Research Papers/Topics in Agricultural Engineering

Wrap-and-plant technology to manage sustainably potato cyst nematodes in East Africa

Abstract: Renewable eco-friendly options for crop protection are fundamental in achieving sustainable agriculture. Here, we demonstrate the use of a biodegradable lignocellulosic banana-paper matrix as a seed wrap for the protection of potato plants against potato cyst nematode (PCN), Globodera rostochiensis. Potato cyst nematodes are devastating quarantine pests of potato globally. In East Africa, G. rostochiensis has recently emerged as a serious threat to potato production. Wrapping seed ...

Parallel construction of Random Forest on GPU

Abstract: There is tremendous growth of data generated from different industries, i.e., health, agriculture, engineering, etc. Consequently, there is demand for more processing power. Compared to computer processing units, general-purpose graphics processing units (GPUs) are rapidly emerging as a promising solution to achieving high performance and energy efficiency in various computing domains. Multiple forms of parallelism and complexity in memory access have posed a challenge in developin...

Influence of Solar-Exhaust Gas Greenhouse Drying Modes on Viability of Black Nightshade Seeds

In this study, three distinct and unique modes of greenhouse drying are introduced: solar, solar-exhaust gas, and exhaust gas modes of drying. The effect of drying black nightshade seeds in the three modes was studied, using germinability as a measure of quality. In solar mode, seeds were dried from a moisture content of 89.34% (db) to 7.13% (db) with the greenhouse dryer room air temperature range of 14.82-58.46°C and relative humidity of 9.40-88.03%. In solar-exhaust gas mode drying was pe...

Evaluation of Thin Layer Models for Simulating Drying Kinetics of Black Nightshade Seeds in a Solar-Exhaust Gas Greenhouse Dryer

Abstract: The current study aimed to use, besides solar, waste heat from exhaust gas of a diesel engine operated for milling of grain, to dry black nightshade seeds. Assessment of thin layer models for simulating drying kinetics of black nightshade seeds was performed in a solar-exhaust gas greenhouse dryer operated on solar; solar-exhaust gas; and exhaust gas modes. In solar mode, seeds took 11 hours to reach a final moisture content of 7.13% (db) from an initial one of 89.34% (db). In solar...

Performance Assessment of Hybrid Recuperative Heat Exchanger for Diesel Engine Generated Exhausted Gas

Abstract: In this study, the use of supplemental heat energy from exhaust gas of a stationary diesel engine was assessed to explore a new method of drying black nightshade seeds in a solar-exhaust gas greenhouse dryer. The energy recovery potential of a hybrid recuperative heat exchanger (HRHE) was demonstrated with the objective of utilizing the recovered energy from an engine on milling operations to heat a fluid stream of drying air. The results show that 4.45 kW of thermal energy was avai...

New Methods of Removing Debris and High Throughput Counting of Cyst Nematode Eggs Extracted from Field Soil

The soybean cyst nematode (SCN), Heterodera glycines, is the most damaging pathogen of soybeans in the United States. To assess the severity of nematode infestations in the field, SCN egg population densities are determined. Cysts (dead females) of the nematode must be extracted from soil samples and then ground to extract the eggs within. Sucrose centrifugation commonly is used to separate debris from suspensions of extracted nematode eggs. We present a method using OptiPrep as a density gra...

Plant Chip for Simultaneous Root growth and Root Imaging

  We describe a microfluidic platform that can be used to study the hydroponic growth of Arabidopsis plants with high-resolution visualization of root development and root-pathogen interactions. The platform comprises a set of parallel microchannels with individual input/output ports, where 1-day old germinated seedlings are initially placed. Under optimal conditions, a root system grows in each microchannel and its images are recorded over a 198-h period. Different concentrations of plant g...

