Performance Analysis of Compound Parabolic Concentration Photothermal and Photoelectricity Device for Soil Heating in Facility Agriculture

It is difficult for solanum crops to grow continuously during winter in severe cold regions. Thus, a soil heating system for facility agriculture based on solar concentration technology was proposed, and a novel compound parabolic concentration photothermal and photoelectricity device(CTPV) equipped in the system was designed to address this problem. In accordance with the structure of the device, LightTools optical software was selected to analyze the variation trend of the light escape rate of the device with the diff erent incident angles. On the basis of the calculation results, an experimental test system was used to investigate the relationship of the air temperature of the inlet and the outlet, total output power of the solar cells, and photothermal and photoelectricity efficiency of the device with the operation time during a sunny day. Research results reveal that the light escape rate of the device is 5.36% at an incidence angle of 12°. At a velocity of 1.5 m/s, the maximum air temperature of the outlet can reach 55.6 ℃, and the total output power of the solar cells is 474.4 W. The variation of the total power of the solar cells is consistent with the simulation results. The maximum instantaneous heat collection and the maximum photothermal and photoelectricity efficiency of the device are 306 W and 60.4%, respectively, and the average efficiency is 44.9%. This study can serve as a reference for compound parabolic concentration technology applied for soil heating in facility agricultural soil heating systems.

Analysis on the Impact of Facility Agriculture Development on Climate Change in Weifang

[Objective] The research aimed to study the influence of facility agriculture development on the climate variation in Weifang. [Method] Shouguang was selected as the representative station of greenhouse shed planting zone. By using the precipitation, temperature and relative humidity, etc. in Weifang City during 1961-2010, the climatic variation situations in the whole city and the greenhouse shed planting zone were analyzed. The variation trend and evolution characteristics of climate in the different seasons before and after the facility agriculture plantation were contrasted and analyzed. [Result] The annual rainfall and relative humidity presented the declining trend in the whole city in recent 50 years. The annual average, maximum and minimum temperatures all presented the rising trend. Since the large-scale plantation of greenhouse shed, the declining range of annual rainfall in the greenhouse shed planting zone was lower than that in the whole city, and the declining range of relative humidity was obviously higher than that in the whole city. The rising ranges of annual average, maximum and minimum temperatures were higher than that in the whole city. [Conclusion] The research provided the theory basis for the development of facility agriculture.

Overview of the Development of Facility Agriculture

This paper reviewed the meaning of facility agriculture and the development status and trends of facility agriculture at home and abroad,analyzed the development status and existing problems of facility agriculture in Guangxi,and proposed corresponding solutions to the problems in the development of facility agriculture in Guangxi,aiming to provide reference for promoting the sustainable development of facility agriculture in Guangxi.

Characteristics and Risk Assessment of Soil Heavy Metal Contents in Facility Agriculture of Guangxi

[Objectives]To study the characteristics of soil heavy metal contents in facility agriculture of Guangxi and analyze its risks.[Methods]The heavy metal content of 30 surface soil samples taken from facility agriculture in Guangxi was analyzed.The status of soil heavy metal pollution in facility agriculture of Guangxi was evaluated by the single factor index method,geo-accumulation index method and Hakanson potential ecological risk index method with reference to the soil background value in Guangxi.[Results]Compared with the soil background value in Guangxi,the over-limit rates of heavy metals cadmium,lead,arsenic,chromium,mercury,copper and zinc in soil samples were 56.67%,56.67%,16.67%,30.00%,50.00%,60.00%and 80.00%,respectively.Compared with the screening values of the Soil Environmental Quality-Risk Control Standard for Soil Contamination of Agricultural Land(for trial implementation)(GB15618-2018),the overlimit rates of the heavy metals cadmium,arsenic,copper and zinc in the surface soil of agricultural facilities in Guangxi were 56.67%,10.00%,16.67%and 23.33%,respectively.Except for the average content of soil cadmium exceeding the screening value,the evaluation content of the other six soil heavy metals did not exceed the screening value.According to the evaluation results of the single factor pollution index method,the surface soil arsenic and chromium of the agricultural facilities in Guangxi belonged to the clean level,lead,mercury,and copper belonged to mild pollution,and cadmium and zinc belonged to moderate pollution.According to the evaluation results of the geo-accumulation index,the lead,arsenic,chromium and mercury in the surface soil of the agricultural facilities in Guangxi belonged to the pollution-free level,while the cadmium,copper and zinc belonged to the mild-moderate pollution.According to the evaluation results of the potential ecological risk index method,the potential ecological risks of the heavy metals of lead,arsenic,chromium,copper and zinc in the soil of agricultural facilities in Guangxi belonged to low potential ecological risk level,and the potential ecological risks of cadmium and mercury belonged to moderate risk level.The potential ecological risk index(RI)of the seven heavy metals in the soil was 132.46,which belonged to moderate potential ecological risk.The largest contribution of soil heavy metals to the potential ecological risk index was cadmium and mercury.[Conclusions]Taking the soil of facility agriculture in Guangxi as the object,this paper studied the characteristics of heavy metal content in facility agricultural soil and its risk assessment,in order to provide a scientific basis for facility soil heavy metal risk prevention and control and provide safe technology for facility agriculture.

