dry weight biomass models.The described methodology together with the models developed provide a precise tool that can be used for quantifying biomass and carbon stored in the Spanish pine forests in specific years when no field data are available.展开更多
Six field studies were completed in Ontario (during 2016 to 2018) to assess the tolerance of adzuki, kidney, small red and navy bean to 2,4-D ester at 528 or 1056 g·ai·ha-1 applied 14, 7 and 1 da...Six field studies were completed in Ontario (during 2016 to 2018) to assess the tolerance of adzuki, kidney, small red and navy bean to 2,4-D ester at 528 or 1056 g·ai·ha-1 applied 14, 7 and 1 day before seeding (PP) and 3 days after seeding (PRE). 2,4-D applied PP or PRE caused as much as 4%, 6%, 7% and 8% injury in adzuki, kidney, small red and navy (white) bean, respectively. There was an increase in bean injury as the preplant interval decreased. At 1 WAE, 2,4-D applied at 1056 g·ai·ha-1 14, 7 and 1 day PP and 3 days after seeding caused up to 6%, 10%, 18% and 5% visible bean injury, respectively. The level of injury decreased over time with minimal bean injury (0 to 3%) at 8 WAE. Bean stand counts were similar to the non-treated control with 2,4-D applied at various timings except at 1 day PP when 2,4-D at the 2X rate decreased bean stand 13%. There was up to 23% and 43% decrease in bean dry weight with 2,4-D applied PP at 528 and 1056 g·ai·ha-1 7 and 1 day PP, respectively. Bean height (6 WAE) was not affected by 2,4-D applied at various timings except at 1 day PP when 2,4-D (1056 g·ai·ha-1) decreased bean height 10%. Additionally, there was no effect of 2,4-D treatments on bean maturity or yield. Based on these results, the safest times to apply 2,4-D are 14 days before seeding or PRE. Injury was higher when 2,4-D was applied 7 and 1 day PP. Injury was lower in adzuki bean compared to kidney, small red or navy bean.展开更多
Fluidized bed superheated steam drying is one of the technologies successfully applied to drying pulp in the sugar beet industry. It has the technological advantages of energy efficiency and safety (inert environment)...Fluidized bed superheated steam drying is one of the technologies successfully applied to drying pulp in the sugar beet industry. It has the technological advantages of energy efficiency and safety (inert environment) required for use in drying bagasse. A comparison of the particle size distribution of bagasse and beet pulp was evaluated in terms of fluidization. The size distribution of bagasse particles is from 2 to 10 times broader than the equivalent distribution of beet pulp particles. The mean particle size of the bagasse is 1/3 of the mean size of the beet pulp. Fluidization tests proved that bagasse fluidization is possible. It was found that beet pulp and bagasse particles clearly differ on shape and size distribution which in turn will affect the design of the ancillary equipment and the fluidization systems if sugarcane bagasse is to be dried using superheated steam technology.展开更多
Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is an important cash crop for smallholder farmers in western Ethiopia. However, the yield of the crop is very low mainly because of strong soil acidity and poor soil fertility managemen...Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is an important cash crop for smallholder farmers in western Ethiopia. However, the yield of the crop is very low mainly because of strong soil acidity and poor soil fertility management. A study conducted to evaluate the effect of lime and mineral phosphorus fertilizer on yield components and yield of groundnut. The treatments consisted of three phosphorus rates (0, 46 and 92 kg P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5·</sub>ha<sup>-1</sup>), three lime rates (0, 6, and 11 ton lime·ha<sup>-1</sup>), and three groundnut varieties (local cultivar, Werer-961, and Werer-963) was laid-out as a randomized complete design in a factorial arrangement with three replications. The corresponding rates of phosphorus applied per pot of soil (7 kg) amounted to 0, 107 and 215 mg kg·soil<sup>-1</sup> and those of lime amounted to 0, 14, and 26 g kg·soil<sup>-1</sup>. The analysis of variance showed that phenological characters, yield, and yield components significantly affected by interaction of variety, phosphorus, and lime. The highest dry pod yield produced by Werer-963 (2 kg dry pod yield·pot<sup>-1</sup>) in response to the application 11 t·ha<sup>-1</sup> lime and 46 kg P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>·ha<sup>-1</sup>. However, Werer-961 