bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Renewal of Archival Legacy Soil Data: A Case Study of the Busia Area, Kenya
Authors: Minai Joshua O. , Schulze Darrell G. , Libohova Zamir
Published: January 2022

Much older soils information, collectively known as legacy soils data lies idle in libraries or in the personal collections of retired soil scientists. The probability is very high for this legacy data to be lost or destroyed. We demonstrate the stepwise process of bringing legacy soils data “back to life” using the Reconnaissance Soil Survey of the Busia Area (quarter degree sheet No. 101) in western Kenya as an example. The first step, site identification, involves meeting and deliberating with key institutions to identify a setting for the study. The second step, data archeology, involves locating and cataloging legacy soil data from key institutions, which often requires numerous site visits and the assistance of individuals familiar with the target data. The third step, data rescue, involves converting paper copies of data into a digital format by scanning the maps, narrative descriptions, and tables, and storing the information in a database. The fourth step, data renewal, consists of bringing the data to modern standards by taking advantage of technological and conceptual advances in geoinformation technology. In our example, the resulting digital (scanned) soil map of the Busia Area is a significant upgrade from the fragile paper map. The fifth step, data interpretation, entails careful interpretation of the soil information available within the legacy soil survey to provide additional agronomic information. This allowed us to produce 10 land quality maps showing the ability of the land to perform specific agronomic functions, and 18 different crop suitability maps that were not previously available. The rescued maps and their associated tabular and narrative data also provide crucial inputs for generating more detailed soil maps using digital soil mapping techniques that were unavailable when the original mapping was conducted.
Development of a One-Step Multiplex Real-Time PCR Assay for the Detection of Viral Pathogens Associated With the Bovine Respiratory Disease Complex
Authors: Zhang Juan , Wang Wan , Yang Mujiao , Lin Jun , Xue Fei , Zhu Yuanmao , Yin Xin
Published: January 2022

Bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC) occurs widely in cattle farms. The main viral pathogens include bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), Bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1), bovine parainfluenza virus type 3 (BPIV3), and bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), and the newly emerged influenza D virus (IDV). In this study, we have developed a one-step multiplex real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) capable of simultaneously detecting these five viral pathogens causing BRDC. The established assay could specifically detect targeted viruses without cross-reaction with others. The detection limit was ~10 copies/reaction for single real-time PCR and 100 copies/ reaction for multiplex real-time PCR assay. A total of 213 nasal samples from cattle with signs of respiratory tract disease were then collected for performance evaluation of the established platform, proving that the method has good specificity and sensitivity. The surveillance data suggested that BVDV and BoHV-1 infections are the dominant cause of BRDC in the herd, whereas the detection rate of IDV, BIPV3, and BRSV is relatively lower. In summary, the established assay provides technical support for rapid clinical detection of BRDC associated viral pathogens to guide the formulation of BRDC prevention and control measures.
O uczeniu gramatyki polskiej Słowian
Authors: Karolczuk Agnieszka
Published: January 2022

This paper presents diverse approaches to teaching grammar in the language
acquisition process. It focuses on a compilation of the models, methods,
techniques, and tricks of teaching grammar. The paper concerns especially
teaching Polish grammar to Slavic speakers while taking consideration of the
cognation of the languages and the resulting interdependencies. This situation
creates both easiness and diffi culty in grammar teaching.
Cyprian Norwid – poeta wielkiego serio i drobnego buffo
Authors: Korpysz Tomasz
Published: January 2022

Nowadays, Cyprian Norwid is regarded as one of the most outstanding Polish
authors. At the same time, the poet, prose writer, playwright, and creator of fi ne
arts is perceived primarily as a serious and deep thinker, who discusses the
essential issues of the human being and the humanity. This image of C. Norwid
is true, yet one-sided and hence simplifi ed. The poet was sensitive to detail, to
trifl e, to what seems unimportant, secondary. Simultaneously, when bringing
such elements from the shadow, he at times described them with an uncommon
sense of humour. He can undoubtedly be called a poet of “a big serio” and “a
little buffo”
Stanisław August i jego rycerska szkoła
Authors: Wichrowska Elżbieta
Published: January 2022

The School of Chivalry is one of the most signifi cant modernisation projects
carried out in the mid-1760s by Stanisław August and his collaborators
shortly after he ascended to the Polish throne. It was an educational project
implemented a few years before the establishment of the Commission of National
Education, the fi rst educational authority in Poland and in Europe, the function
of which corresponded to the present ministry of public, secular education.
For the initiative of a modern school to be successful, it needed a well-qualifi ed
personnel, including the management staff (a high number of them were
foreigners), an appropriately structured educational programme (initially based
on Western models), and textbooks. What played a forming role in the case of
the Corps of Cadets was an complex ritual supported by the following texts:
catechism books, dialogues, forms, which should be treated as mnemotechnical
tools, but also as ones building the identity of a graduate from the School,
which was intended to be a breeding ground for the military and administrative
elite of the state. Its description cannot ignore the moral layer that escaped the
educational programmes and the cadets’ everyday life, which was not devoid of
duels and embarrassing diseases.
Redundancy Exploitation of an 8-DoF Robotic Assistant for Doppler Sonography
Authors: Gautreau Elie , Sandoval Juan , Thomas Aurélien , Guilhem Jean-Michel , Carbone Giuseppe , Zeghloul Saïd , Laribi Med Amine
Published: January 2022

