scholarly journals Machinery guidance systems analysis concerning pass-to-pass accuracy as a tool for efficient plant production in fields and for soil damage reduction

2014 ◽  
Vol 60 (No. 1) ◽  
pp. 36-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. Kvíz ◽  
M. Kroulik ◽  
J. Chyba

Machines without satellite navigation in fields have a tendency to pass-to-pass errors, especially unwanted overlaps, resulting in waste of fuel and pesticides, longer working times and also environmental damage. This paper evaluates the accuracy of individual machinery passes in fields. Real pass-to-pass errors (omissions and overlaps) in a field were measured on different tractor-implement units with and without guidance system utilization and a comparison between observed guidance arrangements was made regarding final working accuracy and possible benefits from navigation utilization. Additionally, intensity of machinery passes, and repeated passes on soil, as a possible risk for soil compaction in fields, were monitored. The outcomes from our measurements revealed a statistically significant difference between the total area treated by machinery without any guidance system and machinery using precise guidance systems. Concerning the intensity of traffic in fields, it was found out that more than 86% of the total field area was run-over at least once during one cropping season when using conventional tillage practice. The usage of guidance systems can reduce machinery traffic in field to some extent as well and thus improve soil conditions.

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-141
Author(s):  
Brahima Koné ◽  
Zadi Florent ◽  
Gala bi Trazié Jeremie ◽  
Akassimadou Edja Fulgence ◽  
Konan Kouamé Firmin ◽  
...  

Grain yield stabilization of lowland rice over cropping seasons was explored using different compositions of inorganic fertilizers (NPK, NPKCa, NPKMg, NPKZn, NPKCaMg, NPKCaZn and NPKCaMgZn) and straw incorporation (3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 tha-1 ). No fertilizer and no straw amended plot was the control in a split-plot design with three replications laid in a Fluvisol of Guinea savanna in Centre Cote d’Ivoire. Three weeks old nursery rice variety NERICA L19 was transplanted. No significant difference of grain yield was observed between the different treatments excluding the highest yields recorded for treatments NPKMg (5.09 tha-1 ), NPKZn (5.15 tha-1 ) and NPKCaéMg (5.31 tha-1 ) compared with 12 (3.95 tha1 ) and 15 tha-1 (4.14 tha-1 ) as straw rates respectively. Grain yield declining trend was more pronounced for mineral fertilizer treatments showing twice greater depressive effect of cropping cycle compared with the straw especially, for treatments characterized by highest grain yield in the first cropping season and similar grain yields were recorded for both sources of nutrient in the third cropping cycle. Of slowness of nutrients releasing by straw, highest grain yield was expected for this soil amender within a longer period of cultivation whereas, unbalance soil micronutrients should be relevant to studious declining yield under inorganic fertilizer effect. Nevertheless, the straw rate of 12 tha-1 supplying 0.58% of NPK as mineral fertilizer equivalent can be recommended for sustaining lowland rice production in the studied agro-ecosystems unless for three cropping seasons.


Plant Methods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Musse ◽  
G. Hajjar ◽  
N. Ali ◽  
B. Billiot ◽  
G. Joly ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Drought is a major consequence of global heating that has negative impacts on agriculture. Potato is a drought-sensitive crop; tuber growth and dry matter content may both be impacted. Moreover, water deficit can induce physiological disorders such as glassy tubers and internal rust spots. The response of potato plants to drought is complex and can be affected by cultivar type, climatic and soil conditions, and the point at which water stress occurs during growth. The characterization of adaptive responses in plants presents a major phenotyping challenge. There is therefore a demand for the development of non-invasive analytical techniques to improve phenotyping. Results This project aimed to take advantage of innovative approaches in MRI, phenotyping and molecular biology to evaluate the effects of water stress on potato plants during growth. Plants were cultivated in pots under different water conditions. A control group of plants were cultivated under optimal water uptake conditions. Other groups were cultivated under mild and severe water deficiency conditions (40 and 20% of field capacity, respectively) applied at different tuber growth phases (initiation, filling). Water stress was evaluated by monitoring soil water potential. Two fully-equipped imaging cabinets were set up to characterize plant morphology using high definition color cameras (top and side views) and to measure plant stress using RGB cameras. The response of potato plants to water stress depended on the intensity and duration of the stress. Three-dimensional morphological images of the underground organs of potato plants in pots were recorded using a 1.5 T MRI scanner. A significant difference in growth kinetics was observed at the early growth stages between the control and stressed plants. Quantitative PCR analysis was carried out at molecular level on the expression patterns of selected drought-responsive genes. Variations in stress levels were seen to modulate ABA and drought-responsive ABA-dependent and ABA-independent genes. Conclusions This methodology, when applied to the phenotyping of potato under water deficit conditions, provides a quantitative analysis of leaves and tubers properties at microstructural and molecular levels. The approaches thus developed could therefore be effective in the multi-scale characterization of plant response to water stress, from organ development to gene expression.


