Researches on designing and functioning an innovative model of vertical heat recovery drying for agricultural seeds

The drying process is affected both by the complex thermo physical processes (diffusion, thermal diffusion etc.) that take place inside the particles forming the product which is dehydrated and by the mass and heat transfer in the boundary layer that separates the surface of the solid body from the thermodynamic agent, also called drying agent. In order to study the drying process of the agricultural seeds and to optimize the parameters of the dehydration process a innovation vertical drier with heat recovery was designed and built. The drier allows the surveillance of the parameters involved in the drying process of the agricultural seeds. The following parameters are continuously measured and recorded: ambient air temperature and humidity, the temperature and humidity of the drying agent, the temperature and humidity of the seeds, the energy consumed. The drier is equipped with a frequency converter which allows the continuous adjustment of the velocity of the drying agent and with a data acquisition card (DAQ) to secure the transfer of data to a PC

Climate changes and methods to protect vegetable crops

In the context of the current climate change, it has become urgently necessary to develop adequate systems to protect horticultural crops. In Romania, the losses caused to these cultures by the extreme weather phenomena, as well as the lack of active intervention measures to combat or limit them, represent the main argument for addressing this field in particular. Vegetable crops are generally sensitive to extreme weather phenomena. In the climatic conditions in our country, the extreme phenomena occur between March and September, which coincides with the vegetation period of the crops. Of these, hail causes significant damage, and in some cases, at high intensity and long-lasting, can cause the calamity of vegetable crops. Another effect can arise in the drought years, when, in the absence of rainfall, the weeds enter into a fierce competition with vegetables, as regards the specific consumption of water and nutrients. The paper presents a review regarding the current methods of vegetable crops protection against the extreme weather phenomena and of weed control in these crops, grown in organic system. Combining the available solutions, adopting integrated strategies for non-chemical weed control can be an important premise for researchers and farmers to protect vegetable crops