REVISTA ENGENHARIA NA AGRICULTURA - REVENG

AUTOMATIC SYSTEM FOR PSYCHROMETRIC CALCULATIONS

2020-02-18T08:15:09-03:00

Air psychrometric properties are important in several areas of agricultural engineering, such as calculation of evaluation of the animal environment and air control in grain storage units. Due to their relevance and the complexity and the uncertainties in the use of psychrometric charts, the objective of this paper was to develop the software, PsyCalculator, which stands out for the automated function that allows presenting the data acquired through sensors and the respective psychrometric properties of the air, either in graph or tables. The automatic data acquisition system consists of a microcontroller that performs readings of sensors that measure the dry bulb temperature and another variable, which may be: wet bulb temperature, relative air humidity or dew point temperature. Then, the values are sent to the PsyCalculator software system. In addition to the values of dry bulb temperature, the software system presents wet bulb temperature and dew point temperature, values of saturation vapor pressure, vapor pressure, mixing ratio, specific volume, enthalpy and degree of saturation. Among the psychometric variables analyzed, the software developed in the study presented a maximum error of 2.14% for the calculation of dew point temperature. The developed software allows the automation of systems that depend on the psychrometric parameters in a friendly and precise fashion.

QUALITY OF NAPOLI CV. EGGPLANT COATED WITH CARNAUBA WAX

2020-02-19T15:28:34-03:00

The objective of this study was to evaluate the quality of eggplant Napoli cv. coated with Carnauba wax and stored for seven days at room temperature. Treatments consisted of immersion of fruits in two concentrations of two types of commercial wax, totaling four treatments: Meghwax ECF 124 to 9% concentrations (Megh 9%); Meghwax ECF 124 to 18% (Megh 18%), Arua BR 18% (Pomacea canaliculata) Tropical 9% (Arua 9%), and Arua BR 18% Tropical 18% (Arua 18%). The control treatment consisted of fruit without coating with wax and immersed in water. Fruits were analyzed at 0, 3, 6, and 7 days for the outer appearance, weight loss, turgor pressure, titratable acidity (TA), soluble solids (SS), SS/TA ratio, ascorbic acid, and pH. The waxes were effective in reducing weight loss. The turgor pressure showed a decrease during storage, which was more pronounced in the control treatment. The treatments did not differ among themselves for the levels of soluble solids. Fruits immersed in Arua wax at 18% concentration showed higher titratable acidity. The levels were reduced during storage. The control fruits showed higher pH. The ascorbic acid contents decreased by 15.0%, 16.4%, 16.5%, 16.9%, and 34%, considering the control treatments. Fruits subjected to Arua wax at 18% had longer shelf-life; the control fruits showed shorter shelf-life. Thus, it is concluded that 18% Aruá wax was the most effective to increase the shelf life of eggplants when stored at room temperature.

SPATIAL VARIABILITY OF PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES, LITTER AND SOIL CARBON STOCK IN A FAMILY FARMING SYSTEM IN TOCANTINS

2020-02-03T16:13:18-02:00

The monitoring of soil attributes allows the evaluation of its ability to perform its functions within an agroecosystem. The objective of this work was to evaluate the spatial variability of soil physical attributes, litter and carbon stock in a family farming system in the Cerrado Tocantinense. The area is located in the southern region in the state in the municipality of Aliança do Tocantins. Four types of land use were diagnosed in the area: brachiaria pasture intercropped with stylosanthes, Andropogon pasture, orchard and native forest. The native forest was considered as a reference. The study area totaled 7.9 ha-1 in which it was distributed an irregular sample grid composed of 160 points. Deformed and undeformed samples were collected for each georeferenced point at depths of 0-10 and 10-20 cm, as well as samples to determine the litter and soil carbon stock. Data were submitted to exploratory analysis and geostatistical study. It was found that the conversion of native forest for different soil uses through orchard, brachiaria, andropogon and native forest caused spatial variability in physical attributes, litter and soil carbon stock at depths 0-10 and 10-20 cm. The orchard subarea stood out as a promising system in the accumulation of organic carbon due to cattle manure.

CONTROL SYSTEM FOR COMPLETE BURNING IN FURNACE USING LAMBDA PROBE

2020-02-04T12:44:04-02:00

The objective of this work was to evaluate the biomass burning process in a furnace, using chip as a raw material and an oxygen sensor (lambda probe) to monitor the percentage of oxygen in the gases exhausted during combustion, aiming to maintain the percentage of the coefficient of excess air (α) in the operating range of 1.20 to 1.25%, considered ideal for the biomass (chip) used in the study. Once the excess air is identified at the upper furnace exit, the air entrance in the system will be closed by means of a butterfly valve using a servo motor driven by a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC). The valve was opened or closed according to the oxygen level; when it was lower than 1.20%, the door remained open, and it was closed when the level reached 1.25%, finishing the cycle of the process. The open and closed states of the valve occurred by means of two reed switch magnetic key sensors installed in the air intake system. For the control, monitoring and data acquisition, a supervisory system created using the Elipse SCADA software was used so it was possible to obtain a system database, which will provide important information to maximize the efficiency of the furnace.