The design of a teleoperated 8-DoF redundant robot for Doppler sonography is detailed in this paper. The proposed robot is composed of a 7-DoF robotic arm mounted on a 1-DoF linear axis. This solution has been conceived to allow Doppler ultrasound examination of the entire patient’s body. This paper details the design of the platform and proposes two alternative control modes to deal with its redundancy at the torque level. The first control mode considers the robot as a full 8-DoF kinematics chain, synchronizing the action of the eight joints and improving the global robot manipulability. The second control mode decouples the 7-DoF arm and the linear axis controllers and proposes a switching strategy to activate the linear axis motion when the robot arm approaches the workspace limits. Moreover, a new adaptive Joint-Limit Avoidance (JLA) strategy is proposed with the aim of exploiting the redundancy of the 7-DoF anthropomorphic arm. Unlike classical JLA approaches, a weighting matrix is actively adapted to prioritize those joints that are approaching the mechanical limits. Simulations and experimental results are presented to verify the effectiveness of the proposed control modes.
Research on Trajectory Tracking of Sliding Mode Control Based on Adaptive Preview Time
Authors: Hu Hongzhen , Bei Shaoyi , Zhao Qixian , Han Xiao , Zhou Dan , Zhou Xinye , Li Bo
Published: January 2022

The preview model is one of the common methods used in trajectory tracking. The traditional fixed preview time is not adaptable to most speeds and road conditions, which not only reduces the tracking accuracy but also reduces the vehicle stability. Therefore, a controller can be designed to determine the adaptive preview time based on an optimization function of the lateral deviation, the road boundary, and the road boundary of the whole vehicle motion response characteristics. Traditional optimal preview control theory predicts the next state of the vehicle by the assumption of constant transverse pendulum angular velocity. In this paper, an expectation-based approach is used to find the ideal steering wheel turning angle based on the adaptive preview time, and a single-point preview model is established. Based on the two-degree-of-freedom dynamics model, a sliding mode controller is designed for control, and the low-pass filters are designed to suppress jitter in the sliding mode controller. Simulation results with different preview times, different speeds and different road adhesion coefficients prove that the controller has a good control effect and has good effectiveness and adaptability to speed and adhesion coefficient.
Exploiting Cyclic Angle-Dependency in a Kalman Filter-Based Torque Estimation on a Mechatronic Drivetrain
Authors: Van der Veken Thijs , Croes Jan , Kirchner Matteo , Baake Jonathan , Desmet Wim , Naets Frank
Published: January 2022

Torsional vibrations play a critical role in the design and operation of a mechanical or mechatronic drivetrain due to their impact on lifetime, performance, and cost. A magnetic spring allows one to reduce these vibrations and improve the actuator performance yet introduces additional challenges on the identification. As a direct torque measurement is generally not favourable because of its intrusive nature, this paper proposes a nonintrusive approach to identify torsional load profiles. The approach combines a physics-based lumped parameter model of the torsional dynamics of the drivetrain with measurements coming from a motor encoder and two MEMS accelerometers in a combined state/input estimation, using an augmented extended Kalman filter (A-EKF). In order to allow a generic magnetic spring torque estimation, a random walk input model is used, where additionally the angle-dependent behaviour is exploited by constructing an angle-dependent estimate and variance map. Experimental validation leads to a significant reduction in bias in the load torque estimation for this approach, compared to conventional estimators. Moreover, this newly proposed approach significantly reduces the variance on the estimated states by exploiting the angle dependency. The proposed approach provides knowledge of the torsional vibrations in a nonintrusive way, without the need for an extensive magnetic spring torque identification. Further, the approach is applicable on any drivetrain with angle-dependent input torques.
Optimal Design of the Electroadhesion Pad with a Dual-Insulating Layer for Climbing Robots
Authors: Jeong Yong-Jin , Hong Tae-Hwa , Lee Hak-Jun , Kim Kihyun
Published: January 2022

The electroadhesion pad is mainly studied for applications, such as climbing robots and grippers. In this paper, we present our study with the confirmation of the adhesion properties of the electroadhesion pad with a double-insulating layer, pad modeling, and optimal design. Modeling and analysis consider the air layer generated during the manufacturing of both conventional single-insulated structures and dual-insulated structures. Through the finite element analysis simulation, the characteristics of the electroadhesion were verified, and modeling verification was performed, based on the variables that had a large influence as follows: applied voltage, electrode area, dielectric thickness, and permittivity. The electrode is made of aluminum, the substrate is made of silicon, and the dielectric is made of polyimide film. An error of up to 8.3% was found between the modeling and simulation. The optimization results were validated based on a pad applied to a climbing robot measuring 320×480mm² and weighing 2.8 kg. As a result, the optimal pad design resulted in an error of 7.3% between the modeling and simulation.
Methodology for Shape Optimization of Magnetic Designs: Magnetic Spring Characteristic Tailored to Application Needs
Authors: Mrak Branimir , Wex Bianca , Mitterhofer Hubert
Published: January 2022