Performance Evaluation on the Utilization of an Established Variable Amplitude and Frequency of Vibrating Container for Potential Application in Slowing Down Sprouting in Yam

A variable amplitude and frequency of mechanical vibrating container working on cam and follower mechanism have been established. This study carried out a performance evaluation on the utilization of the established vibrating container for potential application in slowing down sprouting in yam. The vibrating container is electrically operated and a variable speed electric motor of 15, 000 rpm was selected for the machine. The performance parameters of the established mechanical vibrating cont...

Development of the Shape of the Cam Profile of Mechanical Yam Vibrator Using Cycloid Motion

At a high frequency of vibration; the cam of a vibrator always encounters the issue of jamming or the follower rolling off or losing contact with the cam when the appropriate design is not carried out. This study, therefore, developed the shape of the cam profile of mechanical yam vibrator using cycloid motion. Displacement equations from the base circle to the cam profile were developed to obtain the shape of the cam using cycloid motion. A vibrometer was used to evaluate the developed...

Agricultural Automation with Smart Irrigation System

As we know, nowadays issues in the agriculture field are a major concern. According to the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar, 5,579 Indian farmers died by suicide in 2020. There are many conflicting reasons for farmer suicides which are mentioned by Activists and scholars but high debt burdens, crop failure, mental health, and personal issues have been some of the most common causes amongst them. So, what is the solution that would work in farmers’ favor...

Performance Analysis of High-Efficiency Motor and Variable Speed Drive in Black Tea Processing Machinery

Abstract Purpose: Thepresentoldstandardefficiencymotors(SEM)inblackteaprocessingmachineryconsumelargeamountofelectricity,thusincreasesthecostofproduction.Technologicallyimprovedhigh-efficiencymotors(HEM)orHEMcoupledwith variablespeeddrive(VSD)couldbeusefultoachievehigh-energyefficiency.Therefore,astudywasconductedwiththefocusto determinethefeasibilityofintroducingHEMandVSDinwitheringandrollingmachineryofblackteamanufacturing. Methods: Awitheringtroughandtwodifferentcapacityrotorvanerollerswe...

Application of Small Scale Wind Turbine for Distributed Electricity Supply and Irrigation Farming A Case Study of Opanda Farm Settlement in Enugu State, Nigeria

Mechanised agriculture has the potential to supply Nigeria with the export needs, it requires to diversify and close its GDP gap. This potential can be actualised if the rural agricultural farmers adopted the use of mechanised irrigation farming techniques. The wind is widespread in Nigeria and wind-powered irrigation system is a clean and decentralised alternative for providing rural communities with electricity for meeting domestic and irrigation farming power needs in a sustainable way. In...

Development of a Solar Powered Poultry Egg Incubator for South West Nigeria

Abstract Egg incubators with regular, effective and efficient operation have the capacities of providing enough poultry birds which can serve every household in Nigeria with sufficient amount of protein on daily basis. Although many commercial incubators in Nigeria has folded up due to epileptic and erratic electricity supply which disrupts and impairs the operation of the incubators and reduce their level of performance resulting into low production and high cost of poultry birds. In order t...

Development of a Single Wheel Test Rig for Measuring Motion Resistance

Research on soil-wheel interaction is essential in studies of motion resistance of narrow wheels of agricultural machines. The aim of this research was to study the effects of soil moisture content and tyre inflation pressure on motion resistance of narrow wheels using a locally developed single wheel test rig. A single wheel Test Rig facility was developed at Federal University of Technology, Akure. It consists of a soil bin, carriage, single narrow wheel tester, trolley and drive system. An...

Influence du moment d’application du NPK sur la croissance et le rendement du maïs (Zea mays L.) installé sur un ferralsol

Objectif : La province du Haut Katanga est dominée par des sols ferralitiques, une des sources majeures des faibles rendements du maïs dans cette contrée. Pour pallier aux problèmes d’infertilités de ces sols et accroître la productivité, les producteurs recourent essentiellement aux engrais minéraux (NPK). Ces derniers sont généralement appliqués au moment de semis. Cependant, avec les perturbations climatiques actuelles, le moment de leur application devient une préoccupat...


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