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.
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Iraqi oil crudes have some of the physical and chemical characteristics that distinguish it from other types of oil crudes in the world. Some of these features such us molecular composition, rheological, viscosity and emulsions are studied carefully by researchers. In this work, a comparative study of the linear and the non-linear optical properties for typical heavy and light crude oils of Iraqi origin was studied utilizing Z-scan technique. The He -Ne laser of wavelength 632.8 nm had been used for this purpose. These samples were collected from Basra and Kut oil fields. The values of the non-linear refractive index (n2), non-linear absorption coefficient (β), and third-order electrical susceptibility (χ3) were e
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In this research Bi2S3 thin films have been prepared on glass substrates using chemical spray pyrolysis method at substrate temperature (300oC) and molarity (0.015) mol. Structural and optical properties of the thin films above have been studied; XRD analysis demonstrated that the Bi2S3 films are polycrystalline with (031) orientation and with Orthorhombic structure. The optical properties were studied using the spectral of the absorbance and transmission of films in wavelength ranging (300-1100) nm. The study showed that the films have high transmission within the range of the visible spectrum. Also absorption coefficient, extinction coefficient and the optical energy gap (Eg) was calculated, found that the film have direct ener
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Nano-structural of vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) thin films were
deposited by chemical spray pyrolysis technique (CSPT). Nd and Ce
doped vanadium oxide films were prepared, adding Neodymium
chloride (NdCl3) and ceric sulfate (Ce(SO4)2) of 3% in separate
solution. These precursor solutions were used to deposit un-doped
V2O5 and doped with Nd and Ce films on the p-type Si (111) and
glass substrate at 250°C. The structural, optical and electrical
properties were investigated. The X-ray diffraction study revealed a
polycrystalline nature of the orthorhombic structure with the
preferred orientation of (010) with nano-grains. Atomic force
microscopy (AFM) was used to characterize the morphology of the
films. Un-do
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This study reports the fabrication of tin oxide (SnO2) thin films using pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The effect of 60Co (300, 900, and 1200 Gy) gamma radiation on the structural, morphological, and optical features is systematically demonstrated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and ultraviolet-visible light analysis (UV-Vis), respectively In XRD tests, the size of the crystallites decreased from 45.5 to 40.8 nm for the control samples and from 1200 Gy to 60Co for the irradiated samples. Using FESEM analysis, the particle diameter revealed a similar trend to that attained using XRD; in particular, the average diameters were 93.8 and
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This work compares the changes in optical and structural properties of cerium oxide (CeO2) when doped with different concentrations (3%,5%,7%, and 9%) of two oxides, In2O3 and Eu2O3. X-ray diffraction and spectrophotometry were employed in the visible, ultraviolet, and near-infrared regions. The findings demonstrated that CeO2 doped with In2O3 and Eu2O3 thin films were polycrystalline and had a cubic structure. The crystal size increased from 20.5 to 32.15 when Eu2O3 doping ratio increased from 0% to 7% and then decreased to 28.46 nm at 9%. While the crystal size showed an increase from 20.5 to 21.42 nm with the increase of the In2O3 doping ratio, while the lattice constant measured for cubic CeO2 changed opposite to that
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One of the key challenges is reliable communication for Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) since underwater environments are dynamic and challenging for signal transmission. The traditional acoustic communication systems allow long-distance communication but are limited by the low bandwidth, high latency, and doppler effect. Optical wireless, on the other hand, provides high data rates with water absorption and scattering occurring within the transmission distance, but has a short range of communication. To overcome these drawbacks, a smart hybrid optical-acoustic communication system is proposed that is a combination of Wavelength Division Multiplexing and On-Off Keying (WDM-OOK) to transmit a high-speed signal over optical and ac
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The influence of the reaction gas composition during the DC magnetron sputtering process on the structural, chemical and optical properties of Ce-oxide thin films was investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies confirmed that all thin films exhibited a polycrystalline character with cubic fluorite structure for cerium dioxide. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses revealed that cerium is present in two oxidation states, namely as CeO2 and Ce2O3, at the surface of the films prepared at oxygen/argon flow ratios between 0% and 7%, whereas the films are completely oxidized into CeO2 as the aforementioned ratio increases beyond 14%. Various optical parameters for the thin films (including an optical band gap in the range of 2.25–3.
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In this study, high-performance solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) with different compositions were investigated for next-generation lithium-based energy storage and flexible electronics technology applications. The SPE films were prepared by the solution casting method using hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), polyethylene glycol (PEG), and lithium sulfate (Li2SO4 ). The obtained films were flexible and transparent, hence suitable for structural, optical, electrical, and thermal characterizations. The XRD pattern of HPMC indicated a broad peak at 2 theta approximate to 20 degrees, while the films HPMC/PEG- Li2SO4 showed sharp peaks assigned to the crystalline nature of Li2SO4 . Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectra confirmed O-H vibra
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This work investigates the properties of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanocomposite films with varying multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) content, ranging from 2 to 8 wt.%. The films were prepared using a solution casting method and characterized using UV-visible spectroscopy, optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and tensile tests. The prepared PVA/MWCNT nanocomposite films exhibited optical band gap values ranging from 3.5 eV to 5.3 eV. XRD analysis confirmed the semi-crystalline nature of these nanocomposites. Mechanical properties, including hardness, yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and Young's modulus, were enhanced by increasing MWCNT content by up to 8%. Contact angle measurements showed an increase in hydrophobicity with in
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