Topology and shape optimization are still rarely applied to problems in electromagnetic design due to the computational complexity and limited commercial tooling, even though components such as electrical motors, magnetic springs or magnetic bearings could benefit from it, either to improve performance (reducing torque ripple and losses through shaping harmonic content in back electromotive force) or reduce the use of rare-earth materials. Magnetic springs are a fatigue free alternative to mechanical springs, where shape optimization can be exploited to a great degree—allowing for advanced non-linear stiffness characteristic shaping. We present the optimization methodology relying on a combination of several approaches for characteristic shaping of magnetic springs through either a modular design approach based on: (i) Fourier order decomposition; (ii) breaking conventional design symmetry; or (iii) free shaping of magnets through deviation from a nominal design using problem formulations such as spline and polynomials for material boundary definitions. Each of the parametrizations is formulated into a multi-objective optimization problem with both performance and material cost, and solved using gradient free optimization techniques (direct search, genetic algorithm). The methodology is employed on several benchmark problems—both academic and application inspired magnetic spring torque characteristic requirements. The resulting designs fit well with the requirements, with a relatively low computational cost. As such, the methodology presented is a promising candidate for other design problems in 2D shape optimization in electrical motor research and development.
Visualization of the Electrohydrodynamic and Thermal Effects of AC-DBD Plasma Actuators of Plate- and Wire-Exposed Electrodes
Authors: Kaneko Yutaka , Nishida Hiroyuki , Tagawa Yoshiyuki
Published: January 2022

The dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuator is a promising flow control device that uses surface discharge. The actuator generates an electrohydrodynamic force and Joule heating that contribute to the flow control. Thus, it is important to investigate the electrohydrodynamic and thermal effects on the air flow. To this end, the flow velocity field, density field, and surface temperature distribution induced by an alternating current dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuator were experimentally examined, adopting particle image velocimetry, the background oriented schlieren technique, and an infrared camera. These experiments were conducted for plate- and wire-exposed electrode plasma actuators to investigate the effect of the shape of the exposed electrode. It was confirmed that the topology of the discharge is different between the two types of plasma actuators. This results in a difference in the spatial distributions of the velocity and density fields between the two actuators. In particular, we clarified that there is an obvious difference in the peak position of the density and temperature distribution between the two actuators. We also confirmed that the difference in the spatial distribution of the vertical velocity makes the above difference.
Acknowledgment to Reviewers of Actuators in 2021
Authors:   Actuators Editorial Office
Published: January 2022

Rigorous peer-reviews are the basis of high-quality academic publishing [...]
Perceived Organizational Support, Coworkers’ Conflict and Organizational Citizenship Behavior: The Mediation Role of Work-Family Conflict
Authors: Andrade Cláudia , Neves Paula C.
Published: January 2022

The aim of the present study is to investigate the extent to which perceived organizational support and coworkers’ conflict and work-family conflict play a role in the performance of three types of organizational citizenship behaviors. A cross-sectional design was used comprising a sample of 164 health support workers working in Portuguese elderly care facilities. Using structural equation model findings showed that perceived organizational support is linked with organizational citizenship behaviors, directly and indirectly, via work-family conflict. Furthermore, coworkers’ conflict was also related with organizational citizenship behaviors, directly and indirectly via work-family conflict. The linkage between perceived organizational support and coworkers’ conflict through work-family conflict can offer new insights into how to enhance organizational citizenship behaviors by active management. These findings can help elderly care organizations and their managers to design better workplace conditions where organizational support and coworkers’ conflict can be better managed allowing workers to have more control over work-family conflict and promoting organizational citizenship behaviors.
Numerical Study of Coaxial Main Rotor Aerodynamics in Steep Descent
Authors: Makeev Pavel , Ignatkin Yuri , Shomov Alexander
Published: January 2022

Numerical studies of the aerodynamic characteristics of the coaxial main rotor of the Kamov Ka-32 helicopter in steep descent modes, including the area of the vortex ring state (VRS) modes, have been performed. Used in this paper is an original free vortex wake model of the rotor developed by the authors. The angles of attack of the rotor αR = 30 – 90° and the rate of descent in the range of Vy = 0–30 m/s are considered. The calculations have been carried out under the condition of a fixed time-average thrust of the rotor. The visualization of the rotor wake shapes the flow structures using streamlines, and the flow velocities have been received and analyzed. The VRS boundaries in “Vx–Vy” coordinates have been constructed. The criteria used in this paper are: rotor thrust and torque pulsations, rise of rotor torque and induced velocity relative to the hovering mode. The results of the calculations are compared with the experimental and calculated data of other authors, and a satisfactory match has been obtained. The new results presented in this paper can supplement the existing experience of experimental and numerical research in this field.
Architectural Process for Flight Control Software of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle with Module-Level Portability
Authors: Jargalsaikhan TSogbayar , Lee Keonpyo , Jun Yong-Kee , Lee Seongjin
Published: January 2022

