scholarly journals Behavior of Different Grafting Strategies Using Automated Technology for Splice Grafting Technique

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 2745
Author(s):  
José-Luis Pardo-Alonso ◽  
Ángel Carreño-Ortega ◽  
Carolina-Clara Martínez-Gaitán ◽  
Hicham Fatnassi
Keyword(s):  
Wound Healing ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Robotic System ◽  
Cutting Line ◽  
Grafting Technique ◽  
Automated Technology ◽  
Blade Edge ◽  
Process Factors ◽  
Cutting Point

Even though the splicing graft technique is relatively recent, it has become the most commonly used grafting method for solanaceae, and in particular, for tomato. Today, almost everyone has standardized the use of plastic or silicone grafting clips, equipped with manipulating wings and a frontal opening, to ensure proper bonding and allow for wound healing. Numerous factors influence the success or failure of the grafting process, factors such as the seedling varieties combined, climatic conditions, pre-graft and post-graft care, cutting point, cutting angle, pressure of the clips, blade edge, or substrate water content, among others. In this work, several alternatives in the graft assembly and coupling protocol were evaluated. Having studied the different working alternatives for grafting using a robotic system, two modes of joining order were analyzed. It has been shown that there are 20% more recorded successes if one first joins the graft seedlings and then places the grafting clip to guarantee their union. In addition, we studied the different orientation alternatives for the cutting line and the seedling union with respect to the clip opening—there were approximately 10% more successes obtained in grafts where the splice-union cutting line between the two plants faced the clip opening.

scholarly journals A robotic irrigation system for urban gardening and agriculture

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. 198-207
Author(s):  
Ioannis Gravalos ◽  
Avgoustinos Avgousti ◽  
Theodoros Gialamas ◽  
Nikolaos Alfieris ◽  
Georgios Paschalidis
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Irrigation System ◽  
Robotic System ◽  
Urban Gardening ◽  
Irrigation Treatments ◽  
Comparison Of The Results ◽  
Irrigation Technologies ◽  
Sustainable Irrigation

Water supply limits and continued population growth have intensified the search for measures to conserve water in urban gardening and agriculture. The efficiency of water use is depended on performance of the irrigation technologies and management practices. In this study, a robotic irrigation system was developed that consists of a moving bridge manipulator and a sensor-based platform. The manipulator constructed is partly using open-source components and software, and is easily reconfigurable and extendable. In combination to the sensor-based platform this custommade manipulator has the potential to monitor the soil water content (SWC) in real time. The irrigation robotic system was tested in an experimental soil tank. The total surface of the soil tank was divided by a raster into 18 equal quadrants. The water management for maintaining water content in the soil tank within tolerable lower limit (refill point) was based on three irrigation treatments: i) quadrants whose SWC is below the refill point are irrigated; ii) quadrants are irrigated only when the daily mean SWC of the tank is below the refill point and only for those whose actual SWC is lower than that limit; and iii) quadrants are irrigated every two days with constant amount of water. A comparison of the results of the three irrigation treatments showed that the second treatment gave less irrigation events and less applied water. Finally, we could conclude that the performance of the fabricated robotic system is appropriate and it could play an important role in achieving sustainable irrigation into urban food systems.

scholarly journals Physicochemical Properties of Moringa oleifera Leaves Grown in Valencian Community (Spain)

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 4
Author(s):  
María D. Ortolá ◽  
María Luisa Castelló ◽  
Maria C. Etchevers ◽  
Francisco José García-Mares ◽  
María D. Soriano
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Antioxidant Capacity ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Moringa Oleifera ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Amino Acid Content ◽  
Essential Amino Acids ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Leaf Production ◽  
Moringa Oleifera Leaves

Moringa oleifera is a foliated tree widely cultivated in tropical latitudes, which is highly adaptable to climatic conditions and dry soils. Every part of the plant has nutritional, therapeutic or industrial benefits. This is due to its phytochemicals such as glucosinolates, phenolic compounds, alkaloids, terpenoids and tannins, high values of crude protein, carbohydrates, starch and lipids. In addition, the use of the leaves has increased considerably by the agro-food and biochemical industries since they are a valuable source of dietary proteins and essential amino acids. This work aimed to characterize three types of leaf from Moringa oleifera seeds with different origins (Thai (C1), Ghana (C2) and India (C3)), grown in the same plot, but with different cultural practices (intended for leaf production (C1 and C2) or sheath production (C3). For this, water content and optical properties were determined in the fresh leaves. Later the leaves were dried (50 °C for 8 h) and pulverized, analyzing their water content, antioxidant capacity, color and amino acid content. No significant differences were observed in fresh leaves in terms of humidity and color. In dry powder, a higher antioxidant capacity was registered in moringa type C2, with a% DPPH inhibition of 83.7%, although in all cases, it exceeded 60%, showing the high persistence of the antioxidants after drying. Serine, glutamic acid and alanine were the major amino acids with values of 373 ± 78, 301 ± 51 and 248 ± 9 mg/100 g of powder, respectively, without influencing the applied field treatment or origin.

