Architecture for Automated Irrigation System

Agriculture sector provides food as well as large employment. Impact of agriculture development as traditional framing is unable to increase the crop yield. In our country , the growth of population is around 2% per year. Thus food production should increase about 2.6% per year to provide an effcient food intake. The use of water resources to be optimally connected and beneficially utilized with appropriate priorities of use. Therefore the real values of soil moisture, air humidity, temperature and water level in the soil are wirelessly transmitted using wireless technology and same is monitored for optimum production of crop production

Effect of Various Irrigation Methods on Growth, Flowering and Yield of Tuberose (Polyanthes tuberosa Linn.)

Tuberose flower has very good fragrance and is suitable for loose and cut flowers. Although crop improvement has been researched upon in various institutes and state agricultural universities, irrigation management in this crop has not been given much emphasis. This factor is important and crucial in crop production. A field trial was conducted at Precision Farming Development Centre, Rahuri, with the objective of studying performance of tuberose cv. Suvasini Double under three irrigation systems, viz., drip, micro-sprinkler and surface irrigation (conventional method). Irrigation through drip and micro-sprinkler was applied at 0.85 PE; and in the conventional method of irrigation, the interval was set at 60 mm CPE with 6 cm depth of irrigation. Micro-sprinkler system proved to be the best and gave a flower yield of 6.77 lakh spikes/ ha with better flower quality, than drip or surface method of irrigation. B:C ratio was also higher under micro-sprinkler (2.68 )

Farmers’ suicides in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, India: a qualitative exploration of their causes

Background: To explore the various perceived reasons for farmers’ suicides in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, their common factors, and to suggest solutions. METHODS: The present formative research was undertaken in the 23 villages surrounding the Anji Primary Health Centre, located in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, India. A triangulation of free list and pile sort exercises was used. The data was analyzed by Anthropac 4.98.1/X software. This was followed by a semi-structured focus group discussion. To increase the validity of the results, these findings were presented to the participants and later they were circulated to the 26 farmers’ clubs in the villages for comment and discussion during their monthly, village-based meetings. RESULTS: Farmers perceived debt, addiction, environmental problems, poor prices for farm produce, stress and family responsibilities, government apathy, poor irrigation, increased cost of cultivation, private money lenders, use of chemical fertilizers and crop failure as the reasons for farmers’ suicides. Participants suggested solutions such as self-reliance and capacity building among farmers, a monitoring and support system for vulnerable farmers, support and counseling services, a village-level, transparent system for the disbursement of relief packages. CONCLUSIONS: Farmers’ suicides in Vidarbha are caused by the complex interplay of social, political and environmental constraints. Hence, a comprehensive intervention to ensure self-reliance and capacity building among farmers in modern farming techniques , monitoring and support system for vulnerable farmers, a village-level, transparent system for disbursement of relief packages is required to prevent farmer suicides in the near future. Apart from this, there is a need to strengthen the National Mental Health Program at primary health care level to offer support and counseling to vulnerable farmers in rural area

Development of RFID Based Smart Sensor Prototype for Wireless Industrial Monitoring and Control

The Purpose of this paper is to present one of the various wireless technologies currently available for industrial monitoring and control. Applications of wireless data transmission are universal. In industrial automation, the benefits of adopting wireless technologies in eliminating the needs for cables in hard to reach areas within the plant, increasing data availability and quality and monitoring and controlling remote assets, that otherwise were inaccessible. Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology is commonly used for object or animal identification and tracking. This article explores the feasibility of its use in a rapid solution to wireless real time monitoring of industry. A prototype system for wireless industrial monitoring and control was developed using a commercially available 12.5 GHZ RFID passive tags. Various parameters are sensed by respective sensors (Slaves), which are then monitored by low power, high performance, 8bit AVR microcontroller. Monitored signals are then sent to the RFID tag or transponder unit, hence the smart feature of the sensor. A receiving unit (Interrogator) emits an electromagnetic field which when detected by passive RFID tag causes it to transfer sensor information (data stored in memory) to the interrogator. Interrogator detects these parameters and sends them to the data collection PC (Master Unit). The architecture of the developed wireless sensor prototype allows for additional RFID tags (Slave Units) to be integrated into it without changes to the sensor designs. Design also provides means to update operating and monitoring parameters as well as sensors/RF link specific firmware modules ‘over - the - air’

Design Principles for Two-Dimensional Molecular Aggregates Using Kasha's Model: Tunable Photophysics in Near and Short-Wave Infrared

Technologies which utilize near-infrared (700 – 1000 nm) and short-wave infrared (1000 – 2000 nm) electromagnetic radiation have applications in deep-tissue imaging, telecommunications and satellite telemetry due to low scattering and decreased background signal in this spectral region. It is therefore necessary to develop materials that absorb light efficiently beyond 1000 nm. Transition dipole moment coupling (e.g. J-aggregation) allows for redshifted excitonic states and provides a pathway to highly absorptive electronic states in the infrared. We present aggregates of two cyanine dyes whose absorption peaks redshift dramatically upon aggregation in water from ~800 nm to 1000 nm and 1050 nm respectively with sheet-like morphologies and high molar absorptivities (e ~ 105 M-1cm-1). We use Frenkel exciton theory to extend Kasha’s model for J and H aggregation and describe the excitonic states of 2-dimensional aggregates whose slip is controlled by steric hindrance in the assembled structure. A consequence of the increased dimensionality is the phenomenon of an intermediate “I-aggregate”, one which redshifts yet displays spectral signatures of band-edge dark states akin to an H-aggregate. We distinguish between H-, I- and J-aggregates by showing the relative position of the bright (absorptive) state within the density of states using temperature dependent spectroscopy. I-aggregates hold potential for applications as charge injection moieties for semiconductors and donors for energy transfer in NIR and SWIR. Our results can be used to better design chromophores with predictable and tunable aggregation with new photophysical properties

Salinity tolerance and fishery of mud shrimp Solenocera crassicornis (H. Milne Edwards) in the coastal waters of Mumbai

Salinity tolerance of mud shrimp Solenocera crassicornis investigated at different salinities ranging from 15‰ to 55‰ showed that shrimps in the salinity range 30‰ - 42‰ survived but those in lower and higher salinities died soon after the transfer. Ionic concentration in the hemolymph and free amino acids in the body muscle in response to different salinity ranges showed hypo-regulation initially but later became hyposmotic to the medium and died eventually when the salinity decreased. The abundance of shrimp showed inverse relationship with rainfall and consequent lowering of salinity in the inshore waters. The study showed that S. crassicornis can regulate osmotic and ionic concentrations of body fluids efficiently in the salinity range of 30 - 42‰ but unlike euryhaline penaeid shrimps it is a poor regulator at lower salinities and therefore it migrates offshore during monsoon months