Study of force distribution in the citrus tree canopy during harvest using a continuous canopy shaker

Mechanical harvesting is increasingly being employed in the citrus industry of Florida because of the faster and efficient harvesting it provides with comparatively lower cost when compared to manual harvesting. Continuous canopy shakers are the only mechanical harvesters commercially used in Florida. The main concerns regarding the use of these machines are damage to tree and detrimental effect on next year yield. Because of these concerns, only a very low percentage (6-7%) of the acreage is being harvested mechanically. To improve these machines and address the growers’ concerns, experiments were conducted to study the force and acceleration distribution on the tree branches and fruits. The acceleration was measured at different locations in the canopy using tri-axis accelerometers attached to the branch and data was recorded using ZigBee^® transceivers. The distribution of force and acceleration along an individual branch in trees of two different sizes were studied at three different tine angles and frequencies of the shaker. Both distributions were modeled using the Curve Fitting Toolbox™ of Matlab^®. The results suggested that the force was higher for the fruits inside the canopy than the ones at the edges. It was also observed that the maximum force required to remove the fruit mechanically was only 18% of the traditionally measured fruit detachment force. The force along the branch was found to be Gaussian in nature and the acceleration along the branch was found to be exponential.     

Deposition of spray drift behind border structures

Windbreaks present a porous obstacle to the approaching airflow, forcing air to flow through the windbreak at a reduced speed and accelerate over the top. In this research, windbreaks were considered as border structures to mitigate spray drift. Air flows, with an interspace between it, particles are filtered from the flow by deposition on the windbreak. Hence there is a reduction in deposition in the downwind sheltered area (the ‘quiet zone’) behind the windbreak. Peak deposition in the sheltered area can occur at minimum wind speeds. The deposition profiles of spray drift behind various border structures were measured. In the first part, drift tests were performed in a wind tunnel. Artificial screens with various heights and open areas were tested. A row of plastic Christmas trees and natural canopies were also tested. Subsequently, drift experiments were performed under field conditions in a grassland with the artificial screens and a row of Fagus sylvatica trees. The artificial screens reduced spray drift deposition in the sheltered region, but significant deposition peaks were found behind the screens. The natural structures had potential to reduce drift deposition when their height was at least equal to the height of the spray nozzle(s). The drift deposition at short distances behind the natural structures was higher than deposition behind artificial structures, but conversely peaks in deposition in sheltered areas were not created by the natural structures.     

Comparison of Assimilation Rates in Leaves at Various Nodes in Canopies of Three Spring Wheat Cultivars with Different Plant Forms

Abstract

This study was conducted to reveal the ideotype of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) canopy structure for high yield and biornass productivity. The assimilation rate and nitrogen contents of the flag, second, third and lower leaves and the ear of the main stem were measured in three spring cultivars with different plant forms (figures), Haruyutaka, Norin 61 and Selpek, under field conditions. The assimilation rate was evaluated based on the amount of water-soluble carbohydrate accumulated during the day (WSC/day). Surface area indexes of the ear and flag leaf in Haruyutaka and Selpek were larger than those in Norin 61. In Haruyutaka and Selpek, the amount of WSC/day was larger in the flag leaf than in the second or third leaf, which had a sufficiently high nitrogen content. On the contrary, in Norin 61, the amount of WSC/day in the flag leaf was similar to that in the second and third leaves during the grain-filling period. The amount of WSC/day in the flag leaf during the last half of the grain-filling period was much higher in Selpek than in Haruyutaka and Norin 61. This may be one of the reasons why Selpek had a heavier total dry weight than Haruyutaka and Norin 61 in 1993 and 1995.     

The effect of eradication of lice on the occurrence of the grain defect light flecks and spots on cattle hides.

The influence of an eradication programme for lice on the prevalence of light flecks and spots on cattle hides was studied in 33 dairy cattle herds during a period of two and a half years. Lice were eradicated from the main group of herds after 9 to 12 months and the quality of the hides before and after treatment was compared. Hides from slaughtered animals were collected during the study period, tanned and examined with special emphasis on the occurrence of the grain damage light flecks and spots. The prevalence of hides without light flecks and spots increased from 24.2% before treatment to 61.6% after treatment. The prevalence of hides free from the damage increased significantly in all examined anatomical regions. The improvement in hide quality was most marked in the shoulders and neck region which corresponded to the major predilection site of cattle lice. The prevalence of hides with light flecks and spots started to decrease in the first period (2-40 days) after eradication. The changes after treatment suggested that most healing process took place over a period of about 4 months. The eradication programme eliminated the seasonal variation in the prevalence of light flecks and spots which was present before treatment.     

