Search

Copyright of Journal of Kirkuk University for Agricultural Sciences is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Kirkuk University for Agricultural Sciences is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Unmanned tractors under ploughing conditions suffer from body tilting, violent shaking and limited hardware resources, which can reduce the detection accuracy of unmanned tractors for field obstacles. We optimize the YOLOv8 model in three aspects: improving the accuracy of detecting tilted obstacles, computational reduction, and adding a visual ranging mechanism. By introducing Funnel ReLU, a self-constructed inclined obstacle dataset, and embedding an SE attention mechanism, these three methods improve detection accuracy. By using MobileNetv2 and Bi FPN, computational reduction, and adding camera ranging instead of LIDAR ranging, the hardware cost is reduced. After completing the model improvement, comparative tests and real-vehicle validation are carried out, and the validation results show that the average detection accuracy of the improved model reaches 98.84% of the mAP value, which is 2.34% higher than that of the original model. The computation amount of the same image is reduced from 2.35 billion floating-point computations to 1.28 billion, which is 45.53% less than the model computation amount. The monitoring frame rate during the movement of the test vehicle reaches 67 FPS, and the model meets the performance requirements of unmanned tractors under normal operating conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problems of large deformations, failures, and fractures that agricultural tillage tools may encounter during the cultivation process has long been a concern in the field of agricultural machinery design and manufacturing. It is important to establish a more accurate numerical model to effectively predict tools' plastic deformation failures and ductile fracture failures. This research develops a numerical model for predicting the plastic deformation failure and ductile fracture failure of agricultural tillage tools using the smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method and the Johnson–Cook constitutive model. The model uses the Drucker–Prager criterion to describe the elastic–plastic constitutive behavior of the soil, the von Mises criterion to describe the Johnson–Cook constitutive model of the tool, and the coupling condition with the Lennard-Jones repulsive force to describe the interaction between the tool and soil. The numerical results show that the proposed model can effectively simulate the interaction between the tool and soil, as well as the tool's plastic deformation failure and ductile fracture failure during the agricultural cultivation process. It can also predict the variation trend of the cutting force of the tool. This helps to provide a new approach for the numerical simulation of such problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Przegląd Elektrotechniczny is the property of Przeglad Elektrotechniczny and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Process damping significantly improves the machining stability in the low speed cutting process. Just because of this, it plays an important role in the avoidance of chatter vibrations for the situations in which the relatively low cutting speeds have to be used. Recently, more and more efforts have been focusing on process damping modeling. Unfortunately, from the existing models it can be seen that although aiming at the same physical or geometric features, different analytical formulas or extremely discrepant calibration results were obtained. Many famous scholars even listed it as the most challenging problem needed to be solved in the field of machining chatter. So the internal relationships between these models need to be deeply explored. To this end, this article reviews the mechanism and modeling of the machining process damping. Research progresses related to three typical processes, i.e., ploughing-based process damping model, velocity-based process damping model, unified process damping model, together with stability analysis with the considering of process damping are reviewed and introduced in detail. Especially, the ploughing-based process damping model as the most important part is detailed in the aspects of calculation of indented volume and calibration of ploughing force coefficients. The logical relationships between the development of each model are clarified. Several remaining problems are analyzed and the future trends of process damping modeling are summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sub-seasonal forecasts provide forecast information on the 1-4 week timescale and are produced by a number of global weather forecast providers, including the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). The development and application of new sub-seasonal forecasting products in the agricultural sectors of Ghana and Kenya are described. Using a co-production approach transforms the role of the forecast user from merely a recipient of forecast information to being involved in the forecast product development process. Experiences of co-producing sub-seasonal forecast products for agricultural application in Kenya and Ghana. [Extracted from the article]

Straw incorporation promotes rice productivity and soil fertility. However, the effects of tillage practice with straw on GHG emissions in paddy fields are not well documented. Under three rice-based cropping systems of China (single rice, double rice and rice-wheat cropping systems), we investigated rice yield, CH4, N2O, area and yield-scaled emissions arising from different straw-incorporated tillage patterns. Tillage with straw affected rice yield by −6.8~3.2%, −9.1~9.0% and −9.8~2.1% in single rice, rice-wheat and double rice cropping systems respectively. Straw impacted CH4 emission but tillage influenced its impact irrespective of the rice cropping system. The highest CH4 emissions occurred in RedT + S, RoT + S and RoT + S under single rice, rice-wheat and double rice cropping systems respectively. Cumulative CH4 emission of PT + S decreased by 46.8% (p < 0.05) compared to RedT + S in the single cropping system, while under rice-wheat and double rice cropping systems, cumulative CH4 emission of PT + S decreased by 19.0% (p < 0.05) and 13.2% (p > 0.05) respectively compared with RoT + S. Lower methanogenic abundance of PT + S