Intelligent Control System to Irrigate Orchids Based on Visual Recognition and 3D Positioning

This work develops a novel automatic irrigation system to implement the customized and accurate watering for an individual seedling. The system integrates the modules of visual recognition of the stem-leaf junction, identification of the stem-root junction as the watering point, and control of the spraying nozzle. The model of YOLOv3 is employed to screen the stem-leave junction of an orchid seedling, whose depth map then acquired by the method of Semi-Global Block Matching (SGBM) extracts the three-dimensional (3D) coordinates of the junction center. Next, the concept of leaf vector is introduced to identify the stem-root junction of the orchid seedling as the accurate watering point, which the spraying nozzle is controlled to reach for supplement of the specific amount of water. A number of experiments were conducted to verify the proposed irrigation system for orchid seedlings at different locations with various heights. The experimental results show that the rates of successful watering are 82% and 83.3% for the uni-pot and multi-pot orchid seedlings, respectively.

Paid Family Leave to Strengthen the STEM Workforce

In the United States many women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) leave their careers after becoming a parent. Attrition is simultaneously occurring with workforce shortages in STEM with two million jobs potentially unfilled by 2025. While there has been an increase in STEM recruitment of women over recent decades, policies aimed at decreasing departure of women in STEM have not been prioritized. The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) guarantees workers up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave, but has not shown to increase workforce attachment of new mothers. Instead, studies suggest that short durations of paid leave (6-12 weeks) increase workforce attachment. Medical consensus suggests that a leave of 26 weeks is necessary for maternal health and a leave of 40 weeks is optimal for infant well-being. Coupled with recently introduced paid parental leave legislation in Congress, we recommend timely action to decrease the departure of women from the workforce and to strengthen gender equality in STEM. We recommend instituting 12 weeks of federal paid family leave (PFL) under the recently introduced national family leave insurance program in the Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act (FAMILY Act; S. 463/H.R. 1185).

Phytochemical Screening and Larvicidal Activities of Some Ethnobotanicals from North Eastern Nigeria against Culicine (Dipera: Culicidae) Mosquito

This study was aimed to investigate the insecticidal activities of some selected ethnobotanicals against culicine mosquitoes. Various part of plant material collected were extracted using Soxhlet apparatus Methanol and Petroleum ether were used as solvents. Quantitative phytochemical Analysis for the crude extracts was carried out for the presence of azadrachtin, terpenoids, alkaloids, tannins, saponins, glycoside, steroids phenol and flavonoids. The larvicidal potentials of the various crude extracts were then tested against culicine mosquitoes. More yields of phytochemical constituents (80.78 mg) were found in total of 900 g used for methanol extracts as compared to 57.64 mg found in 900 g used in petroleum ether extracts. All the extracts of methanol and petroleum ether of the different plant used showed larvicidal potentials against culicine 3rd instar larvae. The LC50 of the methanol extracts (37.32, 38.52, 42.05, 45.91, 68.78, 126.56, and 141.73 ppm) of E. globulus, O. kilimanscharicum, H. suaveolens, Neem seeds, neem stem leave and orange peels respectively, are far better than their counterparts of petroleum ether extracts with LC50 (100.25, 115.53, 145.88, 68.44, 114.55, 46.79, and 175.07 ppm). The larvicidal effect of individual isolates of alkaloids, tannin, saponins, azadirachtin, phenol and steroids demonstrated larvicidal potentials against 3rd instar larvae of culicine, where, terpenoids, flavonoids and glycoside showed no larvicidal potentials against culicine larvae. The larvicidal potential of each plant depend on the number of active ingredients and quantity available in each extract. In conclusion, the present plant extracts have potentials for development of new and safe control products for culicine mosquitoes.

Perdas causadas por Coccus viridis (Hemiptera: Coccidae) em mudas de Coffea arabica L.

Coccus viridis (Green) danifica plantas jovens e adultas de Coffea arabica Linnaeu. No entanto, nada se sabe sobre a magnitude dos danos causados por esta praga. Assim, este trabalho teve por objetivo estudar as relações entre o ataque de C. viridis e as perdas causadas por este inseto a C. arabica. Este trabalho foi conduzido em casa de vegetação na Universidade Federal de Viçosa. Foram utilizadas sementes da linhagem IAC 15 da variedade “Catuaí vermelho” de café (C. arabica). Para a confecção dos tratamentos esta praga foi criada em casa de vegetação separada do experimento. Os tratamentos foram: plantas infestadas e não infestadas por adultos e ninfas da cochonilha verde. As plantas foram nutridas com solução nutritiva. Durante 110 dias foram avaliados: números de adultos e de ninfas de primeiro, segundo e terceiro ínstares, área foliar, diâmetro do caule, altura das plantas em todas repetições. No final do experimento avaliou-se o peso das raízes, caule, folhas e total. Os pesos das raízes, matéria seca total, área foliar e diâmetro do caule de plantas não atacadas por C. viridis superaram em 1,31; 1,41; 1,50 e 8,93 vezes, respectivamente o peso de plantas atacadas. As variáveis selecionadas foram: diâmetro do caule (cm), área foliar (cm²), peso de raízes (g), ninfas, adultos e total das cochonilhas. Concluindo que a planta de C. arabica é afetada de forma diferente entre seus órgãos e que a ninfa de terceiro ínstar e adultos são as fases que mais causam danos a C. arabica. Losses Caused by Coccus viridis (Green) (Hemiptera: Coccidae) on Seedlings of Coffea arabica L. Abstract. Coccus viridis (Green) cause losses on seedling and old plants of Coffea arabica (Green). However, nothing is known about of the damages caused by this pest. Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate the relations between atack of C. viridis and the losses caused by this insect. on C. arabica. This work was conduced in greenhouse at Federal University of Viçosa. Seed coffee plants line IAC 15, variety “Catuaí vermelho” (C. arabica) were used. The insects were reared into greenhouse and separated of the experiment. The treatments were: infested plants and no infested by adults and nymphs of the green scale. The plants were nourished with compound nutrient solutions. For 110 days evaluated: numbers of adults and nymphs of instar first, second and third, leaf area, diameter of stem and plant height in all repetition. At the end of the experiment were evaluated weights of root, stem, leave and total. The weight of root, total dry matter, leaf area and diameter of the stem at plants no attacked by C. viridis were 1.31, 1.41, 1.50 and 8.93 times more than weight attacked plants, respectively. The main variables were: diameter of the stem (cm), leaf area (cm²), weights of root (g), nymphs, adults and all cochineals. Also, parts of the plant (C. arabica) were damaged by nymphs (third) and adults of C. viridis.