Spatial Variability of Irrigated Corn Yield in Relation to Field topography and Soil Chemical Characteristics

Corn yield, topography and soil characteristics were sampled on a 26 ha area of a centre pivot irrigated cropland. The aim of the study was to determine relationships between corn yield, field topography and soil characteristics. The study was carried out in the Alentejo region of Portugal. Corn yield was measured with a combine harvester fitted with a grain-flow sensor and positioned by means of the Global Positioning System (GPS). A grid-based digital elevation model (DEM) with 1-m resolution was constructed and several topographic attributes were calculated from the DEM: the local slope gradient (S), profile curvature (Curv), specific catchments area (SCa), and a steady-state wetness index (W). Yield and topographical attributes were computed for areas of radius 5, 10, 25 and 50 m, being considered its maximum, minimum, range and average values. The soil was systematically sampled with a mechanical probe for a total of 109 soil profiles used for analysis of the following soil superficial (<0.30 m) characteristics: extractable phosphorous (P2O5) and extractable potassium (K2O), soil pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC) and exchangeable bases. With centre pivot irrigation systems, the Wave50 index was shown to be useful for the identification of field areas in which low corn yields may be due to lack of water. At the same time, SCa was found to be useful for the identification of field areas in which low yields are due to excess water and drainage problems. Higher positive correlation between pH, Ca and Curv were observed; calcium concentration was found on the transition areas between flat surfaces to concave ones, while lower values were detected in convex and concave areas. Topographical indexes, namely Wave50, SCa and Curv, can be especially helpful in site-specific management for delineating areas where crop yields are more sensitive to extreme water conditions

Soil carbonation processes as evidence of tillage-induced erosion

Tillage-induced soil erosion or redistribution increases spatial variation of several soil properties and often reduces the productive capacity of soil resources. Our objectives were to identify the extent of this type of erosion by observing the changes in soil morphological properties in the field and analysing its possible effects on soil productivity. The study was initiated in 2001 and conducted at two irrigated sites located approximately at Terena, Alandrol, 80 km east of Évora, Portugal. They were planted to corn (Zea mays L.) during this study, but have a long history of agricultural use with a trend toward increasing intensity in recent years. Soils in the field studies are classified mainly as Calcaric Regosols, Calcaric Cambisols, Luvisols and small areas of Fluvisols. The amount of erosion was estimated by simulation and verified by describing the lithology and measuring soil carbonates. The presence of carbonates in the superficial Ap horizons of soils that were previously devoid of this compound, provide evidence of soil redistribution: (1) in soils derived from calcareous parent material, this is the result of a re-carbonation process; (2) in soils derived from non-calcareous parent material the presence of carbonates in the superficial Ap horizons results from a carbonation process. On both sites, A and B, approximately 17% of the soils sampled were either carbonated or re-carbonated. Carbonation and re-carbonation of soil profiles confirmed that tillage had redistributed the soil-ploughing layer over time. Decreased corn yield was also observed as slope increase. If current agricultural practices are continued in this area, a decrease in soil quality and maximum yield on higher slopes can be expected

Curves and surfaces making a constant angle with a parallel transported direction in Riemannian spaces

In the last two decades, much effort has been dedicated to studying curves and surfaces according to their angle with a given direction. How- ever, most findings were obtained using a case-by-case approach, and it is often unclear what is a consequence of specificities of the ambient manifold and what could be generic. In this work, we propose a theo- retical framework to unify parts of these findings. We study curves and surfaces by prescribing the angle they make with a parallel transported vector field. We show that the characterization of Euclidean helices in terms of their curvature and torsion is also valid in any Riemannian manifold. Among other properties, we prove that surfaces making a con- stant angle with a parallel transported direction are extrinsically flat ruled surfaces. We also investigate the relation between their geodesics and the so-called slant helices. We prove that surfaces of constant angle are the rectifying surface of a slant helix, i.e., the ruled surface with rulings given by the Darboux field of the directrix. We characterize recti- fying surfaces of constant angle or, equivalently, when their geodesics are slant helices. As a corollary, we show that if every geodesic of a surface of constant angle is a slant helix, the ambient manifold is flat. Finally, we characterize surfaces in the product of a Riemannian surface with the real line making a constant angle with the vertical real direction

Curves and surfaces making a constant angle with a parallel transported direction in Riemannian spaces