translated into the lowest cumulative CH4, area and yield scaled emissions in single rice and double rice cropping systems. To maintain high rice yield and reduce GHG emissions from straw incorporation, PT + S is recommended for a rice-based cropping system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For seed germination and the formation of a good soybean crop, significant reserves of soil moisture are required, which depends on the autumn-winter soil preparation, weather conditions and planting dates. The purpose of this study is to identify the impact of the main tillage technology on its agrophysical properties and conditions for the growth and development of soybean plants. Experimental crop rotation: soybean – winter wheat was carried out under favourable (hydrothermal coefficient 1.46) and dry (hydrothermal coefficient 0.66–0.87) weather conditions. The main tillage was carried out with a stratifier PRSM-5 to a depth of 15–17 cm or a chisel plough PCh-2.5 to a depth of 25–27 cm, with additional pre-sowing or post-sowing rolling with a ring-spur roller KKSH. Sowing was carried out at a depth of 10 cm with stable heating of the soil in three periods: the first at 8–10 °С, the second at 10–12 °С, and the third at 12–14 °С. As a result of evaluating the influence of various factors, it was found that under favourable conditions, the highest seed productivity of soybean plants (1.91–1.96 t·ha−1) was formed after treatment with the stratifier PRSM-5 at the first sowing period and at the second sowing period after chisel ploughing with additional soil compaction. In dry weather conditions, pre-sowing treatment with a stratifier PRSM-5 had an advantage in seed productivity by 7–12% compared to ploughing with a chisel plough PCH-2.5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel low-cost controlling system platform for walk-behind hand tractors (Quick G3000 and G1000) was designed and developed to solve the fatigue problem faced by farmers when ploughing the rice field. This platform is dedicated to designing and manufacturing mechanical, electrical, and software components. The tractor was modified and added with an embedded control system that functioned as the slave, while the direction of the tractor movement was controlled remotely by humans through Bluetooth communication with the smartphone application as the master. Several servos and direct currents (DCs) were used as the actuator to move some levers and clutches instead of the tractor to make it remotely controllable. This system has been directly tested in the paddy farming land through two tractors: Quick G3000 and G1000. The testing results showed that this system could be used within more or less six hours; there is a cost-efficiency of 21.74% and 84.62% battery usage efficiency. More efficient mechanics caused this cost efficiency, and the reduction in electronic devices affects battery efficiency. A low-cost platform for controlling walk-behind tractors has been successfully developed; this platform assists farmers in ploughing their fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture is very important for Indian Economy. Almost 70% of the rural family's dependant on the agriculture. Nowadays, so many of farmers are not interested in farming, instead they search for better opportunities. The reason is agricultural problems like inadequacy of irrigation, robbery in storage field; seeds are wasted during seeding, less production and so on. Also need much more time to do every operation. The implemented system is a prototype of Agri Bot, multiple agricultural tasks can be done using the robot. This paper focuses on the work carried out by the ways of designing and developing a prototype of Agri Bot that can be helpful to overcome the problems currently faced by a farmer. In the implemented system, HC-06 Bluetooth module is interfaced with Arduino UNO to control the functionality of the robot. The implemented prototype of Agri Bot is used to do accomplish the tasks like land ploughing, cutting the weed, sowing the seeds and irrigation using diaphragm pump. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Scientiarum Polonorum. Formatio Circumiectus is the property of Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Rolniczego im. Hugona Kollataja w Krakowie and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In order to set up a successful rapeseed culture, farmers should take into account, since the preparation of the germination bed, some essential technological elements that make the difference most often between a successful culture and one that has not survived. Of these specific elements, we need to mention crop rotation, land preparation, sowing, fertilising, and rolling. The study was carried out at the farm “I.I. Marincu Răzvan” on an area of 100 ha in the village of Icloda, commune of Sacoșu Turcesc, Timiș County, Romania. In 2021-2022, four cultures were set up: rapeseed, wheat, sunflower, and maize. Rapeseed was cultivated on an area of 17 ha using as working technology ploughing, discing, drilling, and sowing. The purpose was to obtain a good plant emergence and a good harvest. In order to obtain a good production, the seed used to set up rapeseed cultures should be certified, with a physical purity of at least 98% and a germination of more than 85%. All the seed used for this purpose should be treated with both fungicides and insecticides. It is necessary to take into account the deviations that appear in some years compared to the multiannual mean both in terms of temperature and rainfall, but especially compared to their distribution during vegetation periods. These deviations can be corrected by appropriate cultivation technology measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work is weed control by cutting, pulling from the ground and covering with a thin layer of ground, where they can regenerate. The good preparation of the germination bed allows the seed to be covered with a wellaerated, heated soil layer and stand on a more stable and favourably humid soil. The lack of weeds and vegetable residues on the surface of the soil and on the depth of the germination bed gives it the appropriate quality to be sown. The preparation works of the germination bed were carried out at the "December 3, 1990" commercial company from Periam, Timiș County, Romania. The main methods utilized to optimize the use of agricultural aggregates are mathematical