scholarly journals 259 Comparison of On-site and Electronic Meteorological Service Weather Data for Use with a Disease Forecast System

HortScience ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 486F-487
Author(s):  
M.H. Maletta ◽  
W.P. Cowgill ◽  
T. Manning ◽  
W. Tietjen ◽  
S.A. Johnston ◽  
...  

Weather information has many applications in crop production practices, including disease forecasting. A variety of weather instruments are available for on-farm use, but associated costs and need for regular calibration and maintenance can limit actual use, especially by smaller growers. Subscription to an electronic meteorological service may be a viable alternative to on-site weather stations. In 1997 and 1998, hourly temperature, relative humidity and leaf wetness were monitored at six sites in a 400-m2 area of New Jersey with Field Monitor™ data loggers (Sensor Instruments, Inc.) and by subscription to SkyBit, Inc., an electronic meteorological service. There was close correspondence in temperature data from the two sources at all sites, the average seasonal difference ranging from 0 to 2 °F. Relative humidity data was variable between the two sources, the greatest variation occurring at low and high humidity, the ranges at which relative humidity sensors had been shown to be least accurate. Leaf wetness estimates from the two sources agreed at least two-thirds of the time. Data differences related to source were attributed to both systematic and random error. The usefulness of electronic weather data in crop production depends on how sensitive the particular weather-dependent applications (e.g., predictive disease and insect models) are to variation in the input data. The TOM-CAST early blight forecaster for tomatoes was not particularly sensitive to differences between SkyBit and Field Monitor leaf wetness estimates.

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
pp. 193-201
Author(s):  
Cristina Cabello Briones

Excavated archaeological sites are frequently exposed to damaging environmental conditions, which could lead to rapid decay especially for vulnerable heritage such as mosaics. One of the most common solutions is the construction of shelters; however, some may not behave as expected, either because they do not protect adequately or induce decay. An environmental monitoring programme was undertaken inside and outside the two types of shelters at the Roman archaeological site of Complutum (Alcala de Henares, Spain) from May to September in 2018 and 2019. Hourly temperature and relative humidity readings collected by data loggers, together with rainfall data from a local meteorological station, have been comparatively assessed to better understand the consequences of sheltering in dry and warm areas. The results indicate that both shelters are avoiding further decay by keeping a more stable environment in relation to outside, although the more enclosed structure would be the most suitable one.


2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 599-604 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. S. Thakare ◽  
P. K. Shrivastava ◽  
Kirti Bardhan

Global warming is casting its shadow in the form of climatic changes that is affecting the local weather conditions which has its bearing on crop production and water availability, the basic necessities for survival of life on the planet. In the present study, an attempt was made to investigate the cause of poor production of cotton in 2011-12 in Surat, Gujarat as compared to 2012-13 and 2013-14. Weather data since 2000 was analyzed and compared with the data of 2011-12 and comparison was made to find the abnormality in cotton crop productivity. It was found that during 2011-12, there was delayed monsoon, as well as during squaring and flowering stage (i.e. in August 2011) there was high rainfall (595.6 mm), maximum and minimum temperatures were above normal, during development (June-August) and flowering stage of crop (October-December) which disturbed the crop physiology indirectly affecting the yield of cotton. The combined effect of rainfall and temperature was on relative humidity that created conducive atmosphere for insect and pest attacks on crops. Due to changes in temperature and relative humidity, evaporative water demands would have further aggravated the watering needs of crop. The study concludes that erratic monsoon or delayed monsoon hampers crop physiology ultimately yield due to erratic weather conditions. Further, such changes in cotton growing areas could form the basis of planning and decisions on pricing, crop insurance, export and import policies of cotton crop.


Author(s):  
Markus Bulus ◽  
Malsiah Hamid ◽  
Yaik Wah Lim

Recent studies have emphasized the importance of the courtyard microclimate to the building and the need for a comparative study on their typology in other to ascertain the best alternative. Also emphasizing that the architect choice of the courtyard typology to be adopted in his architectural design schemes should be based on performance rather than his mere intuitive choice. Therefore, an investigational study of two different courtyard forms with the same perimeter, and material finished -the fully enclosed internal central courtyard and the semi-enclosed courtyard has been carried out in two existing residential buildings, in the city of Kafanchan-Nigeria. The main purpose of the study is to compare their climatic performances in other to ascertain the best option. The study employed the experimental methodology. Three Hobo Weather Data Loggers (HWDL) were used to collect data in the courtyards, and the third one was positioned in the outdoor area as a benchmark. Only two climatic variables, namely air temperature, and relative humidity were examined as these variables have not been investigated in a single research on the courtyard in Nigeria. The results showed a definite difference in the microclimatic conditions of the two courtyards. The fully enclosed internal courtyard is seen to have a better air temperature difference of 1oc to 3oc at the time intervals, and the relative humidity difference of 1% to 6%. In conclusion, the fully enclosed internal courtyard has demonstrated a more favorable microclimatic performance than the semi-enclosed, and future simulation studies towards its optimization are recommended.


