Characterizing bean pod rot in Arkansas and Missouri

Green beans are an important crop grown for processing in both Arkansas and Missouri. Green beans are harvested mechanically using non-selective picking fingers. Harvested beans are then transported in bulk to processing plants that are located at various locations throughout the midSouth. Thus, the crop is managed for high quality, avoiding pod blemishes caused by insects and diseases. One of the consistent quality problems that affect Arkansas and Missouri green bean crops is pod rot. Two of the causal agents of pod rot that have been reported by researchers and vegetable companies alike are Pythium aphanidermatum and an unidentified Phytophthora sp. In this study, 15 growers’ fields were selected and soil samples (at planting), pod samples (at harvest), and environmental data were taken from each field. Disease incidence for field sites ranged from 0 to 7.3%. Pathogens associated with pod rot were Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Rhizoctonia solani, a Phytophthora sp., and Pythium spp. The two suspected causal agents for pod rot, Pythium and Phytophthora spp., were found in all but one of the 12 field sites assessed for pod rot. Pythium inoculum potential, as determined by a baiting technique, was not a good indicator of pod rot incidence. In addition, soil temperature and water were not associated with pod rot. Pods collected at harvest having symptoms of pod rot were either in direct contact with the soil, senescing leaf tissue, or other diseased pods

Active repositioning of storage units in Robotic Mobile Fulfillment Systems

In our work we focus on Robotic Mobile Fulfillment Systems in e-commerce distribution centers. These systems were designed to increase pick rates by employing mobile robots bringing movable storage units (so-called pods) to pick and replenishment stations as needed, and back to the storage area afterwards. One advantage of this approach is that repositioning of inventory can be done continuously, even during pick and replenishment operations. This is primarily accomplished by bringing a pod to a storage location different than the one it was fetched from, a process we call passive pod repositioning. Additionally, this can be done by explicitly bringing a pod from one storage location to another, a process we call active pod repositioning. In this work we introduce first mechanisms for the latter technique and conduct a simulation-based experiment to give first insights of their effect

Local Improvements to Reduced-Order Approximations of Optimal Control Problems Governed by Diffusion-Convection-Reaction Equation

We consider the optimal control problem governed by diffusion convection reaction equation without control constraints. The proper orthogonal decomposition(POD) method is used to reduce the dimension of the problem. The POD method may be lack of accuracy if the POD basis depending on a set of parameters is used to approximate the problem depending on a different set of parameters. We are interested in the perturbation of diffusion term. To increase the accuracy and robustness of the basis, we compute three bases additional to the baseline POD. The first two of them use the sensitivity information to extrapolate and expand the POD basis. The other one is based on the subspace angle interpolation method. We compare these different bases in terms of accuracy and complexity and investigate the advantages and main drawbacks of them.Comment: 19 pages, 5 figures, 2 table

Density Matrix Renormalization for Model Reduction in Nonlinear Dynamics

We present a novel approach for model reduction of nonlinear dynamical systems based on proper orthogonal decomposition (POD). Our method, derived from Density Matrix Renormalization Group (DMRG), provides a significant reduction in computational effort for the calculation of the reduced system, compared to a POD. The efficiency of the algorithm is tested on the one dimensional Burgers equations and a one dimensional equation of the Fisher type as nonlinear model systems.Comment: 12 pages, 12 figure

Model Order Reduction of Non-Linear Magnetostatic Problems Based on POD and DEI Methods

In the domain of numerical computation, Model Order Reduction approaches are more and more frequently applied in mechanics and have shown their efficiency in terms of reduction of computation time and memory storage requirements. One of these approaches, the Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD), can be very efficient in solving linear problems but encounters limitations in the non-linear case. In this paper, the Discret Empirical Interpolation Method coupled with the POD method is presented. This is an interesting alternative to reduce large-scale systems deriving from the discretization of non-linear magnetostatic problems coupled with an external electrical circuit

Genetic control and geo-climate adaptation of pod dehiscence provide novel insights into the soybean domestication and expansion

Loss of pod dehiscence is a key step during soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] domestication. Genome-wide association analysis for soybean shattering identified loci harboring Pdh1, NST1A and SHAT1-5. Pairwise epistatic interactions were observed, and the dehiscent Pdh1 overcomes the resistance conferred by NST1A or SHAT1-5 locus, indicating that Pdh1 predominates pod dehiscence expression. Further candidate gene association analysis identified a nonsense mutation in NST1A associated with pod dehiscence. Allele composition and population differential analyses unraveled that Pdh1 and NST1A, but not SHAT1-5, underwent domestication and modern breeding selections. Geographic analysis showed that in Northeast China (NEC), indehiscence at both Pdh1 and NST1A were required by cultivated soybean; while indehiscent Pdh1 alone is capable of coping shattering in Huang-Huai-Hai (HHH) valleys where it originated; and no specific indehiscence was required in Southern China (SC). Geo-climatic investigation revealed strong correlation between relative humidity and frequency of indehiscent Pdh1 across China. This study demonstrates that the epistatic interaction between Pdh1 and NST1A fulfills a pivotal role in determining the level of resistance against pod dehiscence. Humidity shapes the distribution of indehiscent alleles. Our results also suggest that HHH valleys, not NEC, was at least one of the origin centers of cultivated soybean.Comment: 17 pages 8 figure