SYSTEMATIC BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS ON THE USE OF MILLET AND SORGHUM AS VEGETABLE COVER

2020-02-04T17:41:33-02:00

The use of alternative systems seeking unsustainability in agricultural production in Brazil, has developed strongly with the use of No-Tillage System (NTS), therefore remodeling the production system. For the production efficiency, it is necessary to use suitable crops as plant cover, depending on the region where the no-tillage system will be set, in which sorghum and millet crops were very positive. Thus, the objective of the work is to perform a systematic literature review on papers approaching the subject with the use of sorghum and millet as a vegetative cover for subsequent no-tillage. It is possible to verify a concentration of the studies after the 2000 decade, in the Southeastern and Central-Western regions of Brazil.

SPECTRAL CURVES FOR IDENTIFICATION OF WEEDS IN WHEAT CROP

2020-02-03T16:17:33-02:00

The principal weeds in wheat cultivation are black oats and ryegrass and their control is generally performed without considering the spatial variability of the density of weed infestation. One way to identify weed species is by analyzing spectral curves of the targets. The objective of this work was to evaluate the spectral curves of wheat, black oats and ryegrass to identify which wavelengths are able to distinguish these species. The experiment was set using the species: black oats, ryegrass and wheat. Each species was sown in individual experimental plots in a completely randomized design with nine replications. HandHeld 2, ASD® spectroradiometer with 325-1075 nm spectral range was used to perform readings at full bloom stage. Then, the reflectance spectral data were grouped into eight spectral bands: violet, blue, green, yellow, orange, red, red edge and near infrared. Descriptive statistics of reflectance of the targets as well as analysis of variance (p<0.05) and test of Tukey for comparison of the means (p<0.01) were performed using the reflectance measurement of each spectral band. The results showed that the yellow and orange spectral bands obtained higher capacities of differentiation of the species under study. It can be concluded that the analysis of spectral curves of target of black oat and ryegrass weeds and wheat crop makes it possible to differentiate species in full bloom stage.

COMPARISON BETWEEN ESTIMATION METHODS OF REFERENCE EVAPOTRANSPIRATION IN BOM JESUS DA LAPA, BA

2020-02-21T10:46:08-03:00

Among the reference evapotranspiration (ETo) equations, the FAO-56 Penman-Monteith (PM FAO-56) model is considered the most accurate, but this model requires a greater amount of meteorological data. On the other hand, there are other methods that require fewer variables and have shown good precision according to the location. The objective of this work was to evaluate the efficiency of four methods for estimation of daily ETo, comparing them with FAO-56 PM equation in Bom Jesus da Lapa, Bahia, Brazil. To do so, a dataset from 2010 to 2017, acquired at the National Institute of Meteorology (INMET), was used. The models were analyzed by means of statistical indicators: Willmott’s concordance index, root mean square error (RMSE), mean bias error (BIAS), coefficient of determination “R²”, correlation coefficient “r” and coefficient of confidence “c”, in addition to the classification of the coefficient of confidence. The results obtained show that Hargreaves and Samani equation was the only method classified as “good” and is recommended. While the models of Camargo, Priestley and Taylor and Benevides and Lopes are not recommended to calculate ETo in the municipality.

INFLUENCE OF TEMPERATURE AND ALTITUDE ON THE EXPANSION OF COFFEE CROPS IN MATAS DE MINAS, BRAZIL

2020-02-20T10:35:43-03:00

Coffee is among the most significant products in Brazil. Minas Gerais is the largest state producer of Arabica coffee. Coffee activity has excellent growth potential, which justifies the identification of new areas for expansion of the culture. This study aimed to determine factors that affect the spatial distribution of coffee plantations the most, as well as to identify areas with a greater aptitude for its expansion in the region of the Matas de Minas (63 municipalities). The MaxEnt software was used to elaborate a model capable of describing the area with the highest potential for estimating the probability of coffee adequacy. The elaboration of the model considered the records of occurrence, climatic and topographic variables of Matas de Minas, the second largest state producing region. The area under the curve (AUC), the omission rate and the Jackknife test were used for validation and analysis of the model. The model was accurate with an AUC of 0.816 and omission rate of 0.54% for the ‘test’. It was identified that the potential distribution of coffee in Matas de Minas is determined by changes in the annual maximum temperature, although it did not generate a significant gain when omitted, accounting for a considerable loss in the model. However, the most influential variables on the delineation of distribution were, the altitude and the annual average temperature. The most favorable areas for expansion of coffee culture in the Matas de Minas were found in the vicinity of the region of Alto Caparaó.
Abbreviations used: A1 (altitude); A2 (maximum annual temperature); A3 (annual minimum temperature); BIO 1 (annual average temperature 1); BIO 4 (temperature seasonality), BIO 12 (annual precipitation); BIO 15 (precipitation seasonality); csv (comma-separated values); AUC (area under the curve).