programming, direct calculus solutions, and operating nomograms. The purpose of the secondary works performed after ploughing consists in the crushing of soil clogs and of structural soil macroaggregates in order to carry out the sowing. For the execution of the mechanised scarification works, the preparation of the germination bed and of maize sowing, the types of tractors are chosen according to the technological process of the works and to the biological properties of the crops, depending on the following indicators: light, gauge, size of equipment, plot size, energy consumption of agricultural machines, state of the land, humidity, and manoeuvrability. Soil works have been an integral part of agriculture since the beginnings of farming and they have served several important goals: the preparation of the germination bed, the reduction of soil compaction to increase aeration and allow the root system to develop optimally, the reduction of weeding, the incorporation of fertilizers and amendments, and the management of plant debris. Following the study, we can conclude that the optimization of the use of agricultural aggregates in operation contributes to the reduction of the production expenses, of the specific fuel and material consumption, and of the labour requirement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women's time allocation is a dimension of women's empowerment in agriculture, and is recognised as a pathway through which agriculture can affect child nutritional status in developing countries. Longer hours of farm work can potentially increase women's time constraints, reducing the time allocated to child-caring responsibilities and raising the risk of poor child nutritional status. Using a three-wave household panel dataset from the Feed the Future Innovation Lab on Nutrition surveys in the north and southwest of Uganda, we tested the hypothesis that the negative effect of women's agriculture time-use constraints on child stunting is mitigated for households that use labour or timesaving agricultural technologies (LSATs). The results show a positive and significant association between the number of hours per day that women spend on agricultural work and the risk of stunting in children aged zero to 23 months who live in households that do not use animal traction for ploughing. However, this association is statistically insignificant, and even turns negative for households that adopted the labour-saving technology. Our findings indicate that LSATs have the potential to lessen a household's agricultural workload, giving mothers more child-caring time, and hence improving child nutritional status. Therefore, agriculture could have better nutritional outcomes if policies and programmes were designed to have interventions that reduce the workload in farming activities and thus reduce pressure on women's time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural production systems that include intensive tillage (ploughing) usually cause a deterioration of the soil structure, leading to physical soil degradation, which is a major prerequisite for the occurrence of water erosion. Water erosion of soil damages the national and world economy, with the main consequences being loss of soil, organic matter, nutrients, reduction of water reserves and crop yields. To preserve soil fertility and improve yields on sloping agricultural lands, it is necessary to apply erosion control technologies that have the potential to reduce the negatrive effects of this degradation process. The present research is on the economic efficiency of erosion control technologies applied for wheat cultivation on sloping terrain, and it was found that the application of minimum and unconventional technology for wheat cultivation has significant erosion control and economic efficiency, as surface water runoff decreasing from 2.6 to 3.0 times, and the eroded soil from 6.3 to 6.5 times, compared to the areas cultivated conventionally along the slope, and the increase in yields with 16.2% on average for the three years. An economic effect of the advanced technology for minimum and unconventional soil tillage with manure mulch for growing wheat on sloping terrain is expressed in increased yields, the realization of net income and preservation of soil and soil fertility. Analyzing the obtained results, it is established that variant e3 is the most economically efficient. The application of the soil protection technology for minimum and unconventional tillage of the soil for growing wheat, the production price on average for the research period is 200.0 BGN/t, the net income is 692.55 BGN/ha, and the economic efficiency is 1.65, and these indicators in the control variant, grown conventionally along the slope, are respectively cost price - 212.06 BGN/t, net income is 456.03 BGN/ha, economic efficiency - 1.44. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seed yield and weed infestation of pea as well as soil properties were evaluated in the systems of conventional (TA) and conservation (CA) agriculture. In both agricultural systems, pea was grown in crop rotation: potato - winter wheat - pea - winter barley. Shallow ploughing (10-12 cm) after previous crop harvest and pre-winter ploughing (20-25 cm) were performed, whereas a pre-sowing cultivation set was deployed in the springtime in TA. In CA, glyphosate was applied after previous crop harvest, and post-harvest residues were left on the filed surface (4.5 t ha-1). A cultivation-sowing set was used in the springtime, and pea was sown at the beginning of April. The study demonstrated that the agricultural systems tested had no significant effect on pea seed yield. A higher number and air-dry weight of weeds, and a higher weed species number were demonstrated in TA than in CA. Also, a higher number and air-dry weight of weeds were recorded in 2020 than in the other study years. Contents of organic C and total N in the soil and the number of earthworms were higher in CA than in TA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brijal (Solanum melongia L.) is an important vegetable crop of India. India is a leading producer in the world and during 2018-19 the country produced 15.5 lakh tones of from an area of 11.25 lakh hectares. Brinjal is cultivated in most of the states in India. however a state namely Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana is also major brinjal producing state in india.The districts of these