1983 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Peter Heilbrun ◽  
Theodore S. Roberts ◽  
Michael L. J. Apuzzo ◽  
Trent H. Wells ◽  
James K. Sabshin

✓ The production model of the Brown-Roberts-Wells (BRW) computerized tomography (CT) stereotaxic guidance system is described. Hardware and software modifications to the original prototype now allow the system to be used independently of the CT scanner after an initial scan with the localizing components fixed to the skull. The system is simple and efficient, can be used universally with all CT scanners, and includes a phantom simulator system for target verification. Preliminary experience with 74 patients at two institutions is described. It is concluded that CT stereotaxic guidance systems will become important tools in the neurosurgical armamentarium, as they allow accurate approach to any target identifiable on the CT scan.


Soil Research ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shutao Chen ◽  
Yao Huang

Studies on the CO2 and N2O emission patterns of agricultural soils under different ploughing practices may provide an insight into the potential and magnitude of CO2 and N2O mitigation in highly managed farmland soils. In this study, field measurements of soil respiration and N2O flux with different ploughing depths were performed in the 2003–04 wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), 2004 maize (Zea mays L.), and 2004–05 wheat seasons. Soil temperature and moisture were simultaneously measured. Results showed that, in each cropping season, the seasonal variation in soil respiration developed with a similar pattern for different treatments, which was primarily regulated by soil temperature. This work demonstrates that ploughing depth can influence long-term loss of carbon from soil, but this was contingent on preceding cropping types. Given the same preceding cropping practice, no significant difference in N2O emission was found among different ploughing depths in each cropping season.


Agric ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 31
Author(s):  
Andrias ◽  
Suprihati ◽  
Diah Setyorini

<p>ABSTRACT</p><p>Rainfed ricefield, planted at least for one cropping season in a year, depends heavily on rainfall for its water supply. This land generally is low in fertility as indicated by the limited availability of essential plant nutrients in particular nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) as well as organic matter. Its productivity is relatively low with a rather erratic precipitation distribution. In order to overcome fertility issue in rainfed land, it is necessary to conduct an integrated nutrient management; one of which is by implementing location specific nutrient management. This study aims to seek the appropriate nutrient management in rainfed paddy field of Semawung village in the sub-district of Andong of Boyolali regency to be provisioned as a technological tool of location specific nutrient management. Research on nutrient management of gogo rancah system-based paddy production was carried out from October 2014 to January 2015. The field experiment was arranged in a Randomized Block Design involving eight treatments and three replications for each treatment. Treatments were combinations of NPK fertilizer, Organofosfat, and straw-based organic fertilizer. Nutrient management using NPK fertilizer and its combination with Organofosfat or organic fertilizer had very significant effect on plant height and number of stem per hill, significantly affected number of panicle per hill, panicle length, and number of fully-filled grain but did not result in difference of fully filled grain percentage and weight of 1000 grains. There was no significant difference between the treatment of 100% of NPK fertilizer and the combination of 75% of NPK fertilizer with straw-based fertilizer regarding these variables: number of stem per hill, number of panicle per hill, panicle length, number of grain per hill, number and percentage of fully-filled grain, weight of 1000 grains, and weight of fresh grain and milled grain yield. Therefore, the latter treatment is feasible as an option of location-specific nutrient management Semawung village.</p>


Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 939
Author(s):  
Qiang Chen ◽  
Xingyi Zhang ◽  
Li Sun ◽  
Jianhua Ren ◽  
Yaru Yuan ◽  
...  