produced medium (1.5 kg dry pod yield·pot<sup>-1</sup>) at 11 t·ha<sup>-1</sup> lime and 92 kg P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>·ha<sup>-1</sup> and the local cultivar produced minimum (1 kg dry pod yield·pot<sup>-1</sup>) at the application of 11 t·ha<sup>-1</sup> lime and 92 kg P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>·ha<sup>-1</sup>. In terms of phosphorus yield efficiency index, Werer-963 was highly efficient (index of 1.71), and Werer-961 was moderately efficient (index of 0.6). However, the local cultivar was inefficient (index of 0.04). It is at, in acidic soil of the study area Werer-963 is the best to be cultivated with application of lime 11 t·ha<sup>-1</sup> and 46 kg P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>·ha<sup>-1</sup> fertilizer, followed by Werer-961. The results of this pot experiment have revealed that farmers in the study area need to switch to cultivating the improved varieties of groundnut rather than local variety with the application of high rates of lime and moderate amounts of phosphorus.展开更多
To suppress the global environment pollutions, we tried to develop a new-type solar drying house by improving a typical agricultural green-house, so that an all weather-type solar drying house was invented ultimately....To suppress the global environment pollutions, we tried to develop a new-type solar drying house by improving a typical agricultural green-house, so that an all weather-type solar drying house was invented ultimately. This house is capable to dry raw wood materials (Ogako) into suitable moisture content (Mc) to make a wood pellet. The all weather-type solar Ogako drying house is covered with a triple transparent film, and an open/close free-type shield sheet is spread along with house’s inner surface with a small space, which is opened when solar radiation is incident on the house in daytime and closed to prevent heat loss from the house while out of sun shining in night. Inside of the all weather-type solar Ogako drying house, there are four belt-conveyors over which four top radiation panels are hanged, and on which four Ogako agitators are touched, a turn-table, two hoppers, four small fans, and besides, a floor heating is molded in concrete floor. Also on the north wall outside the house, two insulated cylinders (chimney) are stood up vertically to exhaust inside moist air passively. Then, to make clearly the operation performance of the house, the drying tests for the proof examination were conducted nineteen times at first test site in Ashoro where is located east-central part of Hokkaido, Japan. As a result of the drying test for the proof examination, it was made clear that the all weather-type solar Ogako drying house is practically useful as a supplementary apparatus to produce the dried Ogako, and consequently to suppress CO2 exhaustion.展开更多
文摘Though several maize varieties have been developed and introduced over the years in Ghana, farmers still face challenges of access to quality seed maize. Among the major constraint is lack of proper drying systems to guarantee quality of seed produced. As in most parts of Africa, drying of maize in the open, on bare ground along shoulders of roads is still a common practice in Ghana. In this study, a 5-tonne capacity hybrid solar biomass dryer was developed for drying maize for seed and food/feed in Ghana. Effect of air temperature in the dryer on the physiological quality and germination of maize kernels was investigated. Maize grains were dried in the open sun simulating farmers practice and using the dryer at 4 varying levels (L1, L2, L3 and L4) with corresponding heights (0.6 m, 1.2 m, 1.8 m and 2.4 m, respectively) from the ground. Harvested maize at 22.8% moisture content was dried at the varying levels until reaching the final desired moisture content of 12.8% ± 0.2% (wb). Results showed that, air temperatures in the dryer increased in accordance with height with lowest mean temperature of 44.4°C ± 4.6°C recorded at L1 and mean maximum of 52.8°C ± 5.4°C at L4. Drying temperatures recorded at L1 - L3 and ambient had no significant effect (p < 0.05) on kernel damage and viability. Drying conditions at L1-L3 were considered optimum (<50°C) for kernel drying compared to the topmost tray, L4. Kernel stress crack index (multiple and checked) was therefore reduced on average by 14% while kernel germination increased by 33%. This satisfies the dryer’s potential to be used for commercial drying of maize grains for seed production for smallholder farmers in Ghana.
