35 research outputs found
Field evaluation of controlled traffic farming in central Europe using commercially available machinery
The progressive increase in the size and weight of farm machinery causes concerns due to the increased risk of
soil compaction that arises from non-organized vehicle traffic. Controlled traffic farming (CTF) offers an effective means to manage compaction by confining all load-bearing wheels to the least possible area of permanent traffic lanes. Although CTF is relatively well-established in Australia and in some countries in Northern Europe, its benefits and suitability for Central European conditions have not been demonstrated. A long-term experimental site was established in 2010 in Nitra, Slovakia, using a 6 m 'OutTrac-CTF' system with shallow non-inversion tillage practices. The 16 ha experimental field of loam soil is representative of land used for arable cropping in Central Europe. Four traffic intensities (non-trafficked, one
traffic event per year with a single pass, multiple passes with permanent traffic lanes, and random traffic) were evaluated using two traffic systems: controlled (CTF) and non-controlled traffic farming (referred to as random traffic farming or RTF). This article reports the findings derived from the first four years of the project and focuses on the effects of traffic systems on yields observed in cereal crops (winter wheat, spring barley, and maize) grown at the site in a rotation cycle. Significant differences (p < 0.1) in yield are reported due to the heterogeneity of the field and the seasonal effect of weather. The results of this investigation suggest that CTF systems have potential to increase production sustainably in arable farming
systems in Central Europe. Well-designed CTF systems using commercially available machinery allow for reductions
in the area affected by traffic of up to 50% compared with random, non-organized traffic systems. Results also show that in years when soil moisture was not limiting, the yield penalty from a single (annual) machine pass was relatively small (~5%). However, in dry years, compaction caused by multiple machinery passes may lead to yield losses of up to 33%. When considering the ratio of non-trafficked to trafficked area within the different CTF systems evaluated in this study, yield improvements of up to 0.5 t ha-1 for cereals are possible when converting from RTF to CTF. Given the assumptions made in the analyses, such yield increases translate into increased revenues of up to 117 USD ha-1 (1 Euro= 1.1 USD). For Central European farming systems, the main benefit of CTF appears to be improved efficiency and enhanced agronomic stability, especially in dry seasons, where the significant yield penalty from machinery passes is likely
Technology of distance measurement and monitoring for power conversion and intelligent motion
Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Scienc
Distance practical education for power electronics
Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Scienc
A novel PTS-based PAPR reduction scheme for FBMC-OQAM system without extra bit transmission of SI
PEMCWebLab - Distance practical education for power electronics and electrical drives
Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Scienc
Morphology of the Vasculature and Blood Supply of the Brown Adipose Tissue Examined in an Animal Model by Micro-CT
We performed micro-CT imaging of the vascular blood supply in the interscapular area of the brown adipose tissue in three mice with the use of intravascular contrast agent Aurovistâ„¢. Resulting 3D data rendering was then adapted into 2D resolution with visualization using false color system and grayscale images. These were then studied for the automatic quantification of the blood vessel density within this area. We found the highest most occurring density within arterioles or venules representing smaller blood vessels whereas with the increase of the vessel diameters a lower percentage rate of their presence was observed in the sample. Our study shows that micro-CT scanning in combination with Aurovistâ„¢ contrast is suitable for anatomical studies of interscapular area of brown adipose tissue blood vessel supply