Food Security ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alain Ndoli ◽  
Athanase Mukuralinda ◽  
Antonius G. T. Schut ◽  
Miyuki Iiyama ◽  
Jean Damascene Ndayambaje ◽  
...  

AbstractThe world is challenged to meet the food demand of a growing population, especially in developing countries. Given the ambitious plans to scale up agroforestry in Africa, an improved understanding of the effect of agroforestry practices on the already challenged food security of rural households is crucial. The present study was undertaken to assess how on-farm trees impacted food security in addition to other household income sources in Rwanda. In each of the six agroecologies of Rwanda, a stratified sampling procedure was used where two administrative cells (4th formal administrative level) were selected in which households were randomly selected for interviews. A survey including 399 farmers was conducted and farmers were grouped in three types of agroforestry practice (i) low practitioners (LAP) represented by the first tertile, (ii) medium practitioners (MAP) represented by the second tertile and (iii) high practitioners (HAP) represented by the third tertile of households in terms of tree number. Asset values, household income sources, crop production, farm size, crop yield, and food security (food energy needs) were quantified among the types of agroforestry practice. A larger proportion of HAP households had access to adequate quantity and diversity of food when compared with MAP and LAP households. Food security probability was higher for households with more resources, including land, trees and livestock, coinciding with an increased crop and livestock income. We found no difference in asset endowment among types of agroforestry practices, while farmers in agroecologies with smaller farms (0.42 ha to 0.66 ha) had more on-farm trees (212 to 358 trees per household) than farms in agroecologies with larger farms (0.96 ha to 1.23 ha) which had 49 to 129 trees per household, probably due to differences in biophysical conditions. A positive association between tree density and food security was found in two out of six agroecologies. The proportion of income that came from tree products was high (> 20%) for a small fraction of farmers (12%), with the more food insecure households relying more on income from tree products than households with better food security status. Thus, tree income can be percieved as a “safety net” for the poorest households.


Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 733
Author(s):  
Axel Weselek ◽  
Andrea Bauerle ◽  
Sabine Zikeli ◽  
Iris Lewandowski ◽  
Petra Högy

Agrivoltaic (AV) systems increase land productivity through the combined production of renewable energy and food. Although several studies have addressed their impact on crop production, many aspects remain unexplored. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of AV on the cultivation of celeriac, a common root vegetable in Central Europe. Celeriac was cultivated in 2017 and 2018 as part of an organically managed on-farm experiment, both underneath an AV system and in full-sun conditions. Under AV, photosynthetic active radiation was reduced by about 30%. Monitoring of crop development showed that in both years, plant height increased significantly under AV. Fresh bulb yield decreased by about 19% in 2017 and increased by about 12% in 2018 in AV, but the changes were not significant. Aboveground biomass increased in both years under AV, but only increased significantly in 2018. As aboveground biomass is a determinant of root biomass at harvest in root vegetables, bulb yields may be further increased by a prolonged vegetation period under AV. Compound analysis of celeriac bulbs did not show any clear effects from treatment. As harvestable yields were not significantly reduced, we concluded that celeriac can be considered a suitable crop for cultivation under AV.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Yajie Zou ◽  
Ting Zhu ◽  
Yifan Xie ◽  
Linbo Li ◽  
Ying Chen

Travel time reliability (TTR) is widely used to evaluate transportation system performance. Adverse weather condition is an important factor for affecting TTR, which can cause traffic congestions and crashes. Considering the traffic characteristics under different traffic conditions, it is necessary to explore the impact of adverse weather on TTR under different conditions. This study conducted an empirical travel time analysis using traffic data and weather data collected on Yanan corridor in Shanghai. The travel time distributions were analysed under different roadway types, weather, and time of day. Four typical scenarios (i.e., peak hours and off-peak hours on elevated expressway, peak hours and off-peak hours on arterial road) were considered in the TTR analysis. Four measures were calculated to evaluate the impact of adverse weather on TTR. The results indicated that the lognormal distribution is preferred for describing the travel time data. Compared with off-peak hours, the impact of adverse weather is more significant for peak hours. The travel time variability, buffer time index, misery index, and frequency of congestion increased by an average of 29%, 19%, 22%, and 63%, respectively, under the adverse weather condition. The findings in this study are useful for transportation management agencies to design traffic control strategies when adverse weather occurs.


