Prediction of potential and attainable yield of wheat : A case study on yield gap

This study reports the role of field experimentation and system simulation in better quantifying the productivity of wheat crop, and examine how knowledge on potential productivity can improve the efficiency of the production system. When knowledge from field experimentation is utilised into crop weather simulation models, gap between actual, attainable and potential yield for a given environment can be determined and opportunities for yield improvement can be assessed. Results show that while actual district average yields show increasing trend, decreasing trend is noticed in potential and attainable yield. While the total and management yield gap is decreasing over time, research yield gap does not show any trend, it is nearly stagnant from early eighties to late nineties. The study reported here presents the advantage of simulation models to determine the yield gap against a variable annual yield potential for a agro-climatic region.

Design and Development of an Online Smart Monitoring and Diagnosis System for Photovoltaic Distributed Generation

In photovoltaic power plants, fault diagnosis tools are essential for ensuring a high energy yield. These tools should be capable of accurately identifying and quantifying the factors behind the various fault mechanisms commonly found in photovoltaic plants. Considering the aforementioned factors, this article proposes an online smart PV monitoring solution, which is capable of detecting malfunctions that arise from accidental and/or technical causes through the analysis of I-V curves, however, without the necessity to interrupt the operation of the system, thus reducing the maintenance cost. Accidental causes can lead to the reduction of energy productivity due to the excessive accumulation of dirt on the photovoltaic modules, partial shading and eventual errors that occur during its installation. On the other hand, technical causes can be attributed to faults found on the photovoltaic modules, which lead to gradual losses in their electric and material characteristics. Therefore, by using the electric characteristics supplied by the manufacturer of the installed modules, the I-V and P-V curves of the operational photovoltaic strings were obtained in real time, compared to the respective theoretical curves obtained through mathematical modeling. In order to validate the proposed online monitoring system and its potential for predictive maintenance application, a field experimentation was mounted in a 93.8 kWp photovoltaic system.

Influence of Bio-fertilizers and Botanicals on GrowthYield and Yield Attributes of Field Pea (Pisum sativum L.) Var. (Azad Pea-3)

The Field Experiment was conducted at Field Experimentation Centre, Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Sam Higginbottom University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Prayagraj (U.P) during the year 2020-2021.The Experiment was laid out in a Randomized Block Design with 13 treatments and 3 replications. The treatments were T0 - Control, T1- Azotobacter @ 3g, T2-Azotobacter @ 5g ,T3- Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria @ 3g, T4-Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria @ 5g, T5- Azospirillum @ 3g, T6-Azospirillum@ 5g,T7- Rhizobium @ 3g, T8-Rhizobium @ 5g , T9- Moringa leaf extract @1%, T10-Moringa leaf extract @3%, T11- Lantana camera leaf extract @1%, T12-Lantana camera leaf extract @ 3% with a soaking duration of 8 hours. The results showed that seeds primed with T8- Rhizobium @ 5g improved Field emergence percentage, growth, yield and yield attributing traits followed by T7-Rhizobium @ 3g and T4- PSB@ 5g. The least performance was observed in T0-Control when compared with the other treatments. This it indicated that the process of seed treatment by bio-fertilizers may be the better option for seed growers to achieve higher seed yield and yield attributes in Pea.

Transport behavior-mining from smartphones: a review

Background Although people and smartphones have become almost inseparable, especially during travel, smartphones still represent a small fraction of a complex multi-sensor platform enabling the passive collection of users’ travel behavior. Smartphone-based travel survey data yields the richest perspective on the study of inter- and intrauser behavioral variations. Yet after over a decade of research and field experimentation on such surveys, and despite a consensus in transportation research as to their potential, smartphone-based travel surveys are seldom used on a large scale. Purpose This literature review pinpoints and examines the problems limiting prior research, and exposes drivers to select and rank machine-learning algorithms used for data processing in smartphone-based surveys. Conclusion Our findings show the main physical limitations from a device perspective; the methodological framework deployed for the automatic generation of travel-diaries, from the application perspective; and the relationship among user interaction, methods, and data, from the ground truth perspective.

Influence of Vermiwash, Panchagavya and Weed Extract on Growth, Yield and Seed Quality Parameters of Cluster Bean (Cyamopsistetragonoloba (L).)