Effect of vegetation and seasons on the water content of soil climatic conditions of the Atlantic Forest in Southern Brazil

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael Matias Feltrin ◽  
João Batista Dias de Paiva ◽  
Eloiza Maria Cauduro Dias de Paiva ◽  
Vanessa Sari ◽  
Lariane Schlosser Brites
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Southern Brazil

scholarly journals Numerical study of water and heat transfer in unsaturated clay-loam soil

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. A19
Author(s):  
Nacer Lamrous ◽  
Said Makhlouf ◽  
Nora Belkaid
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Transfer Model ◽  
Climate Type ◽  
Transfer Equations ◽  
Loam Soil ◽  
Mass Transfers ◽  
Volume Method ◽  
The Mathematical Model

This present study is the numerical estimation of the temperature distribution and the water content distribution underground soil under the Mediterranean climate type. We use as input data of ambient temperature, air humidity and solar radiation, average values during 10 years estimated from data supplied by the local meteorological station (Tizi-Ouzou, Northern Algeria, 36°47′59″, North latitude and 4°1′59″, East longitude). A theoretical model, based on heat and water transfer equations, was established for an unsaturated soil submitted to the climatic conditions of this site. The mathematical model established in mono dimensional type, for a semi infinite transfer model, is based on Whitaker theory of heat and mass transfers in unsaturated porous medium (Withaker 1977, 1980) with the hypothesis that air pressure into soil porosity is equal to atmospheric pressure. The equations were discretized according to the finite volume method, which is more adapted for this type of problem, and were solved by the Newton-Raphson iterative method in the environment of Matlab software. The simulations have been done for two typical days (January 15 and May 15). Curves of temperature and water content evolutions in term of depth and time were obtained.

scholarly journals Novel Dual Walling Cob Building: Dynamic Thermal Performance

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (22) ◽  
pp. 7663
Author(s):  
Kaoutar Zeghari ◽  
Ayoub Gounni ◽  
Hasna Louahlia ◽  
Michael Marion ◽  
Mohamed Boutouil ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Heat Capacity ◽  
Thermal Properties ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Wheat Straw ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Structural Walls ◽  
Hemp Shiv

This paper emphasizes the experimental and numerical study of new cob mixes used for insulation and load bearing wall elements. The experimental study provides complete datasets of thermal properties of the new walling materials, using cob with density ranging from 1107 kg/m3 to 1583 kg/m3 for structural walls and less than 700 kg m−3 for insulation walls. Various mixes of French soils and fibres (reed, wheat straw, hemp shiv, hemp straw, and flax straw) with different water contents are studied. The lowest average thermal conductivity is obtained for the structural cob mix prepared of 5% wheat straw and 31% of water content. The insulation mix, prepared with 25% reed and 31% water content, has the lowest thermal conductivity. Investigation of diffusivity, density, and heat capacity shows that, when thermal conductivity is lower than 0.4 W m−1 K−1, the decrease in cob density leads to better insulation values and higher heat capacity. Little variation is noticed regarding the density and heat capacity for cob mixes with thermal conductivity higher than 0.4 W m−1 K−1. Furthermore, the non-uniformity of local thermal conductivity and heat losses through the samples is due mainly to the non-uniform distribution of fibres inside the mixes inducing an increase in heat loss up to 50% for structural walls and 25% for insulation walls. Cob thermal properties are used in a comparative simulation case study of a typical house under French and UK climatic conditions. The energy performance of the conventional building is compared to a dual walled cob building, showing remarkable reduction in energy consumption as the cob walls, whilst maintaining comfortable indoor conditions without additional heating.

Continuous observation of canopy water content changes with GPS sensors

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent Humphrey ◽  
Brian L. Dorsey ◽  
Christian Frankenberg
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Liquid Water ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Leaf Water ◽  
Global Navigation Satellite Systems ◽  
Leaf Water Content ◽  
Vegetation Water ◽  
Canopy Water

<p>Canopy water content is a direct indicator of vegetation water use and hydraulic stress, reflecting how ecosystems respond and adapt to droughts and heatwaves. It represents an interesting target for Earth system models which attempt to predict the response and resilience of the vegetation in the face of changing climatic conditions. So far, in-situ estimates of vegetation water content often rely on infrequent and time-consuming samplings of leaf water content, which are not necessarily representative of the canopy scale. On the other hand, several satellite techniques have demonstrated a promising potential for monitoring vegetation optical depth and water content, but these large-scale measurements are still difficult to reference against sparse in-situ level observations.</p><p>Here, we present an experimental technique based on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) to bridge this persisting scale gap. Because GNSS microwave signals are obstructed and scattered by vegetation and liquid water, placing a GNSS sensor in a forest and measuring changes in signal quality can provide continuous information on canopy water content and forest structure. We demonstrate that variations in GNSS signal attenuation reflect the distribution of biomass density and liquid water in the canopy, consistent with ancillary relative leaf water content measurements, and can be monitored continuously. Of particular interest, this technique can resolve diurnal variations in canopy water content at sub-hourly time steps. The few rainfall events captured during the 8-months observational record also suggest that canopy water interception can be monitored at 5 minutes intervals. We discuss future strategies and requirements for deploying such off-the-shelf passive bistatic radar systems at existing FluxNet sites.</p>

scholarly journals Autologous non-cultured epidermal cell suspension combined with platelet rich fibrin for the treatment of stable vitiligo: A case series