减光条件下番茄生态生理变化研究

从遮光对番茄生长、发育、生理、生化特性的影响等方面进行了研究。结果表明,遮光后番茄株高增加,茎相变化不明显且不同品种表现无规律,但株高与茎粗比值均加大,平均节间长加大,叶面积增加,地上部干鲜重下降。在生长函数中,LWR、LAR、SLA增加,NAR下降,其他生长函数变化规律不明显。遮光后番茄的光合速率下降,过氧化物酶和过氧化氢酶活性,总叶绿素,叶绿素a、b,类胡萝卜素含量均上升,而叶绿素a/b比值变化无规律。     

Gap partitioning among temperate tree species across a regional soil gradient in windstorm-disturbed forests

Canopy closure and soil characteristics are commonly used to explain regeneration distribution at local and regional scales, although very few studies take both factors into account. The combination of environmental variables defined at broad and local scales is necessary to provide regeneration distribution models with a small resolution (tree scale) that are valid on a large spatial scale (regional scale). Our aim was to quantify how gap partitioning among tree species at the seedling stage varies across large soil and stand type gradients. Regeneration inventories performed 5 years after gap creation were used to analyse the combined effects of soil type, stand type, and position within canopy gaps on the regeneration development of eight western European broadleaved species: Acer campestre, Acer pseudoplatanus, Betulapendula, Carpinusbetulus, Fagussylvatica, Fraxinusexcelsior, Quercus sp., and Salixcaprea. A clear pattern of gap partitioning among the eight species was observed. All species had higher density at the gap edge except birch and willow showing the highest presence in gap centres. For all species, the probability of presence of tall seedlings (height > 0.5 m) increased from gap edge to gap centre. Small seedlings presented the opposite trend except birch and willow. Soil pH influenced probability of presence for each species, but did not affect the pattern of gap partitioning among species. Both local (location within the gap) and regional (soil pH and stand type) scale factors affect recruitment distribution and are thus necessary to predict seedling distribution. The models developed may be used to determine the optimal gap size in order to obtain a given species composition according to soil and stand type conditions.     

Effects of temperature and wetness duration on conidial infection, latent period and asexual sporulation of Pyrenopeziza brassicae on leaves of oilseed rape

Experiments in controlled environments were carried out to determine the effects of temperature and leaf wetness duration on infection of oilseed rape leaves by conidia of the light leaf spot pathogen, Pyrenopeziza brassicae . Visible spore pustules developed on leaves of cv. Bristol inoculated with P. brassicae conidia at temperatures from 4 to 20°C, but not at 24°C; spore pustules developed when the leaf wetness duration after inoculation was longer than or equal to approximately 6 h at 12–20°C, 10 h at 8°C, 16 h at 6°C or 24 h at 4°C. On leaves of cvs. Capricorn or Cobra, light leaf spot symptoms developed at 8 and 16°C when the leaf wetness duration after inoculation was greater than 3 or 24 h, respectively. The latent period (the time period from inoculation to first spore pustules) of P. brassicae on cv. Bristol was, on average, approximately 10 days at 16°C when leaf wetness duration was 24 h, and increased to approximately 12 days as temperature increased to 20°C and to 26 days as temperature decreased to 4°C. At 8°C, an increase in leaf wetness duration from 10 to 72 h decreased the latent period from approximately 25 to 16 days; at 6°C, an increase in leaf wetness duration from 16 to 72 h decreased the latent period from approximately 23 to 17 days. The numbers of conidia produced were greatest at 12–16°C, and decreased as temperature decreased to 8°C or increased to 20°C. At temperatures from 8 to 20°C, an increase in leaf wetness duration from 6 to 24 h increased the production of conidia. There were linear relationships between the number of conidia produced on a leaf and the proportion of the leaf area covered by 'lesions' (both log₁₀-transformed) at different temperatures.     

遮雨棚设施结构对枣园温湿度的影响

笔者以7年生-10年生壶瓶枣树为试材,研究了遮雨棚栽培与大田栽培条件下温湿度变化规律和差异。结果表明：遮雨棚在晴天高温时有降温的作用,而阴雨天温度较低时则有保温的作用;遮雨棚阻碍了水分蒸发,使得相同条件下棚内湿度高于棚外;雨后棚内与棚外温度变化趋势基本一致,棚外湿度变化剧烈,棚内较为缓和。