To apply UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) into different fields, including research and industry, and expand it quickly, reliable but modular software is required. The existing flight control software (FCS) of the UAV consists of various types of modules categorized into different layers, and it is responsible for coordinating, monitoring, and controlling the vehicle during its flight. This paper proposes mpFCS, a structure of UAV flight control software, which provides portability to its modules and is easy to expand. The mpFCS consists of four segments and several modules within the segments. mpFCS provides portability for each module within the segment. Existing software does not provide portability for its modules because of the tight coupling resulting from its different and private interfaces. The mpFCS uses interfaces of the standard airborne software architecture to transfer data between its modules. Moreover, the structure provides portability for its modules to run in the standard airborne software environment. In order to verify the mpFCS, we tested the mpFCS with the conformance test suite of the airborne software that provides the testing environment for the interfaces and modules of the software. The mpFCS passed the test. Test results show that all modules of the mpFCS are portable. Additionally, portable modules can be interoperable with other software, and the structure is expandable with new modules that use standard airborne software interfaces.
Effects of Nitrogen Fertilizer Management on Stalk Lodging Resistance Traits in Summer Maize
Authors: Zhai Juan , Zhang Yuanmeng , Zhang Guoqiang , Tian Ming , Xie Ruizhi , Ming Bo , Hou Peng , Wang Keru , Xue Jun , Li Shaokun
Published: January 2022

Stalk lodging in Huang-Huai-Hai summer maize is a serious problem that reduces maize yields and precludes the use of mechanical grain harvesting equipment. In order to determine the effect of nitrogen management on the lodging resistance of maize stalk, three nitrogen application rates of 150, 250, and 350 kg ha−1 (denoted as N150, N250, and N350), and different nitrogen application periods (sowing, 6-leaf, 12-leaf, silking) were set. Plant morphology, stalk mechanical strength, total carbohydrate, nitrogen content, and yield were measured in the different treatments. The results showed that as the nitrogen application rate increased and nitrogen application was postponed, the stalk breaking force, plant height, ear height, center of gravity height, stalk basal internode diameter, rind penetration strength, content of carbohydrate, and total N of maize stalk also increased. The stalk lodging resistance was improved by the increased nitrogen application rate and postponed nitrogen application by increasing the stalk material accumulation and mechanical strength. The nitrogen application rates had no significant effect on grain yield. Under N250 and N350, the treatments with no base fertilizer significantly decreased the kernel number per ear, reflected in some in grain yield. In summary, under the conditions of integrated water and fertilizer drip irrigation and fractional nitrogen fertilizer applications, increased nitrogen fertilizer input can stimulate the growth of high-quality maize populations, significantly improve stalk lodging resistance in the early growth stage, delay stalk senescence, improve stalk strength and influence stalk composition in later growth stages. Based on the summer maize grain yield and stalk lodging resistance, under N250 treatment, a base fertilizer combined with topdressing at the 12-leaf and silking stages was beneficial to the growth of summer maize.
Analysis on Regional Differences and Spatial Convergence of Digital Village Development Level: Theory and Evidence from China
Authors: Li Xiaojing , Singh Chandel Raj Bahadur , Xia Xianli
Published: January 2022

In the context of the rapid development of the global Internet, evaluating the digital village development level (DVI) in different regions is important for policy formulation and scientific research in the field of rural digital development. Based on the measurement of DVI using panel data of provinces from 2005 to 2018, we also explored the causes of DVI development differences using the Dagum Gini coefficient decomposition and spatial convergence method. The study found that: (1) During the whole sample period, the DVI in China and the four major regions showed a significant upward trend as a whole, with the highest in the eastern region and the lowest in the western region, but the development of DVI among different provinces showed regional non-equilibrium characteristics. (2) DVI has a typical agglomeration effect in the spatial and geographical distribution, and regional differences are the primary source of differences in DVI development in China, but the overall regional differences show a decreasing trend. (3) Except for the northeast region, σ-convergence exists in the other three regions; in addition, all regions have significant conditional β-convergence, but the convergence speed is significantly different. (4) Rural population density, industrial structure, and economic development level significantly affect DVI. Therefore, we suggest strengthening the inter-regional connection and element flow and realizing the improvement of the overall DVI of the region through cooperation and mutual assistance.
Organic Manure Increases Carbon Sequestration Far beyond the “4 per 1000 Initiative” Goal on a Sandy Soil in the Thyrow Long-Term Field Experiment DIV.2
Authors: Roß Christina-Luise , Baumecker Michael , Ellmer Frank , Kautz Timo
Published: January 2022

Carbon sequestration has been proposed as a way to mitigate the impact of CO2 on the climate. At the COP21, the ‘4 per 1000 Soils for Food Security and Climate’ initiative was launched with the goal to increase global soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks by 4‰ per year. The Thyrow long-term field experiment DIV.2 was chosen to determine the feasibility of this 4 per 1000 goal under the dry and sandy conditions in Eastern Germany. The effects of different fertilizing regimes on SOC contents and winter rye yields were investigated. Winter rye is a representative crop for the region and grown as a monoculture in the experiment. The 4 per 1000 goal was achieved in all treatments including the unfertilized control, although ploughing takes place and straw is removed every year. The highest carbon sequestration of up to 0.5 t ha−1 a−1 was provided by a combination of mineral and manure fertilization. In three out of four years, no yield difference was observed between mineral-only fertilization (120 kg ha−1 N) and a combination of mineral and organic N (97.4 kg ha−1 plant available N) fertilization. Yields increased over the years in the treatment with pure organic N and decreased in all other treatments.
Food-Away-from-Home Expenditure in Mexico during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Micro-Econometric Analysis
Authors: Aguilar-Lopez Antonio , Kuhar Aleš
Published: January 2022

