Applicability of portable x-ray fluorescence spectrometer in organomineral matrix analyses

The portable X-ray-fluorescence analyzer (Innov-X Systems, Inc.) is routinely used as screening tool in geochemical and environmental mapping. The applicability in organomineral matrices was not tested yet. The biogas is produced from maize silage, grass silage, beef and pig manure and slurry, sewage sludge, organic wastes from food industries, organic household waste. As the main result the digestate (anaerobic digestion residues) is manufactured. The digestate is used as fertilizer and/or fuel. In the presented study the three reference materials and three samples of the digestate were analyzed 50 times each. RFA analytical conditions for reference material and samples: Innov-X Systems, Inc., Delta, time measurement: 1. beam: energy 1–40 kV, time 140 s.; 2. Beam: energy 2–10 kV, time 140 s., analytical mode: geochem2. Statistical evaluation of the data set allowed comparison among accuracy and reproducibility for organomineral matrices. The results are in good correlation with data from standard elemental analyses. The presented results has proved very good or satisfactory reproducibility for fourteen elements (Al, S, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Sr, Zr, Mo, Ag, Pb, Th ). The results for three elements (Al, S, Fe) in digestates have high reproducibility, for the Ag, Mn, Mo, Sr, Zr, Th have good reproducibility. The portable XRF is suitable for the mineral fraction characterization in the agricultural materials such as composts, digestates and silages.The portable X-ray-fluorescence analyzer (Innov-X Systems, Inc.) is routinely used as screening tool in geochemical and environmental mapping. The applicability in organomineral matrices was not tested yet. The biogas is produced from maize silage, grass silage, beef and pig manure and slurry, sewage sludge, organic wastes from food industries, organic household waste. As the main result the digestate (anaerobic digestion residues) is manufactured. The digestate is used as fertilizer and/or fuel. In the presented study the three reference materials and three samples of the digestate were analyzed 50 times each. RFA analytical conditions for reference material and samples: Innov-X Systems, Inc., Delta, time measurement: 1. beam: energy 1–40 kV, time 140 s.; 2. Beam: energy 2–10 kV, time 140 s., analytical mode: geochem2. Statistical evaluation of the data set allowed comparison among accuracy and reproducibility for organomineral matrices. The results are in good correlation with data from standard elemental analyses. The presented results has proved very good or satisfactory reproducibility for fourteen elements (Al, S, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Sr, Zr, Mo, Ag, Pb, Th ). The results for three elements (Al, S, Fe) in digestates have high reproducibility, for the Ag, Mn, Mo, Sr, Zr, Th have good reproducibility. The portable XRF is suitable for the mineral fraction characterization in the agricultural materials such as composts, digestates and silages

Effect of Soil Conditioning on the Moisture Content and the Salt Profile of the Soil Under Irrigation with Saline Water

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The most complex theory of the symmetric impact of the vibrating digging working tool on the sugar beet root

When digging sugar beet root out of the soil by using a vibration digging working tools, there occur impact contacts of the working tools and sugar beet roots placed in the soil. Such phenomena are formed mainly in conditions of dry and solid soil. The consequence of this is a significant impact contact tails breaks, chips or damage of the side surfaces of roots, which leads ultimately to a non-return losses on sugar mass. Therefore there is a need to develop the basic provisions of the refined theory of impact interaction of a vibrating digging working tool with the body of the sugar beet root fixed in the soil, and on the basis of the results obtained to justify rational kinematic and structural parameters of advanced vibration digging working tool. Within the research there was used the methods of higher mathematics, theoretical mechanics, programming and numerical calculations on the PC. We have developed a refined theory of impact interaction of digging of the working body of the sugar beet harvester with the body of sugar beet root during vibratory digging of sugar beet roots from the dry and solid soil. On the basis of obtained equations and their numerical solution by PC programme it was possible to define the kinematic and structural parameters of vibration digging working tool that will ensure the conditions not to damage or break the tails of the sugar beet roots during their digging out from the dry and solid soil. We have investigated the so-called symmetric impact of the vibrating digging working body and the body of sugar beet root. As shown by calculations of the obtained theoretical dependencies and confirmed experimental studies, for the range of reduced masses of the vibrating excavating organ 0.8-2.0 kg, the translational velocity 1.3-2.2 m∙s–1, the depth in the soil 0.08-0.12 m and the vibration amplitude 0.008-0.024 m for shock interaction, which is most likely in dry and solid soil, the permissible oscillation frequency of scooping coulter is 10.0-18.0 Hz