state contributes 45% to production of total production .India produces 30% brinjal of the world production. In general, average productivity of brinjal continues to low (45 t/h) mainly due to heavy infestation of shoot and fruit borer. The shoot and fruit borer is the most destructive pest of brinjal. This result in total loss of affected production and quality of brinjal. Therefore, present study was under taken to assess the technology for management of shoot and fruit borer management. On farm trial were conducted at 25 farmer's field to assess the shoot and fruit borer management technologies comprising summer ploughing+neem cake 550kg/ha+soil application of carbofuran 1 kg a.i. at the time of transplanting around the base of the plant improved (variety Pusa Puple Long)+ selection of good seed+seed treatment (Imidacloprid 17.8 sl@3 ml/lit. of water)+3 drenching (carbofuran @3 ml/lit of water during kharif season of 2017-18 and 2018-19in clay irrigated condition. Need based spray of animal origin insecticides cartap hydrochloride @500gm a.i./ha.conducing with reproduction phase. The incidence of shoot and fruit borer was recorded only 12.57 per cent under integrated pest management as against 45.47 per cent recorded under farmers practices. The production of brinjal under integrated pest management technologies' ranged between 45.25 to 55.5 t/ha with mean yield of 50.37 t/ha as against a yield range between 30.23 to 40.35 t/ha with mean of 35.29 t/ha under farmers practice. The additional yield under integrated pest management technologies over local practice ranged from 15.02 to 30.15 with mean of 15.02 t/ha. In comparison to local check, there was an increase to 41.5, 30.24 and 35 per cent in production of brinjal under improved technologies in respective years. The higher productivity might due to effective management of shoot and fruit borer of brinjal. The higher yield obtained under improved technologies as compared to local check due to effective management of shoot and fruit borer of brinjal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A disturbance simulation model of tooth-flexible body residual film-soil based on DEM-MBD was established. • The flow characteristics of film-soil was studied using DEM-MBD simulation methods. • A film picking test bench was established to verify the reliability of the simulation model. • The cross-sectional shape of soil was used to verify the accuracy of DEM simulation models. • The mechanical properties and tensile performance of the residual film were analyzed. The residual film in the cotton cultivation layer will seriously affect cotton cultivation, and mechanized recycling of residual film is currently the best way to solve this problem. To improve the recovery effect of the chain tooth tillage layer residual film recovery machine, a bionic elastic tooth was designed in this paper. Furthermore, DEM-MBD coupling multibody dynamics was used as the research method to study the bionic elastic tooth-residual film-soil interactive disturbance. A DEM-MBD simulation model for predicting the film lifting effect of a film lifting device has been established. And the DEM-MBD simulation model was used to optimize the design parameters of the film lifting device by studying the film lifting effect of the elastic teeth. The absolute value of the maximum curvature at the tip of the elastic tooth (A), the angle between the midline of the power wheel and the ground plane (B), and the spacing of the elastic teeth (C) were used as the influencing factors. The optimal solution parameters (A = 0.03, B = 54°, C = 83 mm) were obtained. The field test's film picking and disturbance rate was 91.27 %, the error with the simulation results (89.69 %) was 1.8 %, which verified the accuracy of the simulation results and the superiority of the optimized parameters. The recovery rates of residual film under soil compaction conditions of 600 kPa, 800 kPa, and 1000 kPa were 91.25 %, 90.94 %, and 90.89 % (Verified the strong adaptability of the device). This study can provide a theoretical research basis and test methods for the design optimization of touching parts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of organic agriculture in France was steady since 2010 but became stronger since 2014. Like other crops, the cultivated areas of organic soybean and sunflower doubled from 2014 to 2018. With a view to better characterize cultural practices in organic production, Terres Inovia and ITAB (in collaboration with Agence Bio) conducted in 2016 and 2017 a national farmers' survey. These surveys reveal that sunflower was mainly cultivated over the same types of soil than in conventional production but were integrated in more diversified rotations. The main differences between organic and conventional systems concern sowing date and weed control. Organic sunflower was sown very lately compared to conventional one, which impacted the yield severely. Weed were controlled through ploughing, mechanical weeding and crop rotation and weed control was judged as satisfying by a major part of producers. Concerning soybean, a great difference is the use of irrigation which is almost systematic in conventional but concerned only 50% of cultivated area in organic production. Contrary to sunflower, soybean is integrated in short crop rotation, particularly when it was irrigated. This demonstrated the high profitability of soybean in organic systems. Like for sunflower, weed control done through ploughing, mechanical weeding, and crop rotation and weed control was also judged satisfying; nevertheless, criteria on harvest impurities are more severe and to respect them, organic farmers also use hand weeding in complement. These surveys will be reconducted over the years to be able to follow the changes of cultural practices over the years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Misr Journal of Agricultural Engineering is the property of Egyptian National Agricultural Library (ENAL) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Misr Journal of Agricultural Engineering is the property of Egyptian National Agricultural Library (ENAL) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Opuntia Brava is the property of Universidad de Ciencias Pedagogicas de Las Tunas, Centro de Documentacion e Informacion Pedagogica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The most important task in designing competitive agricultural machinery