Disruptive events such as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have the potential to reshape even the most basic human systems and behaviors, including those related to food production, acquisition, and consumption. This paper provides an in-depth analysis of how the pandemic has changed the ratio of food-away-from-home (FAFH) expenditure to income in Mexico, as well as participation in this market. In 2020, household participation in FAFH expenditures declined in all income deciles and regions, but the impact on household shares is far from uniform. Using a detailed national database of household income and expenditures (N = 87,274), an Engel curve of the Working-Lesser functional form for FAFH including 19 independent variables was estimated using the Heckman method appropriate for censored response data. The results provide statistically significant estimates for income, which both increases the probability of participation in this expenditure and has a negative relationship with its budget share. The number of older adults and the exposure to food insecurity during the pandemic similarly limit participation and increase the budget share. In addition, remittances encourage participation and decrease the budget share. The corrected conditional income elasticity for FAFH is 0.4609; the sign and magnitude indicate that FAFH behaved as a necessary good in Mexico for the proportion of households that maintained spending during the lockdown conditions (about one-third of the sample). An increase or decrease in income will lead to a corresponding change in FAFH expenditure, but the change will be less than proportional.
Combined Use of Sewage Sludge and Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobia Improves Germination, Biochemical Response and Yield of Ridge Gourd (Luffa acutangula (L.) Roxb.) under Field Conditions
Authors: Kumar Vinod , Eid Ebrahem M. , Al-Bakre Dhafer A. , Abdallah Samy M. , Širić Ivan , Andabaka Željko , Kumar Pankaj , Goala Madhumita , Adelodun Bashir , Singh Jogendra , Kumari Sonika , Bachheti Archana , Arya Ashish Kumar , Choi Kyung-Sook
Published: January 2022

This research investigated the combined use of sewage sludge (SS) and plant growth-promoting rhizobia (PGPR) for Ridge gourd (Luffa acutangula (L.) Roxb.) cultivated under field conditions. The different treatments of SS and PGPR such as 0% (soil as control), 5% SS, 5% SS + PGPR, 10% SS, and 10% SS + PGPR were applied to assess their impacts on seedling growth, biochemical response, and yield performance of Ridge gourd. The results showed that the highest seedling emergence (92.3 ± 2.1%), fresh biomass (9.6 ± 0.3 g), growth rate (1.4 ± 0.1 g/day), seedling length (15.5 ± 0.3 cm), root length (10.4 ± 0.3 cm), total chlorophyll (3.2 ± 0.1 mg/g), crop yield (13.8 ± 0.1 kg/plant), and average crop yield per harvest (2.8 ± 0.1 kg/plant) were observed in 10% SS + PGPR treatment. The enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD; µg/g) and catalase (CAT: µg/g) were significantly lowered after PGPR inoculation in higher SS treatments. The results of principal component (PC) and Euclidian clustered distance analyses showed a positive influence of SS dose on soil nutrient availability and Ridge gourd’s growth, biochemical responses, and yield performance. Moreover, the elemental analysis showed that the bioaccumulation factor (BAF < 0.90) and health risk index (HRI < 0.40) of selected metal elements (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn) were within the permissible limits, indicating consumption of Ridge gourd fruits was safe. The outcomes of this study suggest the potential use of SS and PGPR for improved Ridge gourd production and contribution towards sustainable development goal (SDG) 12 on responsible consumption and production of vegetable crops.
Design and Parameter Optimization of Fruit–Soil Separation Device of Lily Harvester
Authors: Dai Zhenwei , Wu Mingliang , Fang Zhichao , Qu Yongbo
Published: January 2022

The mechanized harvesting of lily fruit in Southern China is affected by a high damage rate of lily fruit and low rate of soil breakage. The existing fruit–soil separation device is not suitable for heavy soil in Southern China. This study aimed to design a flexible fruit–soil separation device that can effectively reduce the damage rate of lily and improve the crushing rate of the soil. Thus, it would meet the requirements of southern lily fruit harvesting. In this study, the soil breaking rate and lily damage rate in the fruit–soil separation were taken as the assessment indexes, and the linear speed of the front conveyor belt, the inclination angle and the rotating speed of the fruit–soil separation device were recognized as the test factors. By performing the Box–Behnken test, three-factor and three-level experimental research on the fruit–soil separation device of the lily harvester was conducted. On this basis, a multiple regression model of the assessment indexes to the respective was built, the effect of various factors on the operation quality was analyzed and optimal operation parameters were determined. When the optimal parameter was adopted in the test (e.g., the linear speed of the front conveyor belt, the inclination angle and the speed of the fruit–soil separation device reaching 1.2 m·s−1, 36° and 98 r·min−1, respectively), the soil crushing rate was 92.8% and the lily damage rate reached 8.9%, and the fruit–soil separation effect satisfied the requirements of lily fruit harvest. The results could be referenced for other subsoil fruit harvesters and fruit–soil separation devices under heavy clay soil in Southern China.
A Dynamic Attention and Multi-Strategy-Matching Neural Network Based on Bert for Chinese Rice-Related Answer Selection
Authors: Wang Haoriqin , Wu Huarui , Wang Qinghu , Qiao Shicheng , Xu Tongyu , Zhu Huaji
Published: January 2022

