Nitrogen (N) fertilizer rate is important for high yield and good quality of potato tubers. In this dissertation, I seek to study the response of different potato cultivars under different N fertilizer rates and how that can impact tuber quality, examine the performance of active optical sensors in improving a potato yield prediction algorithm, and evaluate the ability of active optical sensors (GreenSeeker (GS) and Crop Circle (CC)) to optimize a N recommendation algorithm that can be used by potato growers in Maine. This research was conducted at 11 sites over a period of two years (2018–2019) in Aroostook County, Maine; all sites depended on a rainfed system. Three potato cultivars, Russet Burbank, Superior, and Shepody, were planted under six rates of N (0-280 kg ha-1), ammonium sulfate and ammonium nitrate, and were applied in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications. Active optical sensor readings (normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI)) were collected weekly after the fourth leaf stage began. The coefficient of determination (R2) between soil organic matter (OM) content and total tuber yield for all sites combined was 0.78**. Sites with ≥ 30 g kg-1 of soil OM produced higher total tuber yield, marketable yield, and tuber weight per plant (39.45%, 45.22%, and 54.94%, respectively) than sites with ≤ 30 g kg-1 of OM. Specific gravity increased by 0.18% in the sites with ≥ 30 g kg-1 of OM. The total tuber yield for the three cultivars was maximized at 168 kg N ha-1. Vegetation indices measurements obtained at stages of 16 or 20 fully expanded leaves were significantly correlated with tuber yield, which can be used in the yield prediction model. Sensor measurements obtained at the 20th leaf stage were significantly correlated with tuber yield, with the exponential model showing the best fit for the regression curve. The recommended N rate calculated based on in-season sensor readings was reduced by approximately 12–14% compared to the total N rate that growers currently apply based on the conventional approach.
Copper oxide thin films were deposited on glass substrate using Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction (SILAR) method at room temperature. The thickness of the thin films was around 0.43?m.Copper oxide thin films were annealed in air at (200, 300 and 400°C for 45min.The film structure properties were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD). XRD patterns indicated the presence of polycrystalline CuO. The average grain size is calculated from the X-rays pattern, it is found that the grain size increased with increasing annealing temperature. Optical transmitter microscope (OTM) and atomic force microscope (AFM) was also used. Direct band gap values of 2.2 eV for an annealed sample and (2, 1.5, 1.4) eV at 200, 300,400oC respect
... Show MoreThis work describes, selenium (Se) films were deposited on clean glass substrates by dc planar magnetron sputtering technique.The dependence of sputtering deposition rate of Se film deposited on pressure and DC power has been studied. The optimum argon pressure has range (4x10-1 -8x10-2 )mbar. The optical properties such as absorption coefficient (α) was determined using the absorbance and transmission measurement from UnicoUV-2102 PC spectrophotometer, at normal incidence of light in the wavelength range of 200-850 nm. And also we calculated optical constants(refractive index (n), dielectric constant (εi,r), and Extinction coefficient (κ) for selenium films.
In this research, the study effect of irradiation on structural and optical properties of thin film (CdO) by spray pyrolysis method, which deposited on glasses substrates at a thickness of (350±20)nm , The flow rate of solution was 5 ml/min and the substrate temperature was held constant at 400˚C.The investigation of (XRD) indicates that the (CdO) films are polycrystalline and type of cubic. The results of the measuring of each sample from grain size, micro strain, dislocation density and number of crystals the grain size decreasing after irradiation with gamma ray from(27.41, 26.29 ,23.63)nm . The absorbance and transmittance spectra have been recorded in the wavelength range (300-1100) nm in order to study the optical properties. the op
... Show MoreIn this work, Titanium oxide thin films doped with different concentration of CuO (0,5,10, 15,20) %wt were prepared by pulse laser deposition(PLD) technique on glass substrates at room temperature with constant deposition parameter such as : pulse (Nd:YAG), laser with λ=1064 nm, constant energy 800 mJ , repetition rate 6 Hz and No. of pulse (500). The structure , optical and electrical properties were studied . The results of X-ray diffraction( XRD) confirmed that the film grown by this technique have good crystalline tetragonal mixed anatase and rutile phase structure, The preferred orientation was along (110) direction for Rutile phase. The optical properties of the films were studied by UV-VIS spectrum in the range of (360-1100)
... Show MoreIn this study, doped thin cadmium peroxide films were prepared by pulsed laser deposition with different doping concentrations of aluminium of 0.0, 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 wt.% for CdO2(1-X)Al(X) and thicknesses in the range of 200 nm. XRD patterns suggest the presence of cubic CdO2 and the texture factor confirms that the (111) plane was the preferential growth plane, where the texture factor and the grain size decreased from 2.02 to 9.75 nm, respectively, in the pure sample to 1.88 and 5.65 nm, respectively, at a concentration of 0.5 wt%. For the predominant growth plane, the deviation of the diffraction angle Δθ and interplanar distance Δd from the standard magnitudes was 2.774° and 0.318 Å, respectively, for the pure sample decreased to
... Show MoreNano TiO2 thin films on glass substrates were prepared at a constant temperature of (373 K) and base vacuum (10-3 mbar), by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) using Nd:YAG laser at 1064 nm wavelength. The effects of different laser energies between (700-1000)mJ on the properties of TiO2 films was investigated. TiO2 thin films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements have shown that the polycrystalline TiO2 prepared at laser energy 1000 mJ. Preparation also includes optical transmittance and absorption measurements as well as measuring the uniformity of the surface of these films. Optimum parameters have been identified for the growth of high-quality TiO2 films
... Show MoreThe optical energy gap(Eopt) and the width of the tails of localized states in the band gap (?E) for Se:2%Sb thin films prepared by thermal co-evaporation method as a function of annealing temperature are studied in the photon energy range ( 1 to 5.4)eV.Se2%Sb film was found to be indirect transition with energy gap of (1.973,2.077, 2.096, 2.17) eV at annealing temperature (295,370,445,520)K respectively. The Eopt and ?E of Se:2%Sb films as a function of annealing temperature showed an increase in Eopt and a decrease in ?E with increasing the annealing temperature. This behavior may be related to structural defects and dangling bonds.
In this paper, a theoretical investigation was suggested to study underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC) system based on multiple input–multiple output (MIMO) technique. The modulation schemes such as RZ-OOK, NRZ-OOK, 32-PPM and 4-QAM applied under different coastal water types. MIMO technique enabled the system to transmit data rate with longer distance link. The performance of the proposed system examined by BER and data rate as a metrics. Several impairments such as the types of water by the attenuation of coastal water and the distance link were taken into account for the transmission of the optical signal to appreciate the reliability of the MIMO technique. The theore
The V2O5 films were deposited on glass substrates which produce using "radio frequency (RF)"power supply and Argon gas technique. The optical properties were investigated by, UV spectroscopy at "radio frequency" (RF) power ranging from 75 - 150 Watt and gas pressure, (0.03, 0.05 and 0.007 Torr), and substrate temperature (359, 373,473 and 573) K. The UV-Visible analysis shows that the average transmittance of all films in the range 40-65 %. When the thickness has been increased the transhumance was decreased from (65-40) %. The values of energy band gap were lowered from (3.02-2.9 eV) with the increase of thickness the films in relation to an increase in power, The energy gap decreased (2.8 - 2.7) eV with an increase in the pressure and
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