There is growing evidence that low-cost open-source 3-D printers can reduce costs by enabling distributed manufacturing of substitutes for both specialty equipment and conventional mass-manufactured products. The rate of 3-D printable designs under open licenses is growing exponentially and there are already hundreds of designs applicable to small-scale organic farming. It has also been hypothesized that this technology could assist sustainable development in rural communities that rely on sm...
A number of catastrophes could block the sun, including asteroid/comet impact, super volcanic eruption, and nuclear war with the burning of cities (nuclear winter). Previous work has analysed alternate food supplies (e.g. mushrooms growing on dead trees, bacteria growing on natural gas). This was shown to be technically capable of feeding everyone with macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and lipids) and for minerals (though economics and politics remain uncertain). The present work analys...
Aggressive growth of land-based solar photovoltaic (PV) farms can create a land use conflict with agricultural production. Fortunately, this issue can be resolved using the concept of agrivoltaics, which is co-development of land area for both solar PV and agriculture. To investigate and quantify PV generation potential, without harming agriculture output, this study explores the viability of agrivoltaic farms deployment on existing grape farms in India. Considering the shade tolerance of gra...
ABSTRACT Moringa oleifera grows in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. It is commonly known as ‘drumstick tree’ or ‘horseradish tree’ in Nigeria. Moringa can withstand both severe drought and mild frost conditions and hence widely cultivated across the world. With its high therapeutic values, every part of the tree is suitable for either nutritional or commercial purposes. The leaves are rich in minerals, vitamins and other essential phytochemicals. Extracts from the le...
ABSTRACT Maize, known in many English-speaking countries as corn, is a grain domesticated by indigenous people in prehistoric times. The Aztecs and Mayans cultivated it in numerous varieties throughout central and southern Mexico, to cook or grind in a process called nixtamalization. The crop spread throughout America and later around the 1250 BC it spread to all corners of the region. Any significant or dense populations in the region developed a great trade network based on surplus and var...
The effect of magnetic treatment of water on the growth, yield and germination of maize seed has a positive impact in Agricultural crop production
ABSTRACT Palm Oil processing yield a considerable quantity of palm kernel shell (PKS) and mesocarp fruit fiber (MFF). This has been predominantly used as fuel through direct combustion which is inefficient and polluting. Better grade fuel could be derived through torrefaction. The objectives of the work therefore was to determine the optimum parameters for the conversion of palm kernel shell (PKS) and mesocarp fruit fiber (MFF) to high grade fuel via torrefaction. Samples of PKS and MFF were...
ABSTRACT At the event of soil erosion, rain splash erosion supplies materials for subsequent transportation and entrainment. The influence of rainfall duration on splash produced from a loamy sand soil in Camp area of Abeokuta, Ogun State was studied in the laboratory using a laboratory rainfall simulator. The study area is always subject to serious erosion. The objectives of the study are to analyze the characteristics of splash erosion on the soil due to different rainfall duration at diff...
ABSTRACT A prototype of hydraulically operated coconut oil extractor was designed and fabricated. The machine can be used for other oil-bearing seeds such as groundnut and palm kernel. The machine is made up of a plunger, ram disc, expression chamber, and electric heater. The extractor can process 10kg coconut per hour. An efficiency of 15% was obtained from the coconut cake of 2.9kg (wet basis). While for the dry basis 40% of oil was obtained from coconut cake of 2.5kg. TABLE OF CONTENT TI...
ABSTRACT Erodibility of UNAAB soil series for nine plots behind the female hostel ( i.e. plot A – I) using regression equation were determined by evaluating first organic matter content, using the Walky Blanks method, the particle size analysis, permeability test, bulk density and chemical properties of the soil such as Sodium, Cation Exchange Capacity, acidity, Potassium, Magnessium and calcium. The organic matter content of the soil(Ibadan series-sandy loam) was found to be;plot1 d...
ABSTRACT A 1.05 cubic metre capacity storage facility which is to increase the shelf life of stored vegetables as designed fabricated and tested. The equipment operates on the principle of evaporative cooling and increasing the relative humidity of the interior of the equipment. The door and the back wall were of particle board of 12mm thickness while the two sides are made of jute bag through which water flows on a trough at the top flows with the influence of gravity. The facility designed...
Equipment development in Ghana to harvest oranges have over the years focused on simple units such as Garden tool, basket style picker etc. and common methods of harvesting oranges in Ghana are the use of manual branch shaking, manual pull with the hook stick. The effects leads to:Infestation of a bacteria called Alicyclobacillus when the fruits fall on the ground.The bacteria lives on the fruit which contaminates it.Bruises through impact on the hard surface.The main aim of this study is to ...
ABSTRACT In a study at KNUST weather station, the crop co-efficient values at initial, development, mid-season, and late season stages of ABONTEM MAIZE (hybrid variety) were determined as 0.42, 0.98, 1.05, and 0.32, respectively. These locally determined values of ABONTEM hybrid maize compared favourably with those recommended by FAO. The corresponding FAO values are 0.4, 0.80, 1.15, and 0.70. The FAO values are average values and recommended for a wide range of locations, but those dete...
ABSTRACT The consumptive use of water assures all year round production of groundnut prone to the vagaries of weather and climate. This brought about the need to supply moisture that is naturally available through rainfall. The successful design of any irrigation system requires the knowledge of the consumptive use of water by the crop under consideration. This need led to the investigation of the water use rate of groundnut in a typical area found in Awha-Imezi of Ezeagu in Enugu State ...
ABSTRACT The motorized cassava peeling machine is a type of cassava peeling method that is adopted to reduce drudgery. In cassava peeling operations. This method, unlike the manual peeling method which consumes a lot of human power with subsequent low output produces or peels a large amount of cassava tubers within a small specific of time and small amount of flesh loss and finally low demand of power. this paper presents the design and constructing of a motorized cassava peeling machine th...