To allow the intelligent detection of correct answers in the rice-related question-and-answer (Q&A) communities of the “China Agricultural Technology Extension Information Platform”, we propose an answer selection model with dynamic attention and multi-strategy matching (DAMM). According to the characteristics of the rice-related dataset, the twelve-layer Chinese Bert pre-training model was employed to vectorize the text data and was compared with Word2vec, GloVe, and TF-IDF (Term Frequency–Inverse Document Frequency) methods. It was concluded that Bert could effectively solve the agricultural text’s high dimensionality and sparsity problems. As well as the problem of polysemy having different meanings in different contexts, dynamic attention with two different filtering strategies was used in the attention layer to effectively remove the sentence’s noise. The sentence representation of question-and-answer sentences was obtained. Secondly, two matching strategies (Full matching and Attentive matching) were introduced in the matching layer to complete the interaction between sentence vectors. Thirdly, a bi-directional gated recurrent unit (BiGRU) network spliced the sentence vectors obtained from the matching layer. Finally, a classifier was employed to calculate the similarity of splicing vectors, and the semantic correlation between question-and-answer sentences was acquired. The experimental results showed that DAMM had the best performance in the rice-related answer selection dataset compared with the other six answer selection models, of which MAP (Mean Average Precision) and MRR (Mean Reciprocal Rank) of DAMM gained 85.7% and 88.9%, respectively. Compared with the other six kinds of answer selection models, we present a new state-of-the-art method with the rice-related answer selection dataset.
Comparison and Intercorrelation of Extraction Methods for Polyphenol Content and Antioxidant Capacity of Scab-Resistant Apple Cultivars
Authors: Orosz-Tóth Mihály , Nemes-Kun Andrea , Lowy Daniel A. , Csihon Ádám , Sándor Zsolt , Kincses Ida , Holb Imre J.
Published: January 2022

Polyphenols with antioxidant compounds represent an important group of bioactive substances in apple production. The objectives of this study were firstly to measure four parameters of antioxidant capacity (AC) and polyphenol content (AC-FRAP (Ferric Reducing Ability of Plasma), AC-DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrol), AC-TEAC (Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity) and total polyphenol content (TPC)) of four scab-resistant apple cultivars (‘Fujion’, ‘Gaia’, ‘Isaaq’ and ‘Smeralda’) using six extraction methods (water control, pectinase, two approaches using ethanol (EtOH-1 and EtOH-2), methanol (MetOH) and methanol + acetone (MetOH + Acetone), and secondly to provide intercorrelations between antioxidant and polyphenol contents of the four resistant apple cultivars under the six extraction methods. Analysis of variance on the four parameters showed a significant (p = 0.05) effect for extraction methods and cultivars. TPC showed the highest values among the four parameters in all extraction methods and cultivars compared to the other three measurements. The pectinase extraction method showed the highest TPC values for the four cultivars. The EtOH-2 extraction method showed the lowest AC-FRAP value for all cultivars. The EtOH-2 extraction method showed the highest AC-DPPH values, whereas the control method showed the lowest values for the four cultivars. The AC-TEAC values were generally the lowest, ranging between 10.8 and 40.5 mg TE 100 g−1 dry matter, and they showed various effects on extraction methods and cultivars. Correlation and regression analyses of 36 pair-variables showed that two pair-variables (TPC vs. AC-FRAP and AC-TEAC vs. AC-DPPH) were significant for all of the six extraction methods and for all cultivars. In conclusion, the extraction method using pectinase enzyme provided the most stable yield of polyphenol content from apple flesh, as confirmed by the examination of four scab-resistant apple cultivars.
The Physiological Role of Inulin in Wild Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus L. var. sylvestris Lam.)
Authors: Branca Ferdinando , Argento Sergio , Paoletti Anna Maria , Melilli Maria Grazia
Published: January 2022

Wild cardoon (Cynara cardunculus L.) is a widespread Mediterranean plant that accumulates inulin in its roots. This study aimed to analyze the enzyme systems involved in inulin metabolism in the roots of one Sicilian wild cardoon population in relation to the plant’s growth and development stages. During the winter season, the plant showed slow growth; its biomass was represented mainly by leaves and saccharides were mobilized into its roots. During the spring season, the plant doubled its growth rate and differentiated its reproduction organs as a consequence of the cold conditions. The maximum activities of the 1-SST were recorded in line with the high sucrose and inulin levels in roots, which increased quickly. The increase in the 1-FEH activity suggests that fructan-hydrolyzing activity is associated with the sprouting and elongation of plant stalks. The peak of the invertase activity occurred before the 1-FEH peak. The inulin accumulation in the wild cardoon roots was associated with the plant’s reproduction. Sequential 1-SST and 1-FEH activities and the involvement of invertase and 1-FFT in carbohydrate mobilization, in response to the additional energy demand of the plant for stalk elongation before and for capitula development were observed, along with subsequent grain ripening.
Optimal Fertilization Level for Yield, Biological and Quality Traits of Soybean under Drip Irrigation System in the Arid Region of Northwest China
Authors: Li Jing , Luo Gengtong , Shaibu Abdulwahab S. , Li Bin , Zhang Shengrui , Sun Junming
Published: January 2022

