Altitudinal Patterns of Leaf Traits and Leaf Allometry in Bamboo Pleioblastus amarus

Awareness of local-scale variation in leaf traits for a single species and the relationships between these traits and their dependence on altitude might be essential for extrapolating ecophysiological processes from the leaf to the ecosystem level. While altitudinal patterns of leaf traits have been extensively studied in a number of species, little is known about such patterns in bamboos. We analyzed leaf functional traits and leaf allometric relationships of Pleioblastus amarus at three different altitudes (200, 400, and 800 m). With increasing altitude, most functional traits, including leaf length, width, perimeter, area, dry weight, and water content, decreased significantly, while the leaf length:width ratio exhibited a marked increase, resulting in a tendency toward narrow leaves. Specific leaf area first increased, and then decreased, while the change in leaf dry matter content showed the opposite trend. Leaf area was positively correlated with leaf length, leaf width and leaf perimeter, but negatively correlated with the leaf length:width ratio. With increasing altitude, the slopes of these relationships for leaf area first increased, and then decreased. Leaf biomass was positively correlated with leaf length, width, perimeter, and area, with the slopes of the relationships being the same at all altitudes. Thus, the leaves of this bamboo species at middle altitude have the highest specific leaf area and lowest leaf dry matter content. Our findings suggest that this bamboo species has a big potential of growth and morphological plasticity

Simulation and verification for seed-filling performance of cell wheel precision seed metering device based on discrete element method

The cell wheel seed metering device was improved and a stirring seed-filling device was added to improve the seed-filling performance of cell wheel pseudo-ginseng precision seed metering devices. Using pseudo-ginseng seeds in Wenshan Prefecture, Yunnan Province as the objects for seed metering, the software application EDEM was adopted based on the discrete element method for the simulation calculation and analysis of the seed-filling performance of the seed metering device under 4 rotational speeds of the cell wheel and 6 rotational speeds of the stir wheel. The simulation results indicate that the filling ratio increases as the rotational speed of the stir wheel increases under a constant rotational speed of the cell wheel. Test verification of the simulation analysis results was conducted on the test bed of the seed metering device. The results indicate that increasing the rotational speed of the stir wheel can obtain a filling ratio of over 90%. The test results display a similar variation trend to that of the simulation analysis with an error of average filling ratio less than 5%. Therefore, it is feasible to analyze the seed-filling performance of the stirring and seed-filling device of the seed metering device with the discrete element method

Simulation and verification for seed-filling performance of cell wheel precision seed metering device based on discrete element method

The cell wheel seed metering device was improved and a stirring seed-filling device was added to improve the seed-filling performance of cell wheel pseudo-ginseng precision seed metering devices. Using pseudo-ginseng seeds in Wenshan Prefecture, Yunnan Province as the objects for seed metering, the software application EDEM was adopted based on the discrete element method for the simulation calculation and analysis of the seed-filling performance of the seed metering device under 4 rotational speeds of the cell wheel and 6 rotational speeds of the stir wheel. The simulation results indicate that the filling ratio increases as the rotational speed of the stir wheel increases under a constant rotational speed of the cell wheel. Test verification of the simulation analysis results was conducted on the test bed of the seed metering device. The results indicate that increasing the rotational speed of the stir wheel can obtain a filling ratio of over 90%. The test results display a similar variation trend to that of the simulation analysis with an error of average filling ratio less than 5%. Therefore, it is feasible to analyze the seed-filling performance of the stirring and seed-filling device of the seed metering device with the discrete element method