Current Situation and Development Proposals of Agricultural Facilities(Planting)Application in Beijing

Facility agriculture is an essential carrier for promoting stable production and supply.In2020,the planting area of facility agriculture in Beijing(290098000 m2)accounted for 29.06%of the total planting area of crops(998078000 m2),and the output value accounted for 46.56%.In2022,Beijing Agricultural Technology Extension Station organized relevant departments to summarize and evaluate the agricultural facilities in Beijing through consultation materials,interviews,questionnaires,and field trips,combining survey data and statistical data to draw the following conclusions.Facilities play a major supporting role in stabilizing production and ensuring supply.The number of traditional greenhouses is extensive and covers a large area,so special planning and classification upgrades are urgently needed.Facilities are rich in scientific and technological resources,but the mode of production is out of date.It is of great significance to improve the comprehensive production capacity of facility agriculture and promote the healthy and stable development of facility industry in Beijing to increase the utilization rate of facility agriculture land,strengthen the support of facility science and technology,and cultivate the socialized service organization of facility.

Development of Energy-storing High Pressure Spray Cooling System

The greenhouse has been increasingly used in the breeding industry. However, the high temperature inside the greenhouse in summer has not been effectively addressed. The spray cooling system sprays tiny droplets into the air. Thus the water molecules will be vaporized, absorbing heat and reducing ambient temperature. It is the only cooling method that can be used to cool the uneasily-sealed flexible greenhouse. We developed an energy-storing high pressure spray cooling system. The ordinary water pump is used as the source of high-pressure water. The partial kinetic energy is stored in the energy-storing tubes. When the water pump is stopped, the energy produced by releasing the compressed air can still be used to maintain the spray. And thus the use-cost and systematic wear would be reduced. The cooling system only requires 1 kilowatt hour of power per day. It has been widely used in summer to cool the breeding sheds. After a recent continuous improvement, its functions have been extended to disinfection, removing dust, humidifying and immunizing animals. In addition, it can also be used for the cooling and humidifying of squares, venues and streets in summer. The energy-storing high pressure spray cooling system has a broad application prospect.

Investigating the Effects of Greenhouse Vegetable Cultivation on Soil Fertility in Lhasa, Tibetan Plateau

The area of land utilized for growing vegetables in greenhouses has expanded rapidly on the Tibetan Plateau over recent decades. However, the effects of greenhouses on soil fertility as well as variations in these effects between the plateau and plain remain unclear on the Tibetan Plateau. This study assessed the effects of vegetable greenhouses in the vicinity of Lhasa, using open field soil as a control. A total of 92 plough layer(0-20 cm depth) soil samples including 54 from greenhouses and 38 from open fields were taken, and soil pH, electrical conductivity(EC), total soluble salt(TS), soil organic matter(SOM), total nitrogen(TN), available phosphorus(AP), and available potassium(AK) were measured. The results reveal that, soil pH was lower 1.0 units in greenhouses than that in open field. TS was higher 82% and AP was higher 160% overall. Similarly, SOM and TN were higher 32% and 46%, respectively, while AK changed slightly at a higher 1% rate. Results also show that soil properties varied depending on cultivation time and vegetable types. Overall, pH continuously decreased with cultivation time while other soil fertility indicators reached a maximum value after nine years of cultivation before starting to decrease. The effect of leafy vegetable planting on soil was slight overall, while the impact of fruits on soil was more serious. Compared with changes in plain greenhouse soil fertility measured across the eastern China, the effects of greenhouses on soil in Lhasa remain relatively limited;and the change in the degree of soil fertility was lower and the extreme values of soil fertility occurred later in Lhasa.