is the production of parts with long service life. The development of new technologies and materials determines the technical level of agricultural engineering. The plowshare blade is the most loaded and important part, as its parameters determine the quality, energy and economic indicators of the technological operation of plowing. (Research purpose) To determine and confi rm theoretically material and technological parameters of low quality level of domestic plowshares manufactured without the use of modern technologies. Then they analyze construction materials of plowshares and other parts of tillage implements produced by leading foreign companies, and come to a conclusion that lowand medium-carbon boron-containing alloyed and high-alloyed steels are used in their production. Leading global manufacturers of machine parts also often apply surface hardfacing with carbide coatings. (Results and discussion) The authors have theoretically and experimentally determined the directions of increasing the strength and durability of plowshare working tools. They have chosen basic materials for plowshares basing mainly on the strength parameters. They have conducted comparative laboratory tests of various materials and witness samples (including double-layer ones) for abrasive wear resistance on two bench installations; identifi ed materials for carbide coatings, clarifi ed the relative wear resistance coeffi cients of steel carbide layers recommended for use in the design of plowshares; and considered a technological method of hardening machine working tools. (Conclusions) The authors propose a simplifi ed computational procedure for selecting design and material parameters (thickness and width of hardening coatings) of plowshare blades and over-chisels, depending on the wear characteristics of the materials used and the plowshare thickness. They have stated mathematical relationships that determine the linear wear of plowshare blades and chisels depending on the characteristics of the materials used, design parameters, soil conditions and total operation time and carried out comparative operational and duration testing of newly developed plowshares. It has been shown that the marginal operating time of new products exceeds the duration indicators of serial counterparts in diff erent soil and climatic conditions in 3.5-5.5 times.

As a result of Covid-19 distresses the economy and its impact on agriculture. This is complex and farmers have faced many problems, such as the unavailability of labour due to the lockdown and relocation of farmers to their locations and access to the market is difficult because transportation facilities were not available during the lockdown period and it is very difficult for farmers to repay loans in this period. Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) has been proposing agricultural reforms using technical innovation and attempting to safeguard farmers from losses. The goal of the research is to through a light on the structure of Indian agriculture and to give policy suggestions. It had been observed that, transportation stopped because of the lockdown making the farm economy go nowhere. The produce was unable to be transported to market, thereby disturbing the supply chain in the middle of the harvest period. Also, the non-availability of migrant laborers, seizing the harvest and post-harvest operations. The pandemic has made to several contests in procurement operations as well as agricultural operations in future the following new techniques such as mechanical soil ploughing, automatic irrigation system, advanced weather monitoring, app-based system, online knowledge and market conditions, advanced technologies can be leveraged. In order to help the farmers to find more effective ways to defend their crops from weeds, the farmers can use automation and robotics. A Blue River Technology-developed robot named See & Spray appears to have been industrialized to use computer vision to precisely spray weeds on cotton plants. There are more advanced technologies using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and agricultural robotics to save water, sustain agro-ecology, rotate crops, and plant cover crops, alternating with manual labour that can keep farming activities going without hitch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to optimize the structure of plough blades in a ploughshare mixer using the discrete element method (DEM) simulations. Design/methodology/approach: Using the validated DEM model, three numerical tests are conducted to determine how the mixing performance evolves as structural parameters of blades change. Results from the analysis provide basis for structure optimization of blades. The structural parameters include sweep angle of blade γ, regular axial pitch p and regular circumferential angular offset α. The parameters to evaluate mixing performance include mass flow rate and Lacey index. Findings: The DEM results show that the mixing performance at γ of 35° is better than 15°, 25° and 45°. The mixer which has a p of less than or equal to 1.11 · b is more efficient than the mixer which has a p greater than 1.11 · b, where b is tail width of blade. The circumferential symmetric distribution of blades (α = 180°) is more beneficial to improve the mixing performance in comparison with the circumferential asymmetric distribution (α < 180°). Based on the results, an optimized mixer with a γ of 35°, a p of 0.61 · b and an α of 180° is proposed, which has a better mixing performance compared to all mixers listed. Originality/value: The structural parameters of blades, including γ, p and α, are found to be critical for good mixing. From the view angle of structure optimization of plough blades, a new ploughshare mixer with a γ of 35°, a p of 0.61 · b and an α of 180° is investigated and recommended for improving mixing efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cross bar of mouldboard plough of Massey Ferguson 399 Tractor was investigated by finite element method in point of failure analysis. A 3-d model of the cross bar was provided in ANSYS Software, and the constraints, boundary conditions, and loads were applied on the model. The fatigue analysis was done on the model after static analysis. The exerted loads were calculated based on the maximum draft force of the tractor. Based on Soderberg criteria, the safety factor in fatigue analysis was calculated and that of the left