Redescription of Paleosepharia azlani (Mohamedsaid, 1998) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae)

Monolepta azlani Mohamedsaid 1998 is redescribed as a new combination to be Paleosepharia azlani (Mohamedsaid, 1998). A total of 125 specimens were examined. based on morphological and genital characters. Illustration and redescription including genital characters have been presented

Review of solar dryers for agricultural and marine products

Drying for agricultural and marine products are one of the most attractive and cost-effective application of solar energy. Numerous types of solar dryers have been designed and developed in various parts of the world, yielding varying degrees of technical performance. Basically, there are four types of solar dryers; (1) direct solar dryers, (2) indirect solar dryers, (3) mixed-mode dryers and (4) hybrid solar dryers. This paper is a review of these types of solar dryers with aspect to the product being dried, technical and economical aspects. The technical directions in the development of solar-assisted drying systems for agricultural produce are compact collector design, high efficiency, integrated storage, and long-life drying system. Air-based solar collectors are not the only available systems. Water-based collectors can also be used whereby water to air heat exchanger can be used. The hot air for drying of agricultural produce can be forced to flow in the water to air heat exchanger. The hot water tank acts as heat storage of the solar drying system.Passive dryers Active dryers Hybrid solar dryers Agricultural and marine products

Measurement of total and spectral solar irradiance: Overview of existing research

The quantitative assessments of the solar radiation flux and the variations of its spectral distribution in the visible and near-infrared ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum are of great interest in studying solar-terrestrial influences. The reason is that the main part of the solar radiation energy is concentrated in that range and it determines the thermal equilibrium of the earth's atmosphere. This paper provides an overview of spectral global solar irradiance observations and of broadband solar irradiance observations from the ultraviolet to the near infrared. Measurements of the spectral solar irradiance in the near UV, visible and near IR were carried out by many researchers in two types of measurements; spectral global solar irradiance and broadband solar irradiance. The results from this study show that the measurement of the spectral solar radiation in the near UV, visible and near IR ranges can be made either by high precision and expensive instruments or by aid of rather simple, less precise and comparatively inexpensive broadband instrument--pyrheliometers or pyranometers in combination with glass filters. Selected narrow waveband instruments are characterized by simpler, less expensive and easy to maintain and calibrate compared to high-resolution scanning instruments.Solar Terrestrial Extraterrestrial Spectrum Broadband Visible UV Near IR

Microhabitats utilization by solitary parasitoids and predatory insects as indicators of oil palm agroecosystem’s capacity to support insect species diversity

Microhabitats capacity to support insect species diversity and persistence were evaluated implementing solitary parasitoids and predatory insects according to different phases of herbicide and chemical fertilizer applications. Two species of the genus Xanthopimpla (Ichneumonidae) and one species of the genus Pompilus (Pompilidae) showed relationships on vegetation-type microhabitats, notably natural weeds, leguminous cover crops, and the beneficial plant Turnera subulata, while two species of the genus Evania (Evaniidae) showed relationships with chipped oil palm trunks. One species from the genus Odontomachus (Formicidae) as an exclusive predatory ant was related to both chipped oil palm trunks and the beneficial plant T. subulata. Xanthopimpla parasitoids exhibited abundance fluctuations difference around natural weeds during herbicide application phases between three- and six-years old oil palm stands, with decreased and increased abundance patterns of the former and the latter, respectively. 18 years old oil palm stand showed increased abundance patterns only along with the different phases of chemical fertilizer applications. The importance of natural weeds diversity, restrictions of leguminous cover crops, frequency of herbicide applications, and the arrangements between beneficial plants and wood-based microhabitats that benefited insect parasitoids and predators were discussed