Tillage practices are critical for sustaining soil quality necessary for successful crop growth and productivity, but there are only few studies for strip tillage (ST) in the Mollisols region of Northeast China at present. A long-term (≥10-year) study was carried out to investigate the influence of within the tilled row (IR) and between rows (BR) in ST (10-year), conventional tillage (CT, 14-year) and no tillage (NT, 14-year) treatments on soil physicochemical properties. Soil samples were taken in May of 2019 at 0–5, 5–10, 10–20 and 20–30 cm depths and used to analyze bulk density (BD), soil aggregate distribution and stability, and soil organic carbon (SOC). Meanwhile, our study also explored the differences in seed emergence, soil moisture, and temperature during the seed emergence period, and yield of maize (Zea mays L.) among the different treatments. Similar soil properties were observed between ST-BR and NT, which showed they had a significantly greater BD, >0.25 mm water stable aggregate content (WR0.25) (especially in the amount of >2 mm and 1–2 mm size proportion), aggregate stability, and SOC than ST-IR and CT-IR at a depth of 0–20 cm. By improving soil conditions of seedbed, ST-IR and CT-IR increased soil temperature above NT by 1.64 °C and 1.80 °C, respectively, and ST-IR had a slight greater soil moisture than CT-IR in the top 10 cm layer during the seed emergence period. Late maize seed emergence was observed NT in than ST-IR and CT-IR and the average annual yields in ST were slightly greater than NT and CT, but the differences were not significant. Our results also showed that CT-BR had a poor soil structure and lower SOC than other treatments at 0–30 cm depth. We conclude from these long-term experimental results that ST could improve soil water-heat conditions to promote seed germination, maintain soil structure, and increase the maize yield and it should be applied in the Mollisols region of Northeast China.


Author(s):  
Mamudu Njodi ◽  
Mohammed D. Toungos ◽  
Mu’azu Babayola ◽  
Hassan Kashim

Field experiment were conducted at Yola and Mubi locations to study the effects of increased plant population of five (5) varieties of maize Viz:  SAMMAZ 11, SAMMAZ  14, SAMMAZ 15, SAMMAZ 16, and SAMMAZ 17 on yield and yield component during the 2011 cropping season. The experimental design was a split plot design with maize varieties as the main plot treatments, while plant population, (53,333, 63,333, 80,000 and 106,666) as the sub-plot treatments. The treatment were replicated three (3) times. Characters measured included plant height, number of leaves per plant, number of days to 50% tasseling, number of day to 50 % silking, days to 95% maturity, number of ear per plant, stem diameter, length of ear, diameter of ear, number of grains per ear, 100 grain weight, number of grains per ear. Yield per plot and total grain yield per hectare. The result of the experiments showed that there was significant difference due to varietal effect in plant height at 3 WAS in Yola and at 7 WAS and 9 WAS in Mubi. Variety also affects days to 50% tasseling, days to 50% silking and days to 95% maturity at both locations. Variety also affects ear length at both locations. Interaction of variety and population affected harvest index in Mubi. Population significantly affected yield per plant, yield per plot, total grain yield per hectare in both locations. Combined analysis result showed highly significant effect due to location on plant height at 3 and 5 WAS and also due to variety. Location also affected number of leaves per plant significantly at 3WAS and highly significantly at 5, 7, 9 and 11 WAS. Varieties affected number of leaves per plant at 5 and 9 WAS and was highly significant at 11 WAS.  Location and varieties affected days to 50% tasseling, days to 50 % silking and days to 95% maturity, while population only affected days to 50% silking. Diameter of ear and harvest index was highly significant by location and on number of grains per row. Varieties also showed significant differences in length of ear. Location affected straw weight per plant, while varieties affected yield per plant and yield per plot, weight of 100 grain yield and total grain yield per hectare was also highly significantly affected. Population affected yield per plant, especially the ones in Yola. Straw weight, total grain yield and weight of 100 grain were significantly affected. SAMMAZ 15 which gave a plant population of 106,666 ha-1 is recommended at both locations.