hole of the cross bar was minimum as 1.82 that shows higher failure probability of that. The result of fatigue analysis in the present research is in agreement with that practically is happened for mouldboard plough cross bar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimizing configuration of the plough bottom to minimise soil disturbance is an inexpensive way to improve soil quality. This work applied mathematical modelling to improve geometric and physical parameters of a ploughshare body design that define the ploughing performance. The optimised reversible plough was tested in the field by comparing it with a conventional PLP-6-35A plough, which has a rectangular-shaped ploughshare. The trapezoid-shaped design of the ploughshare blade was found to be the most effective solution among the examined. Based on the empirical results, it can be concluded that the draft resistance of trapezoid-shaped plough bottom is 9.9% lower compared to that of the reference one. In addition, the study found that using a trapezoid-shaped plough bottom instead of rectangular-shaped ploughshare blades could increase the ploughing speed by 5.4%, from 2.13 to 2.25 m/s. This effect stems from the reduction in tractor slippage and allow saving 11.09% of fuel. The proposed mathematical model can be used to build a reversible plough with optimised technological characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of the angle of plough penetration of soil and tillage distances was studied based on some mechanical properties for type tillage machine (moldboard plough) and soil physical characteristics, were tested two the angle of plough penetration of soil levels of 45° and 65° and three levels tillage distances of 65, 75 and 85 cm. The experiments were conducted in a factorial experiment under randomized complete block design with three replications. The results showed that the angle of plough penetration of soil 45° was significantly better than the angle of plough penetration of soil 65° as while tillage distances at range 65 cm was significantly superior to the other two levels 75 and 85 cm in all studied conditions. The results showed fuel consumption of 10.088 and 10.007 L.ha-1, slippage percentage of 8.103 and 7.662% power losses due to slippage of 2.492 and 2.267 Kw, field efficiency of 81.938 and 85.446%, drawbar power 10.704 and 10.709 kw germination percentage 89 and 88%, plant height 73.294 and 75.244 cm and number of branches 10 and 10 branch.plant-1 for the angle of plough penetration of soil 45° and tillage distance 65 cm, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding regional spatial pattern of soil organic carbon density (SOCD) and its potential influencing factors in cropland is of paramount importance when evaluating soil quality and assess the carbon sequestration potential. However, little information is available regarding the regional SOCD for the plough layer of the cropland soils with high‐density sampling sites. In this context, 14,058 soil samples were collected at a regional scale (21 × 104 km2) to investigate the spatial variation in SOCD and to identify the dominant factors influencing this variation using classical statistics, principal component analysis (PCA), residual maximum likelihood (REML), and geostatistical methods, such as semivariogram and ordinary kriging methods. The results indicated that soil organic carbon (SOC) and SOCD both demonstrated moderate variability ranging from 2.61 to 35.67 g kg−1 and 2.61 to 35.67 kg C m−2, respectively. Geostatistical analysis showed that the nugget‐to‐sill ratios for SOC and SOCD were 0.59 and 0.61, respectively, which demonstrated moderate spatial dependence. The PCA and a minimum data set method identified that organic nitrogen fertilizer, accumulated temperature ≥ 0°C, rice straw incorporation, precipitation, and soil pH were the major factors affecting the spatial variability in SOCD. The REML analysis showed that geomorphologic features, soil types, and irrigation conditions also exerted substantial influence on SOC and SOCD. This study provided reliable estimates of spatial variation in SOCD and thus is helpful in the formulation of strategic sustainable SOC management and regional policy decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paddy fields are generally submerged during the growing season and drained in the fallow season, and occasionally stimulating the air-drying effect and drying-rewetting effect on soil nitrogen (N) mineralization and soil carbon (C) decomposition. It is important to understand how these two effects take place in Andosol field under organic farming. To elucidate these effects, we incubated fresh, air-dried, and dried-rewetted paddy soil anaerobically under flooded condition. Soils were from the fields subjected to organic rice farming (ORF) for 4–5 years (4ORF), 8–9 years (8ORF), and 12 years (12ORF) with only rice residues and fallow weeds as organic matter applied, and cnventional rice farming (CRF). Soil samples were collected from plow layer of 0–15 cm depth after the rice harvest. The results showed that air-dried and dried-rewetted treatments could significantly increase N mineralization potential in 8ORF and 12ORF. The air-drying effects were not significantly changed in 4ORF, but significantly increased in 8ORF and 12ORF as compared to CRF. The drying-rewetting effects of C decomposition potentials were highest in 12ORF significantly. The N mineralization potential of air-drying effect showed no significant difference compared to drying-rewetting effect on conventional and organic rice farming. The ratio of C decomposition to N mineralization after 8 weeks incubation was higher in fresh soil (at 7.26–8.61) than those in air-dried (at 4.09–4.35) and dried-rewetted (at 3.94–4.26) soils. These indicated that the easily decomposable soil organic matter under the anaerobic flooded condition from fresh soil was changed by air-drying and drying-rewetting treatments. The slow increase of N mineralization and C decomposition with years of organic farming suggest the slow increase of fallow weed, the biomass of which gradually increase with years. The specific behavior of 12ORF soil suggest the transition of soil condition from a transitional state to an established state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field experiment was conducted in one of the fields in Nineveh Governorate, in soil texture was clay silty loam, under the