Mechanical-technological fundamentals of the front-weighted haulm gatherer on the wheeled tractor

Sugar beet harvesting is a complex and energy-intensive technological process in the production of this technical crop. At the present time, the process of harvesting sugar beet haulms is carried out on the root and is performed in two steps: firstly a continuous uncopied cut of the main area of green mass and subsequent individual post-cleaning of the root crop heads from the haulm иremains. The increased working harvesting rate causes intensive fluctuations of the cutoff apparatus in the longitudinally vertical section that doesn’t only reduce the quality of root crops cutting but also causes significant losses of the haulms. The use of haulm gatherers as independent harvesting modules allows aggregating them with various types of row tractors that makes it necessary to determine the compliance of the definite haulm gatherer with the traction and energy characteristics of tractors which will ensure high efficiency of using the proposed machine and tractor units. The purpose of this study is to increase the efficiency of using a front mounted haulm gatherer on the wheeled tractor based on the development of thebasic regulations of the theory of its aggregation and determining the influence of its kinematic and design characteristics on the quality of a continuous cut of the haulm with oscillations of the cutting device in the longitudinal-vertical plane. While making research the methods of the theory of mathematical modeling of agricultural machines and machine aggregates, the theory of the tractor, the foundations of machine use in plant growing, and the compilation of the programs and numerous calculations on the PC were used. Conducted investigations made it possible to develop mathematical models of the movement of a haulm gatherer determining the optimum shear height, and also to justify and select the optimal parameters of machine-tractor aggregates which are made up of a tractor and a front unloaded haulm gatherer. The developed mechanical and technological fundamentals of aggregation make it possible to determine the optimal design and kinematic parameters both of the botting harvester and the aggregates according to the criteria of productivity and energy intensity

Technology of Microclimate Regulation in Organic and Energy-Sustainable Livestock Production

The control of climatic conditions where cattle are kept is one of the challenges in the livestock sector regarding the digital automation of the process. (1) Background: The main purpose of this study is to define the optimal foundations for automatic climatic systems in organic and energy-sustainable livestock production. In particular, the following components are suggested: (a) the determination of current deviations and interdependency between factors; (b) an algorithm for defining the possible sources of regulation; (c) the ranking approach of the optimal sequence of possible sources; and (d) ensuring transparency and coordination of the model with organic and energy certificates. (2) Methods: This investigation accumulates information on the characteristics of the main microclimatic parameters and simulates their possible combinations in a livestock building in Poland within 24 h of a spring day. A few indices are considered that signal the impact on the thermal comfort of cattle based on the example of recommended measures for the Angus steer genotype. (3) Results: The proposed transparent algorithm is designed for selecting and ranking potential sources of microclimate control according to three criteria. (4) Conclusions: This paper potentially contributes to determining the most optimal digital algorithm for managing microclimate conditions to ensure acceptable comfort for animals, meeting the requirements of organic certification with minimum costs of production, and switching to sustainable types of energy with consideration of technologies’ efficiency. The algorithm is scalable and adjustable to the individual conditions of any livestock premise with a digitally controlled environment

Extracts from Artemisia vulgaris L. in Potato Cultivation—Preliminary Research on Biostimulating Effect