2017 ◽  
Vol 63 (Special Issue) ◽  
pp. S66-S72
Author(s):  
Kvíz Zděnek ◽  
Kroulík Milan

This article evaluates agricultural operator´s stress, mental strain and generally fighting with driving difficulties during operating agricultural machinery sets by means of a heart rate indicator. Different drivers driving different tractors with implements were chosen and evaluated during different field jobs, namely soil tillage and sowing. Machinery position on the field was precisely monitored by a GPS receiver and the heart beat rate was observed by means of a chest belt special device with a heart rate sensor. The output data from the sensors were monitored during conventional manual steering of the tractor-implement set and also when using the complete automatic guidance steering without any driver´s intervention to steering wheel – all by using the DGPS guidance signal. The data were further processed with a special software for the heart rate sensor and detailed statistical evaluation was performed. All described trials were measured at different farms in the Czech Republic. The final outcomes from the experiment showed a statistically significant difference between two experimental variants and confirm our hypothesis that the guidance systems bring a great benefit for drivers concerning mental strain and relief of their workload.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 266-276
Author(s):  
Kamal MIRI-HESAR ◽  
Ali DADKHODAIE ◽  
Saideh DOROSTKAR ◽  
Bahram HEIDARI

Drought stress is one of the most significant environmental factors restricting plant production all over the world. In arid and semi-arid regions where drought often causes serious problems, wheat is usually grown as a major crop and faces water stress. In order to study drought tolerance of wheat, an experiment with 34 genotypes including 11 local and commercial cultivars, 17 landraces, and six genotypes from International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) was conducted at the experimental station, School of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Iran in 2010-2011 growing season. Three different irrigation regimes (100%, 75% and 50% Field Capacity) were applied and physiological and biochemical traits were measured for which a significant difference was observed in genotypes. Under severe water stress, proline content and enzymes’ activities increased while the relative water content (RWC) and chlorophyll index decreased significantly in all genotypes. Of these indices, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and RWC were able to distinguish tolerant genotypes from sensitives. Moreover, yield index (YI) was useful in detecting tolerant genotypes. The drought susceptibility index (DSI) varied from 0.40 to 1.71 in genotypes. These results indicated that drought-tolerant genotypes could be selected based on high YI, RWC and SOD and low DSI. On the whole, the genotypes 31 (30ESWYT200), 29 (30ESWYT173) and 25 (Akbari) were identified to be tolerant and could be further used in downstream breeding programs for the improvement of wheat tolerance under water limited conditions.


Weed Science ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Dorado ◽  
J. P. Del Monte ◽  
C. López-Fando

In a semiarid Mediterranean site in central Spain, field experiments were conducted on a Calcic Haploxeralf (noncalcic brown soil), which had been managed with three crop rotations and two tillage systems (no-tillage and conventional tillage) since 1987. The crop rotations consisted of barley→vetch, barley→sunflower, and a barley monoculture. The study took place in two growing seasons (1992–1994) to assess the effects of management practices on the weed seedbank. During this period, spring weed control was not carried out in winter crops. In the no-tillage system, there was a significant increase in the number of seeds of different weed species: anacyclus, common purslane, corn poppy, knotted hedge-parsley, mouse-ear cress, spring whitlowgrass, tumble pigweed, venus-comb, andVeronica triphyllos.Conversely, the presence of prostrate knotweed and wild radish was highest in plots under conventional tillage. These results suggest large differences in the weed seedbank as a consequence of different soil conditions among tillage systems, but also the necessity of spring weed control when a no-tillage system is used. With regard to crop rotations, the number of seeds of knotted hedge-parsley, mouse-ear cress, and spring whitlowgrass was greater in the plots under the barley→vetch rotation. Common lambsquarters dominated in the plots under the barley→sunflower rotation, whereas venus-comb was the most frequent weed in the barley monoculture. Larger and more diverse weed populations developed in the barley→vetch rotation rather than in the barley→sunflower rotation or the barley monoculture.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document