1. Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory for Protected Agricultural Engineering in the Middle and Lower Reaches of Yangtze River, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Nanjing 210014, China
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Dr. Encai Bao
1. Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory for Protected Agricultural Engineering in the Middle and Lower Reaches of Yangtze River, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Nanjing 210014, China
In order to clarify the temporal and spatial changes in the internal photothermal environment in an open-field agrivoltaic system (OAVS), this paper took the OAVS in eastern China as the research object and divided the internal area into the southern area, middle area and northern area, according to the spatial structure. Further, a photothermal environment test was conducted in the above three areas in the summer and winter. The results showed that the summer average daylight rate (Rm-avg) in the middle area was 66.6%, while the Rm-avg in the other two areas was about 20%, with no significant difference. In the winter, the light environment in the southern area was slightly better, and the Rm-avg in the above three areas was 26.4%, 24.7% and 19.7%, respectively. On the whole, the relationship between the thermal environmental factors and the solar radiation intensity was consistent. Further, a 3D model of an OAVS was established using Autodesk Ecotect Analysis 2011, and the internal light environment was simulated. Compared with the measured values, the relative error was less than 10%, which verified the reliability of the OAVS model. Then, the model was used to reveal the temporal and spatial changes in the light environment of the OAVS. The simulation results showed that the daylighting rate in the summer from the ground to the height of the fig canopy inside the system was 20.7% to 61.5%. In the winter, the daylighting rate from the ground to the height of the fig canopy inside the system was 17.7% to 36.4%. The effectiveness of the OAVS in reducing the level of solar radiation intensity depended on the time of day and the angle of the sun. At the spatial scale, due to the strong consumption of light by photovoltaic panels, there was a strong horizontal and vertical light environment gradient inside the system. In conclusion, the photothermal environment research of an OAVS based on Autodesk Ecotect Analysis 2011 can not only provide a basis for agricultural production and structural design such as span, height and the laying density of PV panels, but also expand its application to regions with different latitudes and longitudes and specific climates.
A bench test apparatus was developed to address the impact of varying terrain undulation on sowing depth in multi-row wheat sowing machines. In addition, a real-time sowing depth control model was proposed and implemented, enabling automatic adjustment of the sowing depth and ensuring uniform seed placement. The model operates by first specifying a target sowing depth, then acquiring real-time sowing depth measurements via a laser range sensor and terrain feature data ahead of the machine via an array-based LiDAR sensor. These two data streams undergo multi-sensor fusion to produce an accurate error and error rate. A fuzzy PID control algorithm then performs online parameter tuning of the PID gains, generating the control output needed to drive the stepper motor and adjust the depth-limiting wheel height, thereby precisely regulating the sowing depth. Experimental results demonstrate that under representative test conditions, the system achieves excellent sowing depth control performance; average error reductions of 10.7%, 22.9%, and 9.6% were observed when using fuzzy PID control versus no control. This work provides a technical foundation for intelligent sowing depth control in wheat sowing machines and lays the groundwork for future in-field adaptive operation and multi-scenario integrated control.
The cutting device in the seedling grafting process was studied, which provided a reference for optimizing the structural parameters and working parameters of important shearing components in the seedling grafting line, thereby improving the performance of the cutting device. The dynamic cutting process of the cutting device was numerically simulated. The effects of four factors, the average cutting speed (X1), the sliding angle (X2), the cutting edge angle (X3), and the cutter clearance (X4) on the cutting force, were studied. The optimal combination of structural parameters and working parameters of the cutting device was determined. The simulation results showed that the sliding angle (X2) and the cutting edge angle (X3) affect the ultimate cutting stress. The average cutting speed (X1) and the cutter clearance (X4) affect the ultimate cutting force. When X1, X2, X3, and X4 are 579 mm/s, 39°, 25°, and 1.4 mm, respectively, it is the better combination parameter, and the ultimate cutting equivalent stress of the cutting device is 0.32 Mpa. A high-speed cutting device for grafted seedlings was built, and the cutting experiment was carried out. The experiment results showed that the simulated values fit well with the experimental data. Under the optimal combination of cutting parameters, the cutting stress of the cutting device was smaller. The finite element simulation of the seedling grafting cutting device reduces the experiment cost and provides a reference for developing the seedling grafting line.
Phytochromes are dimeric proteins with critical roles in perceiving day length and the environmental signals that trigger flowering. Night break (NB) and the red to far-red light ratio (R:FR) have been used extensively as tools to study the photoperiodic control of flowering. However, at the molecular level, little is known about the effect of NB and different R:FR values on flowering in day-neutral plants (DNPs) such as tomato. Here, we show that tomato SP5G, SP5G2, and SP5G3 are homologs of Arabidopsis thaliana FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) that repress flowering in Nicotiana benthamiana. NB every 2 h at intensities of 10 μmol m− 2 s− 1 or lower R:FR (e.g., 0.6) caused a clear delay in tomato flowering and promoted SP5G mRNA expression. The promoted SP5G mRNA expression induced by red light NB and low R:FR treatments was reversed by a subsequent FR light stimulus or a higher R:FR treatment. The tomato phyB1 mutation abolished the effects of NB and lower R:FR treatments on flowering and SP5G mRNA expression, indicating that the effects were mediated by phytochrome B1 in tomato. Our results strongly suggest that SP5G mRNA suppression is the principal cause of NB and lower R:FR effects on flowering in tomato.
To address the issue of reduced sowing depth detection accuracy caused by varying soil topography during the operation of wheat row drills, an indoor bench test device suitable for wheat row drills was developed. The device integrates a laser sensor and an array sensor for terrain and sowing depth detection. The laser sensor provides the detected sowing depth values, while the array sensor captures different terrain features. The actual sowing depth values are obtained through the indoor experimental setup. The experiment includes three types of terrain: convex, concave, and flat. The terrain slope matrix is obtained using the array sensor, and terrain feature values are extracted. The laser sensor is then used to obtain the detected sowing depth, and the actual sowing depth is manually measured. PCA analysis is conducted to correlate terrain feature values with sowing depth deviations. Results indicate that under different terrain conditions, the slope mean and slope standard deviation are the main components affecting sowing depth deviations. Compared to using a single sensor, this system enables more accurate sowing depth measurement by analyzing terrain features. The device provides valuable data support for controlling sowing depth under varying terrain conditions in subsequent operations.