INFLUENCE OF SOIL COMPACTION LEVELS ON COWPEA PRODUCTION

2020-02-03T16:11:49-02:00

Cowpea, a short-cycle legume with large production in the North and Northeast regions, has its productive potential limited by edaphic characteristics and degradation processes of soil physical quality, such as compaction. This process may interfere with plant development and productivity by restricting root system growth, aeration, water and nutrient availability. The objective of this work was to analyze the interference of different levels of compaction in the soil physical characteristics, root growth, development of the aerial part and productivity of cowpea. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse following a completely randomized design with a control (control) and four levels of soil compaction, with four replications. Each experimental unit was composed of PVC tubes composed of a 0.05-m layer of gravel, cotton fabric and a 0.04-m layer of soil. The different levels of compaction were obtained using a proctor socket and a wooden base. Based on the value of penetration resistance (PR) of 1.00 MPa, soil reached the macroporosity considered as critical theresohold for soil aeration. Results indicate that the higher the PR of the soil, the lower the development of the root system and the aerial part. The productive aspects of cowpea presented better results in plants grown in soils with a level of resistance to penetration close to 0.8 MPa.

GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF MOMBASSA GRASS GROWN IN FULL SUN AND SHADE UNDER NITROGEN LEVELS

2020-02-03T16:12:17-02:00

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects promoted by full sun and natural shading (25%) enviroemnts , under the productive components of Panicum maximum cv. Mombasa grown in diferent levels of nitrogen (0, 25, 50, 100 kg ha-1 cycle-1 ). Urea was used as nitrogen source, applied on the surface. This study evaluated the following variables: number of total leaves (NTL), number of green leaves (NGL), number of dead leaves (NDL), leaf lifespan (LLS), sheath length (SL), stem elongation rate (SER), Phyllochron (PHYL), leaf appearance rate (LApR), leaf elongation rate (LElR), leaf senescence rate (LSR), average length of leaf blade (ALLB), leaf area index (LAI) and tiller population density (TPP). The shaded environment provided better conditions for sheath length and leaf elongation rate, however in full sun the tiller density was higher.

GREEN WATER FOOTPRINT AND SUSTAINABILITY FOR ESPIRITO SANTO STATE

2020-02-03T16:12:49-02:00

Water footprint is a relatively new concept of freshwater appropriation that considers its direct and indirect use by a consumer or producer and used as a comprehensive indicator of the appropriation of water resources. The objective of this study was to estimate the green water footprint and evaluate its sustainability in the state of Espírito Santo, using the land use information and indicators of water scarcity. The total green water footprint was estimated by the sum of the green water footprints of pasture, forest, coffee cultivation, forestry, and other agricultural uses. The state’s total green footprint estimated was 47.5 billion m³/year, and the pasture class represented 48.5% of this total, followed by forest (29.8%), coffee cultivation (10.1%), forestry (6.4%), and other crops (5.2%). The ratio between the mean annual total volume of precipitated water and the green WF in the state was 80%. The environmental sustainability assessment shows that the green footprint was unsustainable for most of the year, on average, mainly in the May to September.

TEMPORAL ANALYSIS OF SOIL OCCUPATION IN MUCURI WATERSHED BETWEEN 1989 AND 2015

2020-02-03T16:18:05-02:00

Anthropogenic action has caused intense changes in land use and cover over the decades. Identifying and knowing these changes makes it possible to measure the impacts that can be generated as well as to identify patterns of the development of a particular region and the relationship between society and land use. Thus, it is intended to identify the changes made in the land use and occupation of the Mucuri river basin between 1989 and 2015. So, this study used remote sensing techniques and tools besides aerial photographs to map the region and to identify surface behavior. Within the Mucuri basin, the soil had been mostly occupied by classes of forest and agricultural area, consistent with the social and economic reality of the region over the last decades. The changes that have occurred indicate a reduction in water availability, growth in urban occupation and, in many cases, soil and vegetation cover deterioration.