Application Study of Greenhouse Environment Monitoring System Based on ZigBee Technology

Against the demand of intelligent greenhouse construction of facility agriculture,greenhouse environment monitoring system is developed.The system contains three-layer architecture: sensor network layer at the bottom,data transmission convergence layer in the middle and monitoring application layer on the top,which is different from design idea of the existing system architecture.The bottom layer uses ZigBee wireless communication technology to construct wireless sensor network,and node type contains coordinator,router and acquisition terminal.Acquisition terminal is distributed in each greenhouse to collect data and play the role of wireless transmission,and router plays the function of data forwarding as the bridge of acquisition terminal and coordinator.Middle layer is composed of monitoring software developed by Lab VIEW software of NI Company and coordinator,which is used to gather data from the bottom layer.The top layer is comprehensive monitoring platform developed by Java language,which is used to gather greenhouse data of all plantation bases in one region,thereby providing comprehensive information service for government,enterprise and farmer.Greenhouse environment monitoring system realizes data collection and sharing of greenhouse environment information(air temperature,air humidity,light intensity and carbon dioxide concentration).Via test verification,the system's operation is stable,with certain application value.

Variations of soil quality from continuously planting greenhouses in North China

Vegetable greenhouses form a significant land utilisation pattern in China.A case study of the greenhouse soil quality changes and potential risk to humans under a specific long-term environment,which includes high fertilization rates,high temperatures and humidity levels and out-of-season cultivation,is presented in this study.Soil profiles of 72 representative solar greenhouses with various planting years were sampled in Shouguang City,which is the birthplace of winter greenhouse in China.The temporal distribution of soil quality changes were quantitatively evaluated through the application of a correlation analysis and soil quality assessment.The soil was highly enriched with phosphorus and potassium and had low organic matter content.The organic matter,nitrogen,phosphorus and potassium contents increased with the years planted,reached their peak values after 5-10 a,and declined as the soil layer’s depth increased.The infiltration rate of nitrate was relatively high,which poses risks to underground water safety.A comprehensive soil quality assessment revealed that in vegetable greenhouses planted for different periods,the soil quality improved at first and then sharply declined after 10 a.Studying greenhouse soil quality changes will aid in implementing nutrient management strategies to improve the soil quality and sustainable development programs for the vegetable industry.

Design and experiment of a barrel-shaped aeroponic cultivation system

Theoretically,aeroponic cultivation is easy to make plant roots in a better growth environment.In order to give better play to the theoretical advantages of aeroponic cultivation,further optimize the structure of the aeroponic cultivation system,and make the aeroponic cultivation system more scientific and reasonable,a barrel-shaped aeroponic cultivation system is designed.The aeroponic cultivation system is composed of a monitoring and control system,power equipment,nutrient solution storage,and treatment facility,nutrient solution supply pipelines,aeroponic cultivation barrels,and nutrient solution return pipelines.The cultivation system working principle and its technical requirements were analyzed,and its structure for meeting the requirements of large-scale production was determined.A performance test of the barrel-shaped aeroponic cultivation system using cultivated narrow leaved Chinese chives was conducted.The Chinese chives were cultivated to 6 beds of the cultivation barrel.The system supplied nutrient solution every 30 min for 2 min each time.After 5 weeks growth,the length,leaf width,and single weight of Chinese chive ranged from 293-362 mm,4.1-6.7 mm,and 3.48-5.47 g,respectively,the average length,leaf width,and single weight of Chinese chive were 327 mm,5.1 mm,and 4.24 g,respectively,and there were no significant differences in the length,leaf width,and single weight of Chinese chive on 6 beds by One-way ANOVA.The test results showed that all the Chinese chive in each bed of the cultivation barrel grew well and uniform,which indicated that the circulation process of nutrient solution supply and return in the system was normal,the process of nutrient solution atomization in the system was uniform,and the aeroponic cultivation system operated normally and stable and could be applied in production.