Nowadays the size and quality of potato yields is very important aspect in agriculture, due to the continuous climate change. Plants exposed to abiotic stress need new protection tools such as plant biostimulant. The new definition of this product include plant extracts as novel biostimulants. The aim of the study was to assess whether the extracts from Artemisia vulgaris L. would act as classic biostimulants, by affecting metabolic pathways. Since these are pilot studies, the content of chlorophyll, carotenoids, proline and polyphenols was chosen as indicators of changes in plants. The experiment was carried out under controlled environmental conditions on a very early cultivar Irys. The obtained results showed that foliar treatment of plants with extracts from Artemisia vulgaris L. had a positive effect on the increase of chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b content and its total concentration in potato leaves. The highest increase in the total chlorophyll content, amounting to 26.27% on average, was observed in plants sprayed with macerate at the dose of 0.6 mL·plant-1. Additionally, an increase in the carotenoids content was observed in plants sprayed with macerate. The study demonstrated that the polyphenols level was largely dependent on the method of extracts production and the dose of the tested extracts. Macerate and infusion applied in a higher dose induced in plants the changes in the concentration of polyphenols. The overall evaluation of the effectiveness of the tested preparations showed higher effectiveness of the macerate for all the analyzed traits

Reliability of technical systems and the methodology for calculating MTBF using Flexsim computer simulation

The paper focuses on computer modeling of the reliability of technical systems using FlexSim simulation software. It presents the theoretical foundations of machine reliability and principles of describing this phenomenon. The discussion demonstrates how to estimate the main parameters of reliability analysis - MTBF and MTTR. The end result was designing a simulation model and assessing the impact of machine failure on the productivity and performance of a technical system

Justification of the Unit Design Diagram for Mowing Agricultural Crops Simultaneously with Their Stuble Chopping

The two-phase method is quite widespread when harvesting grain crops and forage grasses. For its implementation, farmers prefer harvesting units with a front-mounted header. The main disadvantage of such units is that after their passage in the space between the swaths of mown crops, open soil falls under the direct influence of sunlight. Subsequently, this leads to an intensive loss of its moisture. A harvesting unit has been designed to eliminate this shortcoming, consisting of a tractor with a front harvester and a soil-cultivating machine (disc harrow) mounted at the rear. The latter chops stubble and soil in the space between the swaths of the mowed crop, contributing to soil moisture conservation. In the diagram plan, the tillage machine can have a swivel or fixed conjunction with the tractor in a horizontal plane. A mathematical model of the harvesting unit plane-parallel movement in the horizontal plane has been designed to choose these conjunctions better. In the study, it is used to analyze the corresponding amplitude (AFC) and phase (PFC) frequency characteristics of a dynamic system when it is working out a control action in the form of the sighting point transverse shift. As a mathematical modeling result, it was found that the fixed conjunction of a tillage machine with a tractor is preferable. In this case, the natural AFC practically approaches the perfect one for servo dynamical systems. The correlation degree between the tractor‘s steered wheels‘ rotation and heading angles increases by almost 37%. As a result, this leads to a significant decrease in this parameter variance fluctuations, which contributes to an increase in the harvesting unit controllability movement as a whole

The penetration resistance as a soil degradation indicator in the viticulture

This paper deals with monitoring of changes in soil compaction at two experimental sites (Lednice and Valtice) in the alleyway of vineyards. The experimental measurements were carried out during the period 2009–2011. Penetration resistance of the soil was measured using the penetrometer (type PN 10) to a depth up to 520 mm. The measurements were carried out alternatively in variants with grassed and cultivated alleyways of vineyards. The samples were performed in the wheeltracks and in the middle of an alleyway. The control samples were performed between the plants in the row. The results show that the penetration resistance reaches lower values on the grassed alleyway. At both variants is obvious increase of the penetration resistance above the critical value already in a depth of 0.2 m. From the annual comparison of the penetration resistance it is clear the higher increase in the third year