Soybean is one of the most important oilseed crops worldwide. Fertilization severely restricts the yield potential of soybean in the arid regions of Northwest China. A two-year field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of fertilization on soybean yield in arid areas under a drip irrigation system. The treatment consisted of 14 fertilizer combinations comprising of four rates each of nitrogen (N) (0, 225, 450, and 675 kg ha−1), phosphorus (P) (0, 135, 270, and 405 kg ha−1), and potassium (K) (0, 75, 150, and 225 kg ha−1). The results revealed that grain yield was more sensitive to N fertilizer than to P and K fertilizers. The P and K fertilizers influenced harvest index and biomass, respectively. The optimized combination of fertilizers for high yield, as well as biological and quality traits was obtained by quadratic polynomial regression analysis. The theoretical grain yields based on the performed statistical calculations and plant biomass were greater than 7.21 tons ha−1 and 16.38 tons ha−1 with 300,000 plants ha−1 and were obtained under a fertilization combination of 411.62–418.39 kg ha−1 N, 153.97−251.03 kg ha−1 P2O5, and 117.77−144.73 kg ha−1 K2O. Thus, our findings will serve as a guideline for an effective fertilizer application in order to achieve a balance between grain yield and plant biomass as well as to contribute to the promotion of large-scale cultivation of soybean under drip irrigation.
Substrate-Driven Phosphorus Bioavailability Dynamics of Novel Inorganic and Organic Fertilizing Products Recovered from Municipal Wastewater—Tests with Ryegrass
Authors: Bogdan Aleksandra , Robles-Aguilar Ana A. , Liang Qianxin , Pap Sabolc , Michels Evi , Meers Erik
Published: January 2022

Municipal wastewater is a valuable source of phosphorus (P) for the production of fertilizing products, such as microalgae (MA), crab carapace material (CCM), P salt produced by chemical leaching of sludge (P salt CL), and sewage sludge ash produced by pyrolysis and the incineration of sludge (SSA PI). This study compares the P availability of these fertilizing products in three planting substrates (S1, S2, and S3) during a four-month growth period of perennial ryegrass. The unfertilized control in substrate S3 had a high and available P that masked the effect of the added fertilizing products. The P salt CL fertilizer exhibited the lowest shoot dry matter in the alkaline S2 substrate. Still, it can be used as a good source of P in both acidic and alkaline substrates, given that its shoot P content was among the highest in all substrates tested. The organic-rich fertilizing products, MA and CCM, are better suited for acidic substrates since a pronounced reduction in the shoot yield and P content was seen in the alkaline S2 substrate. In contrast, for the SSA PI fertilizer, the very small differences in shoot dry matter and P content in S1 compared to S2 indicated that it is suitable for both acidic and alkaline substrates. Four months were needed to observe the maximum shoot yields treated with these P fertilizing products. Considering that the substrate solution P (using Rhizons) for the P salt CL and MA fertilizers proved to be similar to shoot P uptake, Rhizon extraction could be used for assessing P bioavailability. The chemical composition of novel products indicated their potential to deliver not only P, but also other nutrients to plants. However, concentrations of inorganic contaminants in all products, except CCM, pointed out a possibility to pollute the environment by applying these fertilizers.
Effects of Nitrification Inhibitors on Nitrogen Dynamics and Ammonia Oxidizers in Three Black Agricultural Soils
Authors: Cui Lei , Li Dongpo , Wu Zhijie , Xue Yan , Song Yuchao , Xiao Furong , Zhang Lili , Gong Ping , Zhang Ke
Published: January 2022

The application of nitrification inhibitors (NIs) based on ammonium (NH4+) is considered to be an efficient way to reduce nitrogen (N) loss by delaying the nitrification process through influencing ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB). However, the inhibition mechanisms of NIs on AOA and AOB in different soils remain unclear. Hence, we explored the two commonly used NIs (3, 4-dimethylepyrazole phosphate (DMPP) and dicyandiamide (DCD) and their combination (DMPP + DCD) on the soil nitrification and abundance of ammonia oxidizers (AOA and AOB) in three black soils (HLJ, NA, and DA) with different physicochemical properties using a 120-day incubation experiment. The results demonstrated that NIs significantly increased NH4+-N concentrations and decreased NO3−-N concentrations in all three tested soils. There was no significant difference in inhibiting nitrification in HLJ among all NI treatments, while DCD was more efficient in NA, DMPP + DCD had better efficiency in DA. The potential nitrification rate (PNR) was greatly decreased by NIs addition, and PNR was significantly positively correlated with AOB (p < 0.05). AOA was dominant in the acid soil. All NI treatments significantly inhibited soil nitrification through inhibiting the growth of AOB in the two soils with higher pH. The abundance of AOA and AOB was significantly correlated with different soil types (positively correlated with soil pH, and negatively correlated with organic matter). Moreover, soil pH and soil organic matter were considered to be the most important factors influencing the inhibition efficiency of NIs and the abundance of AOA and AOB. The application of the NIs combination (DMPP + DCD) was considered to be the most cost-effective way to inhibit soil nitrification in soil with higher pH and lower SOM, which provides a theoretical basis for a field experiment.
Reaction of Oat Genotypes to Fusarium equiseti (Corda) Sacc. Infection and Mycotoxin Concentrations in Grain
Authors: Mielniczuk Elżbieta , Wit Marcin , Patkowska Elżbieta , Cegiełko Małgorzata , Wakuliński Wojciech
Published: January 2022