文摘The present work deals with the study of the thermal performances of a convective dryer for fruits and vegetables. This dryer, operating with energy generated from the combustion of biomass in a boiler connected to a water/air heat exchanger could be a solution to the problematic of energy related to drying. An experimental and theoretical study is carried out on the temperature profile inside the dryer. For this purpose, 10.3 kg of tomatoes were dried on the experimental setup. The operation lasted about 16 hours and reduced the moisture content from 93.8% to 12% in wet basis. The overall thermal efficiency of the convective dryer during the trial is 10.76%. For the theoretical study, the dryer components (boiler, water/air exchanger and drying chamber) are first modeled individually;the different sub-programs are then coupled to form the convective dryer program. The method of global heat balances combined with the one called “ε-NUT” is used. The set of equations is discretized using the implicit method of finite differences, then solved with the Gauss algorithm in Fortran 90. The theoretical results obtained are in good agreement with those measured.
文摘Biomass and carbon stock in a forested areas are now prime important indicators of forest management and climate change mitigation measures. But the accurate estimation of biomass and carbon in trees of forests is now a challenging issue. In most cases, pantropical and regional biomass models are used frequently to estimate biomass and carbon stock in trees, but these estimation</span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">s</span></span></span><span><span><span style="font-family:""><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> have some uncertainty compared to the species-specific allometric biomass model. </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Acacia</span></i><span> <i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">nilotica</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">, </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Casuarina</span></i> <i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">equisetifolia</span></i></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> and </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Melia</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> <i>azedarach</i> </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">have been planted in different areas of Bangladesh considering the species-specific site requirements. While </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Barringtonia</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> <i>acutangula</i></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> and </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Pongamia</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> <i>pinnata</i> </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">are the dominant tree species of the freshwater swamp forest of Bangladesh. This study was aimed to develop species-specific allometric biomass models for estimating stem and above ground biomass (TAGB) of these species using the non-destructive method and to compare the efficiency of the derived biomass models with the frequently used regional and pantropical biomass models. Four Ln-based models with diameter at breast height (DBH) and total height (H) were tested to derive the best fit allometric model. Among the tested models, Ln (biomass) = a + b Ln (D) + c Ln (H) was the best-fit model for </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">A</span></i><span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">. </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">nilotica</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">, </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">M</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">. </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">azedarach</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">, </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">B</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">. </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">acutangula</span></i> </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">and</span><span> <i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">P</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">. </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">pinnata</span></i> </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">and Ln (biomass) = a + b Ln (D</span><sup><span style="font-family:Verdana;">2</span></sup><span style="font-family:Verdana;">H) was best-fit for </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">C</span></i><span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">. </span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">equisetifolia</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">. </span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Finally</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">,</span></span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> the derived best-fit species-specific TAGB models have shown superiority over the other frequently used pantropical and regional biomass models in relation to model efficiency and model prediction error.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.31271642)the Natural Science Foundation of Education Department of Jiangsu Province(No.09KJB20013,No.12KJB520018)+1 种基金the Six Talent Summit Project of Jiangsu Province(No.2011-NY039)the Science and Technology Innovation Development Foundation of Yangzhou University(No.2015CXJ022)
文摘Wheat biomass can be estimated using appropriate spectral vegetation indices.However,the accuracy of estimation should be further improved for on-farm crop management.Previous studies focused on developing vegetation indices,however limited research exists on modeling algorithms.The emerging Random Forest(RF) machine-learning algorithm is regarded as one of the most precise prediction methods for regression modeling.The objectives of this study were to(1) investigate the applicability of the RF regression algorithm for remotely estimating wheat biomass,(2) test the performance of the RF regression model,and(3) compare the performance of the RF algorithm with support vector regression(SVR) and artificial neural network(ANN) machine-learning algorithms for wheat biomass estimation.Single HJ-CCD images of wheat from test sites in Jiangsu province were obtained during the jointing,booting,and anthesis stages of growth.Fifteen vegetation indices were calculated based on these images.In-situ wheat above-ground dry biomass was measured during the HJ-CCD data acquisition.The results showed that the RF model produced more accurate estimates of wheat biomass than the SVR and ANN models at each stage,and its robustness is as good as SVR but better than ANN.The RF algorithm provides a useful exploratory and predictive tool for estimating wheat biomass on a large scale in Southern China.
