Inspiracje Hamana w kierunku rozwoju nauk agrofizycznych

W pracy przedstawiono badania prowadzone w Instytucie Agrofizyki PAN pod kierunkiem Profesora Janusza Hamana w wyniku współpracy z Wydziałem Techniki Rolniczej AR w Lublinie. Badania te zmierzają do sformułowania wspólnej mechaniki dla ośrodków biologicznych pochodzenia rolniczego.The most important for the development of agrophysical research seems to be the following thesis of Professor Haman: "All of the objects and materials we deal with in agricultural sciences are nonuniform and three-phases (gas + liquid + solid phase) and all three phases evidently take part in the process of deformation and the equations that describe it". Prof. Haman very often stressed the role of the filtration processes rate of liquids and gases responsible for volumetric and structure deformations of the solid phase, which had decided of shearing deformations. Most of the research, carried out since founding the Institute of Agrophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, had been inspired by Prof. Haman. He had directed the research towards using the physical knowledge to explain the phenomena of creeping and deformation of biological materials. It allowed us to step away from the classic mechanics of continuous objects. It also made it possible to create discrete theoretical and experimental methods, which are adequate for these extremely complex deformative bodies

Agrophysics for the environment and safety biological production

Agrophysics is a science dealing with physical properties and processes affecting plant production. The main topics of agrophysical investigations are mass ( water, air, plant nutrients) and energy (light, heat) exchange in the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum and way their regulation to reach biomass of high quantity and quality. Agrophisical investigations can be presented in the form of a tree - parameter system of classification. the term "Agrophysics" similarly to "Agrochemistry" "Agrobiology" "Agromelioration""Agroclimatology" or "Agroecology" has been fully accepted as an agricultural specialization. Agrophysics research are developed by meny scientific institutes but only the Instituí of Agrophysics in Lublin (Poland) is the strongest unit for a complex investigations in the field of agrophysics.AC The Institute of Agrophysics (IA PAN) is one of the institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences, It was founded by Professor Bohdan Dobrzański in 1968 in Lublin who was the first and long-term director of the Institute (till 1980). The staff of the Institute consists of 100 workers including 68 scientific representing various specializations: physics, physicochemistry, soil science, agricultural engineering, mechanics, mathematics, electronics, geography and biology. These scientists have ery high qualifications achieved during long trainings in domestic and foreign centres. They were employed as postgraduate students and got their scientific degree on agrophysics. The Institute uses it's own building covering a surface of about 5 000 m2 situated in Lublin-Felin. The scientific structure of the Institute consists of six departments: 1. Hydrolherrnophysics of Soil Hnvironment and Agricultural Materials. 2. Aeration and Gas Exchange of Soil Environment and Agricultural Materials. 3. Mechanics of Agricultural Materials. 4. Physicochemistry of Agricultural Materials. 5. Agrophysical Bases of Soil Environment Management. 6. Physical Bases of the Evaluation and Improvement of Plant Materials, The Institute is a coordinator of agrophysical investigations in Poland and cooperates with meny scientific institutions over the world. The agrophysicial investigations carried out by the Institute and under its coordination allow us to deepen our fundamental knowledge about the physical and physicochemical properties and processes concerning agricultural materials. They also have introduced new elements to environmental protection which are significant to the economy. The results from these investigations may be used to: decrease soil physical degradation caused by erosion, soil crusting, sealing, compaction and structure destruction; increase the efficiency of water and fertilizer use; improve the technology of harvesting, storing and processing of plant materials to decrease quantitative ad qualitative losses of these materials; improve plant breading through formulation of physical properties of plants. The development of a theoretical basis in the field of agrophysics is of great importance for many agricultural specialization, e.g., soil science, soil technology, land reclamation, agricultural engineering, agroclimatology, agrochemistry, plant breeding and plant technology

Cell orientation in potato tuber parenchyma tissue

The paper presents the results of the research of the size and shape of parenchyma tissue cells in potato tubers depending on the direction and site of sampling in tubers. An optical confocal microscope was used to observe samples in their natural state. The investigation was carried out for 1 mm thick samples cut from cylindrical samples (10x10 mm)taken in two mutually perpendicular directions of the inner and outer core of each variety. The analysis was done ten times.The methods developed for the composition and image analysis ensure obtaining a sufficient number of cells to determine tissue structure parameters (surface, shape, elongation and number of cells per 1 mm2) and decays of these parameters were obtained. Statistical analysis was performed using the -Kolmogorov-Smirnov compliance test.Arelationship between the direction of sampling and the size and shape of the inner core of cells was found. Greater surface area and elongation of the inner core cells for the longitudinal direction in the tuber (stolon – top) was demonstrated. There was no such a correlation for the outer core in the tubers of the cultivars examined