Seed-setting in potatoes as affected by spraying with a-naphthaleneacetamide and by light
SummarySpraying potato plants with dilute concentrations of a-naphthal-eneacetamide was not effective in increasing flower or seed ball production in the greenhouse at Beltsville Maryland, or Greeley, Colorado. Higher concentrations reduced flower production at Presque Isle, Maine.Sebago and Irish Cobbler produced more seed balls at Greeley than at Beltsville. Less cloudy weather at Greeley during the winter months is probably the chief factor responsible for this result.S 245–25, when self-pollinated, produced as many seed balls at Beltsville as at Greeley. It appears that this variety flowers and sets seed more readily under fairly unfavorable light conditions than either Sebago or Irish Cobbler.
Heterogeneous photocatalytic degradation of pesticides using decatungstate intercalated macroporous layered double hydroxides
Decatungstate W10O324− was efficiently intercalated between the layers of three-dimensionally ordered macroporous Mg2Al-layered double hydroxide. The structural and textural properties of as-prepared intercalated compound were characterized using different solid-state characterization techniques such as X-ray powder diffraction, FTIR and Raman spectroscopies and electronic microscopy. The photocatalytic properties of immobilized W10O324− within Mg2Al structure were investigated using 2-(1-naphthyl) acetamide (NAD) as a model of pesticide. The influence of different parameters such as amount of catalyst, pH and oxygen concentration were investigated. An optimal NAD degradation was obtained for a photocatalyst concentration of 60 mg l−1. Under our experimental conditions, this heterogeneous photocatalyst induces photodegradation of 60 % of NAD after 17 h of irradiation at 365 nm and at pH 6.6. Interestingly, pesticide photodegradation leads to the mineralization of substrates to H2O and CO2 and the photocatalyst can be recycled and reused without any loss of activity over four cycles.
Color image based sorter for separating red and white wheat
A simple imaging system was developed to inspect and sort wheat samples and other grains at moderate feed-rates (30 kernels/s or 3.5 kg wheat/h). A single camera captured color images of three sides of each kernel by using mirrors, and the images were processed using a personal computer (PC). Real time image acquisition and processing was enabled on an ordinary PC under Windows XP operating system using the IEEE 1394 data transfer protocol, DirectX application software, and dual-core computer processor. Image acquisition and transfer to the PC required approximately 17 ms per kernel, and an additional 1.5 ms was required for image processing. After classification, the computer could output a signal from the parallel port to activate an air valve to divert (sort) kernels into a secondary container. Hard red and hard white wheat kernels were used in this study to test and demonstrate sorter capability. Simple image statistics and histograms were used as features. Discriminant analysis was performed with one, two, or three features to demonstrate classification improvements with increased numbers of features. The sorter was able to separate hard red kernels from hard white kernels with 95 to 99% accuracy, depending on the wheat varieties, feed-rate, and number of classification features. The system is an economical and useful instrument for sorting wheat and other grains with high accuracy.