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adniana Nareswari ◽  
Dendy Zulfikar ◽  
Indah Julianto ◽  
Suci Widhiati
Keyword(s):  
Wound Healing ◽  
Cell Suspension ◽  
Epidermal Cell ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Poor Response ◽  
Platelet Rich Fibrin ◽  
Donor Skin ◽  
Grafting Technique ◽  
Surgical Modality ◽  
Fibrin Membrane

Non-cultured epidermal cell suspension (NCECS) is a relatively new cellular grafting technique for vitiligo. Platelet rich fibrin (PRF) is a platelet and immune concentrate gather on a single fibrin membrane which can be used in conjunction with grafts and has several advantages, such as promoting wound healing, haemostasis, and give better handling properties to graft materials. This study was conducted to determine the efficacy of NCECS combined with PRF in patients with stable vitiligo. Seven patients with stable vitiligo which not responding to topical and phototherapy for more than 12 months were included in the study. The melanocytes were harvested as an autologous melanocyte rich suspension from a donor skin. The non cultured melanocyte transplanted to recipient area that had been superficially dermabraded and smeared with PRF gel. Of all 7 patients, 1 patients showed excellent pigmentation (90-100%), 2 had good repigmentation (60-89%), 1 had fair repigmentation (25-59%) and 3 patients had a poor response (0-24%). The procedure is safe and promising surgical modality for stable vitiligo.

Evaluation of two process-based models to estimate soil N2O emissions in Eastern Canada

2008 ◽  
Vol 88 (2) ◽  
pp. 251-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
W N Smith ◽  
B B Grant ◽  
R L Desjardins ◽  
P. Rochette ◽  
C F Drury ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Temperature ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Fertilizer Treatment ◽  
N2o Emissions ◽  
Pig Slurry ◽  
Dndc Model ◽  
Eastern Canada ◽  
Maize Crop ◽  
Process Based Models

Process-based models play an important role in the estimation of soil N2O emissions from regions with contrasting soil and climatic conditions. A study was performed to evaluate the ability of two process-based models, DAYCENT and DNDC, to estimate N2O emissions, soil nitrate- and ammonium-N levels, as well as soil temperature and water content. The measurement sites included a maize crop fertilized with pig slurry (Quebec) and a wheat-maize-soybean rotation as part of a tillage-fertilizer experiment (Ontario). At the Quebec site, both models accurately simulated soil temperature with an average relative error (ARE) ranging from 0 to 2%. The models underpredicted soil temperature at the Ontario site with ARE from −5 to −7% for DNDC and from −5 to −13% for DAYCENT. Both models underestimated soil water content particularly during the growing season. The DNDC model accurately predicted average seasonal N2O emissions across treatments at both sites whereas the DAYCENT model underpredicted N2O emissions by 32 to 58% for all treatments excluding the fertilizer treatment at the Quebec site. Both models had difficulty in simulating the timing of individual emission events. The hydrology and nitrogen transformation routines need to be improved in both models before further enhancements are made to the trace gas routines. Key words: Nitrous oxide, process-based model, DNDC, greenhouse gas emissions, soil

Obtaining of Ceramic Sensor Devices for Soil Humidity Measurements in Different Climatic Conditions

2016 ◽  
Vol 869 ◽  
pp. 40-45
Author(s):  
Rodrigo de Matos Oliveira ◽  
Maria do Carmo de Andrade Nono ◽  
Manoela de Oliveira Couto
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Porous Ceramics ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Electrical Measurements ◽  
Sintered Ceramic ◽  
Microscopy Technique ◽  
Irrigation Drainage

Presently, there is a lack of effectiveness in the manufacturing of sensors and sensing systems, with Brazilian technologies and raw-materials, able to measure soil water content, with efficiency and practicality. On account of this, ceramics is selected as sensing elements for this application, based on relevant results obtained by researchers from the TECAMB Group of INPE, along the last 15 years. In this way, the present work tries to bring together the technologies of manufacturing, characterization and development of porous ceramics and the monitoring of soil water content in typical Brazil soils, for several applications, such as irrigation, drainage, building and environmental monitoring as well. And so, in order to improve the sensing capacity of these ceramic devices, electrical measurements were performed in different climatic conditions of controlled relative humidity and room temperature. The scanning electron microscopy technique was applied for the morphological analysis of the sintered ceramic microstructure. Results evidenced that the ceramic devices presented a very promising response to the water molecules contained in soil samples selected for tests, under established climatic conditions.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document