axial sprinkler system, where the research included studying the effect of (two levels of soil moisture (13- 15%), (17-19%), two depth of tillage (12-14 cm) and (15-17 cm), and three types of chisel plow-share (conventional share, the spearhead and the severed share)), on the following field indicators (draft force, soil adhesion force, the tillage appearance through (number of clods with a diameter larger than 7.5 cm) and the vertical deviation ratio to tillage depth). This experiment was implemented with split-split plot under randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replicates. The results showed that the lowest draft force, adhesion strength, number of clods, and the lowest vertical deviation ratio to tillage depth were recorded in the soil moisture content (13-15%), the depth (12-14) cm recorded the lowest draft force, adhesion strength and a number of clods, while it outperformed depth (15-17) cm in obtaining the lowest ratio of vertical deviation, as the severed share outperformed in obtaining the lowest draft force, adhesion strength and a number of clods, while the spearhead share outperformed in obtaining the lowest ratio of vertical deviation, achieved interaction between the soil moisture content (13-15%) and the depth (12- 14) cm, the lowest draft force, adhesion strength and a number of clods, while the interaction between the soil moisture content (13-15%) and depth (15-17) cm achieved the lowest ratio of vertical deviation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For, whereas the Ballet had begun with the tender radiance of an August sunset above half-harvested fields, where the reaping machines hummed peacefully among the corn-stooks and the ploughs cut into the stubble, the progress of the performance had seen the deep summer starlit vault lit up by the flare of distant blazing farms, and its blue solemnity rent by the fitful rocket-tracks of shells and the Roman-candles and Catherine-wheels of far off explosions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In inversion tillage systems, the mouldboard plough is fundamental for producing a desirable seedbed. The desired ploughing quality is achieved when the plough layer is inverted homogeneously. This is, however, difficult to obtain in the main‐headland intersection zone where the plough is lowered and elevated, as ploughed and unploughed triangles are formed. This results in zones where the soil is inverted twice, which may result in poor residue and weed incorporation and a poor seedbed quality. The design of the three‐point linkage‐attached mouldboard plough has not changed since the 1950s, but the number of furrows has increased, which has increased the size of the aforementioned triangles. A novel ploughing system was introduced to meet these headland challenges, where each plough section can be lowered and elevated independently. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of using a section‐controlled mouldboard plough. Two similarly designed, randomized, field plot experiments were conducted on two different soil types (sandy loam and loamy sand) on a stubble field and grass field. The study showed that the section‐controlled plough reduced the main‐headland overlap area by ~98%. The results of a range of soil physical properties measurements and seedbed quality analyses showed that the section‐controlled plough created a homogeneous loosened seedbed quality, improving the incorporation of crop residues and leaving fewer residues on the soil surface. Furthermore, the section‐controlled plough showed additional benefits, for example wedge operations and visual line marking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to increase profitability in an agricultural enterprise, operators must be experienced in order to select the tractors and laser-controlled leveling machines (LKTM) required in the enterprise in accordance with the operating characteristics and to use them economically. Experience can be gained by trial-and-error method or by training. In this study, it is aimed to prepare abacts to be used in training of operators. Therefore, four different working widths LKTM (3.5, 4, 5 and 6 m) and four different tractor power (85, 95, 140 and 160 HP) were chosen. Power requirements are determined in accordance with these LKTM and tractor combinations. Maximum working depths have been determined for working according to power requirements. According to results of the research, as work widths (LKTM) and speed increase, tractor power needed increases as well. In the combination of LKTM and tractor with the same working width, an increase in the working depth was observed as the tractor power and speed increased. In this context, operators using LKTM should be trained with the help of abacts to be prepared. Plows developed in the study should be tried in field conditions. The data obtained showed that it is necessary to calculate the maximum depths of work that can work by determining the power demands according to the different tractor powers sold in our country and LKTM combinations of different working widths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The puzzling <7 Ma old "postsubduction" arc magmatism of New Guinea contains geochemical subduction‐type signatures yet did not occur above an active subduction zone. Here we show that these arc magmas formed at the North Australian continental lithospheric edge when it plowed northward through mantle above the detached Arafura slab remnant. This mantle preserved its subduction signature and the edge plowing process generated new melts that ascended via an active transform fault. Arafura slab subduction occurred at an intraoceanic subduction zone that ended ~30–25 Ma ago, when the Australian continental edge was still ~1,000 km to the south. Our absolute plate tectonic reconstruction of continental‐edge plowing suggests that ancient mantle wedges remain semistationary in the upper mantle and can preserve their geochemical signature for tens of Ma, explaining previously enigmatic "postsubduction" arc magmatism. Plain Language Summary: During subduction, downgoing plate lithosphere ("slab") releases water to the overlying mantle causing so‐called "arc volcanism." A puzzling class of "postsubduction" arc magmatism bears geochemical signatures of subduction but occurs in a setting without subduction. Here we show that this magmatism is the result of remelting of mantle portions that were