Investigation of the horizontal collision damage behavior of fruit during transporting based on a new instrumented impactor

Horizontal collisions between fruit and rigid walls are a common occurrence in postharvest packaging and transportation. To address this issue, a novel high-precision instrumented impactor was developed, comprising a high-speed imaging system, an ejection device, and a force sensor. Results showed that the impactor was able to effectively simulate the horizontal collision process between various small spherical fruits (such as cherry tomatoes, plums, sweet cherries, and winter jujubes) and packaging materials at three velocities: slow, medium, and high. Output parameters included the impact force and impact time of the fruit acting on each packaging material, as well as the displacement, displacement rate, impact energy, rebound energy, and absorption energy of the fruit. During the horizontal collision simulation, it was observed that the winter jujube exhibited the largest impact force and the shortest impact time among the four types of fruit tested. Conversely, the sweet cherry demonstrated the lowest proportion of damage area when colliding with the EPE board compared to the rigid board and foam board. This study presents a powerful tool for investigating the horizontal collision behaviour between fruit and rigid plates

Mechanical damage characteristics and nondestructive testing techniques of fruits: a review

Abstract Fruits will be subjected inevitably to various external forces in the process of harvesting, transportation, processing, and storage, which will cause mechanical damage. The research on mechanical properties and damage mechanisms of fruit can effectively control its loss. In this study, fruits are divided into different types according to their morphology and structure. The impact, vibration, static pressure, and other mechanical damage on fruits are studied. It is important to identify the damaged parts of fruit after damage quickly and accurately. Therefore, this study analyzes the application of nondestructive testing technologies such as spectral detection technology, NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) detection technology, and acoustic and electrical characteristics detection technology in fruit damage detection

Recent Innovations in Post-harvest Preservation and Protection of Agricultural Products

The global food supply chain relies on engineered systems, operational practices, and logistics to preserve, protect, process, and deliver agricultural crops along complex supply lines from farmers in low-, middle-, and high-income countries to markets around the world. Food and nutrition security is compromised by post-harvest losses (and food waste) that have been estimated to be as high as 20% in durable and 40% in perishable crops. Preserving crops using technologies and practices such as timely harvesting, evaporative cooling, cold and frozen storage, drying, and dehydrating, and protecting crops using technologies and practices such as damage-less handling, controlled and modified atmosphere storage, non-chemical heat and gas treatment, plant-derived protective films for individual fruits and vegetables, and improved packaging containers are critical to preserving nutrients, improving livelihoods, and realizing an efficient food system. This Special Issue aims to cover recent progress and innovations in science, technology, engineering, operational practices, and logistics related to post-harvest preservation and protection of durable and perishable agricultural crops. It seeks contributions that improve effectiveness, efficiency, reliability and sustainability in post-harvest handling of crops from field to end use that preserve product quality and result in foods and feeds which are nutritious and safe for human and animal consumption

Perennial pathways: Planning and establishment practices for edible agroforestry

Agriculture faces the unprecedented task of feeding a world population of 9 billion people by 2050 while simultaneously avoiding harmful environmental and social effects. One effort to meet this challenge has been organic farming, with outcomes that are generally positive. However, a number of challenges remain. Organic yields lag behind those in conventional agriculture, and greenhouse gas emissions and nutrient leaching remain somewhat problematic. In chapter 1, we examine current organic and conventional agriculture systems and suggest that agroforestry, which is the intentional combination of trees and shrubs with crops or livestock, could be the next step in sustainable agriculture. By implementing systems that mimic nature’s functions, agroforestry has the potential to remain productive while supporting a range of ecosystem services. We outline the common practices and products of agroforestry as well as beneficial environmental and social effects. We address barriers to agroforestry and explore potential options to alter policies and increase adoption by farmers. We conclude that agroforestry is one of the best land use strategies to contribute to food security while simultaneously limiting environmental degradation. Temperate agroforestry has traditionally focused on timber species, but there is a growing interest in integrating edible trees and shrubs with vegetables, row crops, or livestock. Utilizing food-bearing trees can increase food security while also generating revenues for farmers. These systems have the potential to be scaled up and even to be mechanized, making wider adoption possible. However, as the complexity and diversity of these polycultures increases, more knowledge and planning are required to be successful. To meet this need, we developed a practical, extension-style handbook to aid farmers and consultants in planning and establishing edible agroforestry projects. The first part of the handbook outlines the process of planning and design, walking the reader through doing a site assessment, selecting suitable species of trees and livestock, deciding on a harvest strategy, and evaluating their own goals. We include profiles of some of the most promising trees and shrubs and describe how to generate a working planting design. The second part of the handbook includes the practical steps for field preparation, tree installation, and early care of young plantings. We go over funding options and government programs that are available and highlight case studies of successful farms with diverse, perennial polycultures. The handbook will be freely available online and will be promoted through workshops and partnerships with non-profit entities working in agroforestry

The Meadow: a Novel

ABSTRACT THE MEADOW: A NOVEL by Scott A. Winkler The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2015 Under the Supervision of Professor George Clark The Meadow considers the question of how all Americans, both civilians and military personnel alike, are affected by the United States’ military actions. Set during the Vietnam era, The Meadow tells the story of Walt Neumann, who is torn between his dream of going to college and his father’s insistence that his sons serve their nation as he did in World War II. Circumstance unexpectedly enables Walt to pursue his dream, but he also comes to realize the source of his father’s convictions and fully grasps for the first time the impact his father’s military service has had on him and his family and the ramifications of the Vietnam War on his hometown and nation. Through this lens, The Meadow participates in an ongoing discourse about war and its effects dating back to ancient Greece and moving forward through history, where it has become especially pronounced in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The Meadow creatively explores and applies the critical theories and themes of scholars like Lauren Berlant, Thomas Myers, Mark Heberle, and Carol S. Pearson; psychologist Jonathan Shay; and authors Tim O’Brien, Bryan Doerries, and Ernest Hemingway to develop its primary themes: 1.) war wounds both combatants and civilians alike, especially psychologically and spiritually; and 2.) narratives—sharing and receiving them—play an essential role in both healing individuals and the nation and in constructing alternatives to the official narratives embedded within sets of forms and the affect which makes these forms meaningful to a nation’s citizens

Master Gardener's manual

The Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service periodically issues revisions to its publications. The most current edition is made available. For access to an earlier edition, if available for this title, please contact the Oklahoma State University Library Archives by email at [email protected] or by phone at 405-744-6311