2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 1685-1699
Author(s):  
B. D. Malamud ◽  
D. L. Turcotte ◽  
C. S. B. Grimmond

Abstract. Observations at the Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii, established the systematic increase of anthropogenic CO2 in the atmosphere. For the same reasons that this site provides excellent globally averaged CO2 data, it may provide temperature data with global significance. Here, we examine hourly temperature records, averaged annually for 1977–2006, to determine linear trends as a function of time of day. For night-time data (22:00 to 06:00, LST (local standard time)) there is a near-uniform warming of 0.040 °C y−1. During the day, the linear trend shows a slight cooling of −0.013 °C y−1 at 12:00 (noon, LST). Overall, at Mauna Loa Observatory, there is a mean warming trend of 0.021 °C y−1. The dominance of night-time warming results in a relatively large annual decrease in the diurnal temperature range (DTR) of −0.050 °C y−1. These trends are consistent with the observed increases in the concentrations of CO2 and its role as a greenhouse gas, and indicate the possible relevance of the Mauna Loa temperature measurements to global warming.


Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (20) ◽  
pp. 5252
Author(s):  
Kadri Keskküla ◽  
Tambet Aru ◽  
Mihkel Kiviste ◽  
Martti-Jaan Miljan

When the masonry walls of buildings under heritage protection need to be restored and thermally improved, the only option is to use an interior insulation system. This is also the riskiest method of insulating walls in cold climates. Capillary active interior insulation systems have been proven to be the most reliable, minimizing the risk of mold growth and decay caused by condensation. They have also been proven to be less risky in wind-driven rain. The building studied is situated in a heritage-conservation area in downtown Tartu, Estonia, and therefore cannot be insulated from the exterior. This paper compares the hygrothermal performance of four different interior insulation systems with and without a heating cable and vapor barrier. In the first case, Isover Vario KM Duplex UV was placed between reed panels. In the second case, reed panels were used without the vapor barrier. Data loggers were applied between the reed panels and the original wall and inside the room to measure temperature and relative humidity in one-hour intervals. Exterior temperature and relative humidity values were taken from the Estonian University of Life Sciences Institute of Technology weather service station. In addition to the measurements taken in the case study building, calculations were made using heat-air-moisture (HAM) Delphin software to simulate the situation. The use of a smart vapor retarder (Isover Vario KM Duplex UV) with reed panels in the interior insulation system reduced the relative humidity level inside the wall. The vapor retarder improved the drying-potential compared to the interior insulation system without the vapor barrier.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (16) ◽  
pp. 2631
Author(s):  
Marian Amoakowaah Osei ◽  
Leonard Kofitse Amekudzi ◽  
Craig R. Ferguson ◽  
Sylvester Kojo Danuor

The vertical profiles of temperature and water vapour from the Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS) have been validated across various regions of the globe as an effort to provide a substitute for radiosonde observations. However, there is a paucity of inter-comparisons over West Africa where local convective processes dominate and radiosonde observations (RAOBs) are limited. This study validates AIRS temperature and relative humidity profiles for selected radiosonde stations in West Africa. Radiosonde data were obtained from the AMMA and DACCIWA campaigns which spanned 2006–2008 and June–July 2016 respectively and offered a period of prolonged radiosonde observations in West Africa. AIRS performance was evaluated with the bias and root mean square difference (RMSD) at seven RAOB stations which were grouped into coastal and inland. Evaluation was performed on diurnal and seasonal timescales, cloud screening conditions and derived thunderstorm instability indices. At all timescales, the temperature RMSD was higher than the AIRS accuracy mission goal of ±1 K. Relative humidity RMSD was satisfactory with deviations <20% and <50% for both lower and upper troposphere respectively. AIRS retrieval of water vapour under cloudy and cloud-free conditions had no significant difference whereas cloud-free temperature was found to be more accurate. The seasonal evolution of some thunderstorm convective indices were also found to be comparable for AIRS and RAOB. The ability of AIRS to capture the evolution of these indices imply it will be a useful dataset for the African Science for Weather Information and Forecasting Techniques (SWIFT) high impact weather studies.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document