文摘Background:National and international institutions periodically demand information on forest indicators that are used for global reporting.Among other aspects,the carbon accumulated in the biomass of forest species must be reported.For this purpose,one of the main sources of data is the National Forest Inventory(NFI),which together with statistical empirical approaches and updating procedures can even allow annual estimates of the requested indicators.Methods:Stand level biomass models,relating the dry weight of the biomass with the stand volume were developed for the five main pine species in the Iberian Peninsula(Pinus sylvestris,Pinus pinea,Pinus halepensis,Pinus nigra and Pinus pinaster).The dependence of the model on aridity and/or mean tree size was explored,as well as the importance of including the stand form factor to correct model bias.Furthermore,the capability of the models to estimate forest carbon stocks,updated for a given year,was also analysed.Results:The strong relationship between stand dry weight biomass and stand volume was modulated by the mean tree size,although the effect varied among the five pine species.Site humidity,measured using the Martonne aridity index,increased the biomass for a given volume in the cases of Pinus sylvestris,Pinus halepensis and Pinus nigra.Models that consider both mean tree size and stand form factor were more accurate and less biased than those that do not.The models developed allow carbon stocks in the main Iberian Peninsula pine forests to be estimated at stand level with biases of less than 0.2 Mg·ha^(-1).Conclusions:The results of this study reveal the importance of considering variables related with environmental conditions and stand structure when developing stand dry weight biomass models.The described methodology together with the models developed provide a precise tool that can be used for quantifying biomass and carbon stored in the Spanish pine forests in specific years when no field data are available.
文摘Six field studies were completed in Ontario (during 2016 to 2018) to assess the tolerance of adzuki, kidney, small red and navy bean to 2,4-D ester at 528 or 1056 g·ai·ha-1 applied 14, 7 and 1 day before seeding (PP) and 3 days after seeding (PRE). 2,4-D applied PP or PRE caused as much as 4%, 6%, 7% and 8% injury in adzuki, kidney, small red and navy (white) bean, respectively. There was an increase in bean injury as the preplant interval decreased. At 1 WAE, 2,4-D applied at 1056 g·ai·ha-1 14, 7 and 1 day PP and 3 days after seeding caused up to 6%, 10%, 18% and 5% visible bean injury, respectively. The level of injury decreased over time with minimal bean injury (0 to 3%) at 8 WAE. Bean stand counts were similar to the non-treated control with 2,4-D applied at various timings except at 1 day PP when 2,4-D at the 2X rate decreased bean stand 13%. There was up to 23% and 43% decrease in bean dry weight with 2,4-D applied PP at 528 and 1056 g·ai·ha-1 7 and 1 day PP, respectively. Bean height (6 WAE) was not affected by 2,4-D applied at various timings except at 1 day PP when 2,4-D (1056 g·ai·ha-1) decreased bean height 10%. Additionally, there was no effect of 2,4-D treatments on bean maturity or yield. Based on these results, the safest times to apply 2,4-D are 14 days before seeding or PRE. Injury was higher when 2,4-D was applied 7 and 1 day PP. Injury was lower in adzuki bean compared to kidney, small red or navy bean.