Cluster bean (Cyamopsistetragonoloba L.) popularly known as guar is a drought tolerant, deep-rooted, annual legume is grown for Vegetable, Food, Fodder, Green manure, Gum and as a seed. The fortification of seeds for better Growth and Yield has become important and emphasized. The study was conducted to determine the ― Effect of Vermiwash, Panchagavya and Weed Extract on Growth, Yield and Seed Quality Parameters of Cluster bean (Cyamopsistetragonoloba (L).).The experiment was carried out at Field Experimentation Centre of the Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology & Sciences. Prayagraj (UP) during Kharif-2019. The experiment was laid out in Randomised Blocked Design and comprised of 13 treatments and 3 replications. The treatments were T0 (Control),T1 – vermiwash 5% @ 12hrs, T2 - vermin wash 10% @ 12hrs, T3 - vermiwash 15% @ 12hrs, T4 - vermiwash 20% @ 12hrs, T5 – panchagavya 5% @ 12hrs, T6 - panchagavya 10% @ 12hrs, T7 - panchagavya 15% @ 12hrs, T8 - panchagavya 20% @ 12hrs, T9 – weed seed extract 5% @ 12 hrs, T10 - weed seed extract 10% @ 12 hrs, T11 – weed seed extract 15% @ 12 hrs, T12 - weed seed extract 20% @ 12 hrs.

Vehicle Emissions and Air Quality: The Early Years (1940s–1950s)

During the 1940s, an unusual form of air pollution was experienced in the Los Angeles (LA) area of Southern California. Referred to as LA smog, this pollution differed from previously known air pollution with respect to its temporal patterns (daytime formation and nighttime dissipation), eye irritation, high oxidant levels, and plant damage. Early laboratory and field experimentation discovered the photochemical origins of LA smog. Though mechanistic understanding was incomplete, it was determined that hydrocarbon (HC) compounds in the atmosphere participate in smog formation, enabling build-up of higher ozone concentrations than would otherwise occur. It being a significant source, there was great interest in characterizing and controlling HC emissions from motor vehicles. Considerable work was done in the 1940s and 1950s to understand how emissions varied with vehicle operating conditions and deterioration of engine components. During this time, procedures were developed (and improved) to sample and quantify vehicle emissions. Besides exhaust, HC emissions from crankcase blowby, carburetor evaporation, and fuel tank losses were measured and characterized. Initial versions of both catalytic and non-catalytic exhaust after-treatment systems were developed. The knowledge gained from this pre-1960 work laid the foundation for many advancements that reduced vehicle emissions and improved air quality during subsequent decades.

Comparative Studies on Effectiveness of Physical, Micronutrients, PGR and Botanical Seed Treatments on Growth and Yield of Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.)

The experiment was carried out at a field experimentation centre, Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Naini Agricultural Institute, SHUATS, Prayagraj (U.P). During Rabi season 2020-2021, to find out the suitable Physical, Micronutrients, PGR and Botanical seed treatments on growth and yield of Fenugreek (LFC-84). Different concentrations with different duration of seed treatments with control (untreated) were evaluated by screening 8 hours viz., Electric treatment (0.5A for 60 seconds and 1.0A for 60 seconds), Magnetic treatment (10mT for 15 min and 20 mT for 30 min), ZnSO4 (1% and 3% for 8 hrs), MnSO4 (1% and 3% for 8 hrs) Ascorbic acid (100 ppm and 300 ppm for 8 hrs), Moringa leaf extract (1% and 3% for 8 hrs). It has been reported that among all the treatments T6 - ZnSO4 -3% for 8 hrs has performed the best results in field parameters like Plant height, number of branches per plant, days required to 50% flowering, days required to 50% pod formation, days to maturity, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, seed yield per plant (g), test weight (g), dry weight of plant (g), harvest Index (%) followed by Ascorbic acid 300 ppm for 8 hours and found to be lowest in control seeds. Hence seed treatment of Fenugreek seeds with ZnSO4 – 3% is the best treatment compared to other seed treatments.

Global Landscape of Organic Carbon and Total Nitrogen in the Soils of Oasis Ecosystems in Southern Tunisia

The oasis soils of Tunisia face several climatic and soil constraints. Trying to have cultures that are profitable and beneficial in terms of soil C and N sequestration in such environments is already a challenge. To conduct this, we tested under identical conditions four types of occupation in sub-plots adjacent to the crops; barley alone, alfalfa alone, intercropping barley/alfalfa, and a control fallow in a saline gypseous desert soil poor in organic matter. Field experimentation was carried out in the oasis of Degache, which is very representative of other Tunisian oases. The stocks of C and N of the plot were calculated from the start in September 2019 before the installation of the different crops. After 21 months, the control plot shows a decrease of −41% in its stock of C and −25% in its stock N. However, the best result is that of the barley/alfalfa intercropping with an increase of +126.46% in the C stock and +178.67% in the N stock. After almost two years of experience, the beneficial effect of the intercropping system in the oasis is clear. These results are very motivating and seem to be a solution to the rapid decline in soil organic stocks.