PROBABLE RAINFALL OF DIVINÓPOLIS CITY, MINAS GERAIS STATE, BRAZIL

2020-02-05T16:12:23-02:00

The aim of this paper was to analyze the behavior of non-parametric statistical distributions on the prediction of probable monthly and total annual rainfall as well as to determine the monthly and annual probable rainfall with different levels of probability for Divinópolis, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The analysis consisted in adjusting the theoretical probability distribution to a data series of 66 years of monthly and annual rainfall. The data were obtained from the Hidroweb service, controlled by the National Water Agency (ANA, in Portuguese). The frequency distributions of Gumbel for Maximus, Fréchet and Gamma were adjusted to the observed series, where the adherence of these models to the data were tested by the Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Chi-Squared test, both with 5% of probability. The model that best represented, in most cases, the frequency distributions of the series of total monthly precipitation was Gumbel for Maximus, while the Fréchet model had the worst result, not fitting to the data of the historical series for both tests performed in the study. The probable monthly maximum precipitation for Divinópolis is 527 mm, associated with a probability of 5% and for January, while the lowest one is 0.0042 mm, with probability of 95% in July.

MONITORING XYLEM SAP IN SUGARCANE THROUGH TDR

2020-02-06T17:39:32-02:00

The TDR can be used to measure water content and nutrients in several media with a potential to monitor the xylem sap flow in plants. The objective of this study was to determine whether there is a correlation between the xylem sap content and water available in the soil for sugarcane cultivation using TDR. The study was conducted in a protected environment with eight boxes (500 L). The boxes were divided into two treatments with different water application rates (1.6 and 3.4 L h-1) through subsurface irrigation. In each box TDR probes were inserted in the medium part of sugarcane stalk, totaling three probes per box to monitoring the sap flow. The soil water content was monitored using 20 net-placed probes. Therefore, the simultaneous monitoring of xylem sap and soil water content occurred for five months. As a result, it was obtained that the xylem content monitoring through TDR is moderately related to soil moisture, with a response to the absorption and translocation of the solution in the stem of sugarcane plants as a consequence of irrigation applications and/or fertirrigation. Thus, it was concluded that there is a weak relations between water contents in the soil and plant, especially for the treatment that used the highest flow rate (3.4 L h-1).

PYRACLOSTROBIN PRESERVES PHOTOSYNTHESIS IN ARABICA COFFEE PLANTS SUBJECTED TO WATER DEFICIT

2020-02-07T17:35:31-02:00

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of pyraclostrobin on the photosynthetic performance of rabica coffee plants subjected or not to a water deficit, using the parameter of gas exchange (net CO2 assimilation, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, and internal CO2 concentration and nocturnal respiration), chlorophyll fluorescence a parameters (minimum fluorescence, maximum fluorescence, maximum quantum yield of photosystem II, effective quantum yield of PSII, quantum yield of regulated energy dissipation and quantum yield dissipation non-regulated) as well as the concentrations of chloroplast pigments. In the plants maintained without water deficit, pyraclostrobin did not cause any alteration on the parameters of chlorophyll a fluorescence; however, it contributed to an increase in the level of chlorophyll a + b, CO2 assimilation and CO2 influx for the carboxylation sites of the stroma. Decreases in nocturnal respiration in plants treated with pyraclostrobin, submitted or not to water deficit seems to be a common strategy in reducing energy waste in the maintenance metabolism. Under water deficit, pyraclostrobin contributed to increase the photochemical yield, enabling plants to effectively prevent the capture, use and dissipation of light energy.

A MODEL FOR HYDRAULIC DESIGN OF IRRIGATION LATERAL LINES

2020-02-18T17:49:36-03:00

There are several models for hydraulic designs and optimization of lateral lines depending on the existing pressure head profile and flow which allows designing longer lateral lines, therefore decreasing the cost of the system implementation. A model has been developed to calculate the pressure head and required flow rate at the inlet of lateral line using the back step method. A set of equations was implemented in an algorithm in the R language. For the calculations, the following variables must be provided: pressure head at the end of the lateral line (Hend), coefficients K and x of the characteristic equation (flow-pressure) of the emitter, pipe diameter (D), emitter spacing (Se) and number of emitters (Ne). For the evaluation of the model, the pressure head at the end of the lateral line, the pipe diameter and the number of emitters were varied within the established limits. Relationships between these variables were established by regression analysis using the least-squares method. The model shown in the study was suitable for the calculation of the pressure head and flow rate profile along the lateral line. The power, plateau, exponential and linear equations were adjusted to describe these relationships. These equations can help in the design of irrigation systems by simplifying the procedures in order to meet the design criteria. Also, the proposed equations allow evaluation of the systems still in the design phase.