文摘Fluidized bed superheated steam drying is one of the technologies successfully applied to drying pulp in the sugar beet industry. It has the technological advantages of energy efficiency and safety (inert environment) required for use in drying bagasse. A comparison of the particle size distribution of bagasse and beet pulp was evaluated in terms of fluidization. The size distribution of bagasse particles is from 2 to 10 times broader than the equivalent distribution of beet pulp particles. The mean particle size of the bagasse is 1/3 of the mean size of the beet pulp. Fluidization tests proved that bagasse fluidization is possible. It was found that beet pulp and bagasse particles clearly differ on shape and size distribution which in turn will affect the design of the ancillary equipment and the fluidization systems if sugarcane bagasse is to be dried using superheated steam technology.
文摘Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is an important cash crop for smallholder farmers in western Ethiopia. However, the yield of the crop is very low mainly because of strong soil acidity and poor soil fertility management. A study conducted to evaluate the effect of lime and mineral phosphorus fertilizer on yield components and yield of groundnut. The treatments consisted of three phosphorus rates (0, 46 and 92 kg P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5·</sub>ha<sup>-1</sup>), three lime rates (0, 6, and 11 ton lime·ha<sup>-1</sup>), and three groundnut varieties (local cultivar, Werer-961, and Werer-963) was laid-out as a randomized complete design in a factorial arrangement with three replications. The corresponding rates of phosphorus applied per pot of soil (7 kg) amounted to 0, 107 and 215 mg kg·soil<sup>-1</sup> and those of lime amounted to 0, 14, and 26 g kg·soil<sup>-1</sup>. The analysis of variance showed that phenological characters, yield, and yield components significantly affected by interaction of variety, phosphorus, and lime. The highest dry pod yield produced by Werer-963 (2 kg dry pod yield·pot<sup>-1</sup>) in response to the application 11 t·ha<sup>-1</sup> lime and 46 kg P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>·ha<sup>-1</sup>. However, Werer-961 produced medium (1.5 kg dry pod yield·pot<sup>-1</sup>) at 11 t·ha<sup>-1</sup> lime and 92 kg P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>·ha<sup>-1</sup> and the local cultivar produced minimum (1 kg dry pod yield·pot<sup>-1</sup>) at the application of 11 t·ha<sup>-1</sup> lime and 92 kg P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>·ha<sup>-1</sup>. In terms of phosphorus yield efficiency index, Werer-963 was highly efficient (index of 1.71), and Werer-961 was moderately efficient (index of 0.6). However, the local cultivar was inefficient (index of 0.04). It is at, in acidic soil of the study area Werer-963 is the best to be cultivated with application of lime 11 t·ha<sup>-1</sup> and 46 kg P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>·ha<sup>-1</sup> fertilizer, followed by Werer-961. The results of this pot experiment have revealed that farmers in the study area need to switch to cultivating the improved varieties of groundnut rather than local variety with the application of high rates of lime and moderate amounts of phosphorus.
文摘To suppress the global environment pollutions, we tried to develop a new-type solar drying house by improving a typical agricultural green-house, so that an all weather-type solar drying house was invented ultimately. This house is capable to dry raw wood materials (Ogako) into suitable moisture content (Mc) to make a wood pellet. The all weather-type solar Ogako drying house is covered with a triple transparent film, and an open/close free-type shield sheet is spread along with house’s inner surface with a small space, which is opened when solar radiation is incident on the house in daytime and closed to prevent heat loss from the house while out of sun shining in night. Inside of the all weather-type solar Ogako drying house, there are four belt-conveyors over which four top radiation panels are hanged, and on which four Ogako agitators are touched, a turn-table, two hoppers, four small fans, and besides, a floor heating is molded in concrete floor. Also on the north wall outside the house, two insulated cylinders (chimney) are stood up vertically to exhaust inside moist air passively. Then, to make clearly the operation performance of the house, the drying tests for the proof examination were conducted nineteen times at first test site in Ashoro where is located east-central part of Hokkaido, Japan. As a result of the drying test for the proof examination, it was made clear that the all weather-type solar Ogako drying house is practically useful as a supplementary apparatus to produce the dried Ogako, and consequently to suppress CO2 exhaustion.