previously enriched by ancient subduction zones, slab relics of which are now found with seismological techniques below these enriched portions. From famous postarc magmatic rocks on New Guinea we identify that the "plowing" of the edge of a thick, continental lithosphere through a previously enriched mantle portion may provide a cause of melting, producing arc‐like magmatism. We also identify that pathways for the melts to rise to (close to) the surface, provided by major faults, are essential. The "New Guinea recipe" also explains magmatism on the Fiji Islands, California, and Colombia. A major implication of our work is that asthenospheric upper mantle rocks appear to move much slower than plates, such that lithosphere may have undergone a very different geological history than the currently underlying mantle. Key Points: "Postsubduction" arc magmatism on New Guinea results from the Australian cratonic margin plowing through a previously enriched mantle wedgeMantle wedges may appear to remain semistationary in the mantle for tens of million years or even longer times and produce subduction signatures if remeltedAbsolute plate motions juxtapose mantle and crustal rocks with very different geological histories [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy and draft requirements of a disk plow have been recognized as essential factors when attempting to correctly match it with tractor power. This study examines the possible of using an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) approach and its performance compared to a multiple linear regression (MLR) model to determine the energy and draft requirements of a disk plow. A total of 133 data patterns were obtained by conducting experiments in the field and from the literature. Of these 133 data points, 121 were arbitrarily selected and used for training, and the remaining 12 were used for testing the models. The input variables were plowing depth, plowing speed, soil texture index, initial soil moisture content, initial soil bulk density, disk diameter, disk angle, and disk tilt angle, and output variable was draft of the disk plow. Four membership functions were used with ANFIS: a triangular membership function, generalized bell-shaped membership function, trapezoidal membership function, and Gaussian curve membership function. An evaluation of the outcomes of the ANFIS and MLR modeling shows that the triangular membership function performed better than the other functions. When the ANFIS model draft predictions were compared to the measured values, the average relative error was --1.97%. A comparison of the ANFIS model with other approaches showed that the energy and draft requirements of the disk plow could be estimated with satisfactory accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment was performed using locally manufactured subsoiler plow provided with wings on the outside of shallow tines feet to study the impact of adding the wings and depth of tillage on the disturbance area of soil, soil pulverization index (mean weight diameter, MWD) and the equivalent energy of soil pulverization (Eq EP) in clay soil. This experiment was done in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD), with three replications having a factorial experiment. Three tillage depths (40, 50, and 60cm) with and without wings on the feet of shallow tines were used. The results showed that the impact of adding wings and tillage depths had a significant effect on the disturbance area, soil pulverization index and the equivalent energy of soil pulverization (p < 0.05). The treatment of adding wings on shallow tines (S+shw) has pre-eminence in studied factors. The disturbed area increased by 11.11, 14.29 and 9.80%, the MWD decreased by 27.33, 32.31 and 19.38% and the Eq EP increased by 43.19, 53.03 and 25.13% when the depth of tillage increased from 40, 50 and 60cm respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to evaluate soil management and crop rotation systems. The treatments consisted of four types of soil management: 1) no-tillage, 2) minimum tillage, 3) conventional tillage with disc plows, and 4) conventional tillage with moldboard plows, and three crop rotation systems: system I - wheat/soybean; system II - wheat/soybean and vetch/sorghum; and system III - wheat/soybean, vetch/sorghum and white oat/soybeans. An experimental design of randomized blocks with split-plots and three replicates was used. The main plot consisted of soil management systems, while the split-plots consisted of crop rotation systems. Maize and sorghum were the crops that showed the highest energy return in relation to the other studied species. No-tillage showed higher energy conversion and balance (12.31 and 45,011 Mcal ha-1) than minimum tillage (11.33 and 41,100 Mcal ha-1), conventional tillage using disk plow (9.94 and 34,142 Mcal ha-1) and conventional tillage using moldboard plow (10.21 and 35,170 Mcal ha-1), respectively. Wheat in crop rotation had higher energy efficiency than the monoculture of this cereal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the possibility of ammonia emission reduction in 2030 by undertaking the activities specified in the “Advisory code of good agricultural practice for the reduction of ammonia emissions”. The methodology published by the European Environment Agency in 2016 has been used to estimate emissions. Projections were carried out for each type of category (animal production, use of mineral nitrogen fertilizers) and the total ammonia emission in 2030 was calculated, all results were compared to the base year 2005. Analyses have shown that the targets indicated in the NEC Directive would not be easy to achieve. Without the implementation of actions reducing ammonia emissions, it is expected that total emissions will rise by 2.7% by 2030. However, if we consider both emission categories separately, we can predict that NH3 emissions will increase more than 45% from the use of mineral fertilisers and decrease by 6% from animal production. The most significant reduction in total ammonia emissions can be achieved through ploughing manure immediately (preferably within 4 hours) after application. Another technique involves the replacement of urea with ammonium nitrate (-12.4%) and the splashless application of slurry with parallel ploughing of manure (-11.0%) that gives ample opportunity to achieve a notable reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]