Fusarium head blight and the contamination of cereals with toxic fungal metabolites are particularly important problems in global agriculture. The increasingly frequent isolation of F. equiseti from cereal grain and the sparse information in the literature on the harmfulness of this fungus to oat encouraged us to conduct the present research. The aim of the study was to determine the susceptibility of oat genotypes to panicle infection by F. equiseti and mycotoxin content in the grain. Field experiments involving 10 oat genotypes were conducted over three years (2015–2017). Oat panicles were inoculated with a conidial suspension of F. equiseti, which reduced the kernels yield by 38.34%, the number of kernels per panicle by 31.16% and 1000 kernels weight by 12.66%. F. equiseti accumulated type A trichothecenes (T-2 and HT-2 toxins, scirpentriol, diacetoxyscirpenol, T-2 triol, T-2 tetraol) and type B trichothecenes (deoxynivalenol, 3Ac-DON, 15Ac-DON, nivalenol, fusarenone X) in kernels at an average level of 0.0616 and 0.2035 mg·kg−1, respectively. The highest susceptibility to scabs caused by F. equiseti was found for genotype POB 4901/10, whereas cv. Elegant exhibited the highest resistance to F. equiseti in terms of yield reduction after inoculation.
Towards Smart Irrigation: A Literature Review on the Use of Geospatial Technologies and Machine Learning in the Management of Water Resources in Arboriculture
Authors: Ahansal Youssef , Bouziani Mourad , Yaagoubi Reda , Sebari Imane , Sebari Karima , Kenny Lahcen
Published: January 2022

Agriculture consumes an important ratio of the water reserve in irrigated areas. The improvement of irrigation is becoming essential to reduce this high water consumption by adapting supplies to the crop needs and avoiding losses. This global issue has prompted many scientists to reflect on sustainable solutions using innovative technologies, namely Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), Machine Learning (ML), and the Internet of Things (IoT). This article aims to present an overview of the use of these new technologies in the analysis of the water status of crops for better irrigation management, with an emphasis on arboriculture. The review demonstrated the importance of UAV-ML-IoT technologies. This contribution is due to the relevant information that can be collected from IoT sensors and extracted from UAV images through various sensors (RGB, multispectral, hyperspectral, thermal), and the ability of ML models to monitor and predict water status. The review in this paper is organized into four main sections: the use of UAV in arboriculture, UAV for irrigation management in arboriculture, IoT systems and irrigation management, and ML for data processing and decision-making. A discussion is presented regarding the prospects for smart irrigation using geospatial technologies and machine learning.
Growth of Tea Nursery Plants as Influenced by Different Rates of Protein Hydrolysate Derived from Chicken Feathers
Authors: Raguraj Sriharan , Kasim Susilawati , Md Jaafar Noraini , Nazli Muhamad Hazim
Published: January 2022

The conversion of chicken feathers, generated annually worldwide on a large scale as a by-product of the poultry industry into value-added products, has economic and environmental benefits. Protein hydrolysate produced from feathers has attracted significant attention in agriculture as a potential plant growth stimulant. Therefore, a study was established with the aim to produce and characterize chicken feather protein hydrolysate (CFPH) and investigate the effects of this product on the early growth of nursery tea plants. Alkaline hydrolysis was used to produce CFPH with the yield of 165 mg amino acids per gram of feathers. Then, the produced CFPH was applied on nursery tea plants as a soil drench at different doses (0.5, 1, 2, 3, and 4 g L−1) in 2-week intervals until the 10th application. Commercially available fish protein hydrolysate (FPH) was included as a treatment to compare the effects with CFPH. The treatments were arranged in a completely randomized block design with three replications. CFPH and FPH significantly improved the shoot and root growth parameters. Plant height (+98%), leaf number (+61%), shoot dry biomass (+128%), root length (+94%), root surface area (+15%), and root dry biomass (+152%) were significantly increased by the application of CFPH (2 g L−1 dose) compared to control. Although the highest CFPH dosage (4 g L−1) showed a reduction in growth parameters, the values obtained were similar or higher than the untreated control plants. The chlorophyll content (a, b, and total) was enhanced by the CFPH dosage of 1 g L−1, whereas the highest photosynthetic rate was recorded in the CFPH 3 g L−1 treatment. The application of protein hydrolysates (PH) did not positively influence stomatal conductance and intercellular CO2 concentration. Leaf nitrogen, phosphorous, manganese, and copper were positively affected by the CFPH application. The effect of CFPH on growth parameters was more pronounced than FPH. Our findings reveal that CFPH produced by alkaline hydrolysis could be used as a growth booster in raising vigorous tea nursery plants, which are most suitable for field planting and subsequently higher yields.