In the last two decades, much effort has been dedicated to studying curves and surfaces according to their angle with a given direction. How- ever, most findings were obtained using a case-by-case approach, and it is often unclear what is a consequence of specificities of the ambient manifold and what could be generic. In this work, we propose a theo- retical framework to unify parts of these findings. We study curves and surfaces by prescribing the angle they make with a parallel transported vector field. We show that the characterization of Euclidean helices in terms of their curvature and torsion is also valid in any Riemannian manifold. Among other properties, we prove that surfaces making a con- stant angle with a parallel transported direction are extrinsically flat ruled surfaces. We also investigate the relation between their geodesics and the so-called slant helices. We prove that surfaces of constant angle are the rectifying surface of a slant helix, i.e., the ruled surface with rulings given by the Darboux field of the directrix. We characterize recti- fying surfaces of constant angle or, equivalently, when their geodesics are slant helices. As a corollary, we show that if every geodesic of a surface of constant angle is a slant helix, the ambient manifold is flat. Finally, we characterize surfaces in the product of a Riemannian surface with the real line making a constant angle with the vertical real direction

Light Intensity Activity: a possible contribution to delay frailty

Trabalho apresentado em 24th Nordic Congress of Gerontology, 2-4 maio 2018, Oslo, NoruegaN/

Roaming service for electric vehicle charging using blockchain-based digital identity

We present a suitable approach to address the electric vehicle charging roaming problem (e-roaming). Blockchain technologies are applied to support the identity management process of users charging their vehicles and to record energy transactions securely. At the same time, off-chain cloud-based storage is used to record the transaction details. A user wallet settled on a mobile application stores user verified credentials; a backend application in the vehicle charging station validates the user credentials to authorize the energy transaction. The current model can be applied to similar contexts where the user may be required to keep several credentials from different providers to authenticate digital transactions.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Nutrient absorption in lambs fed diets containing different amounts of phosphorus

Objective. Evaluate the effect of increasing P intake on nutrient digestibility, and compare the true and apparent absorption coefficients of P and Ca in lambs. Materials and methods. Twenty-four Santa Ines sheep, with an average weight of 33.6 ± 1.6 kg, were distributed into four treatments (0, 2, 4 and 6 g/day of supplementary P) with forage: concentrate ratio of 70:30. The study of apparent nutrient digestibility was conducted during the first week, using the total feces collection method. During the second week, after injection of 7.4 MBq of 32P and 7.7 MBq of 45Ca, apparent (AAC) and true (TAC) absorption coefficients of P and Ca were determined. The lambs were kept in metabolic cages. Results. The increase in P intake did not affect (p>0.05) dry matter, crude protein, NDF or ADF digestibility, but the TAC of P and Ca and mineral matter digestibility decreased. The AAC was not affected (p=0.10). A cubic relationship was observed between P intake and TAC (TAC=2.16–1.95X+0.55X2-0.04X3; R2=0.38) and linear relationship with the TAC of Ca (TAC=0.559–0.03X; R2=0.26). TAC and AAC values were different (p<0.001). Conclusions. The increase in P intake doesn’t impact organic matter digestibility, but does affect P and Ca absorption. Apparent digestibility is not a reliable parameter to determine the efficiency of P and Ca absorption

Visualização da topologia do escoamento na vizinhança de uma porta vedada por um aparelho de cortina de ar

Descrevem-se as metodologias utilizadas num estudo que teve por objectivo a avaliação do efeito de vedação promovido por um aparelho de cortina de ar. Foi utilizada uma instalação experimental à escala real em que, através de um jacto de ar descendente gerado por cima da porta, se procurou manter uma dada diferença de temperatura entre duas salas contíguas. Recorrendo a 16 sondas anemométricas, efectuou-se o mapeamento da temperatura e da velocidade do ar em diversos planos considerados de interesse e, através da aquisição desses dados em contínuo, avaliou-se o desenvolvimento e a estabilidade do jacto durante os primeiros minutos de funcionamento da instalação. Recorreu-se igualmente a uma técnica de medida do tipo “whole-field” em que o campo de temperaturas do ar é medido indirectamente através de um ecrã de baixa massa térmica que serve de alvo a uma câmara termográfica de infra-vermelhos. Ao longo do artigo serão apresentados vários exemplos elucidativos das potencialidades das técnicas descritas anteriormente