Watermelon is known to be infested by multiple insect pests both simultaneously and in sequence. Interactions by pests have been shown to have positive or negative, additive or non additive, compensatory or over compensatory effects on yields. Hardly has this sort of relationship been defined for watermelon vis-à-vis insect herbivores. A 2-year, 2-season (4 trials) field experiments were laid in the Research Farm of Federal University Wukari, to investigate the interactive effects of key insect pests of watermelon on fruit yield of Watermelon in 2016 and 2017 using natural infestations. The relationship between the dominant insect pests and fruit yield were determined by correlation (r) and linear regression (simple and multiple) analyses. Multimodel inference was used to define the predictor that impacted on fruit yield the most. Results indicated that, each pest had highly negative and significant (p < 0.05) impact on yield (range of r = -0.78 to -0.92), and that the coefficient of determination (R2) values (which were indicative of the effect of pests or their complexes on yield) did not rise on addition of interaction terms. This reveals a non additive negative impact of insect interactions on the fruit yield of watermelon. This may be due to among others; competition by the pest, phenology, plant defenses or changes in nutritional content of the plant. The need to therefore employ discriminate analysis to ascertain the contribution of each pest to yield loss when multiple pest infest a crop is thus highlighted.
This research explores the use of solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) as a conductive medium for sodium ions in sodium‐ion batteries, presenting a possible alternative to traditional lithium‐ion battery technology. The researchers prepare SPEs with varying molecular weight ratios of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and sodium tetrafluoroborate (NaBF4) using a solution casting method with dimethyl formamide as the solvent. Through optical absorbance measurements, we identified the PAN:NaBF4 (80:20) SPE composition as having the lowest energy band gap value (4.48 eV). This composition also exhibits high thermal stability based on thermogravimetric analysis results.
The unstable and uncertain nature of natural rubber prices makes them highly volatile and prone to outliers, which can have a significant impact on both modeling and forecasting. To tackle this issue, the author recommends a hybrid model that combines the autoregressive (AR) and Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroscedasticity (GARCH) models. The model utilizes the Huber weighting function to ensure the forecast value of rubber prices remains sustainable even in the presence of outliers. The study aims to develop a sustainable model and forecast daily prices for a 12-day period by analyzing 2683 daily price data from Standard Malaysian Rubber Grade 20 (SMR 20) in Malaysia. The analysis incorporates two dispersion measurements (I
... Show MoreNovel bidentate Schiff bases having nitrogen-sulphur donor sequence was synthesized from condensation of racemate camphor, (R)-camphor and (S)-camphor with Methyl hydrazinecarbodithioate (SMDTC). Its metal complexes were also prepared through the reaction of these ligands with silver and bismuth salts. All complexes were characterized by elemental analyses and various physico-chemical techniques. These Schiff bases behaved as uninegatively charged bidentate ligands and coordinated to the metal ions via ?-nitrogen and thiolate sulphur atoms. The NS Schiff bases formed complexes of general formula, [M(NS)2] or [M(NS)2.H2O] where M is BiIII or AgI, the expected geometry is octahedral for Bi(III) complexes while Ag(I) is expected to oxidized t
... Show MoreComplexes of the Cr(III), Fe(III), Rh(III), Ru (III), Mo hexagonal valence and Co(II) were prepared using the azo dye 1,1'-(1,3-phenylene bis(diazene-2,1-diyl))bis(2,4,6-trihydroxy-3,1-phenylene))bis(ethan-1-one), which was prepared newly from diazonium salt with 2,4,6-trihydroxyacetophenone, after isolation. The compounds were characterized using proton and carbon nuclear magnetic resonance of the ligand and fine elemental analysis, infrared, ultraviolet-visible, mass measurement, thermogravimetric analysis, differential thermal scanning, metal percentage determination, chlorine content determination, magnetic susceptibility, and molar conductivity. The results showed that the tetra coordinated anionic bond, when linked to metal ions via t
... Show Morenew six mixed ligand complexes of some transition metal ions Manganese (II), Cobalt(II), Iron (II), Nickel (II) , and non transition metal ion zinc (II) And Cadmium(II) with L-valine (Val H ) as a primary ligand and Saccharin (HSac) as a secondary ligands have been prepared. All the prepared complexes have been characterized by molar conductance, magnetic susceptibility infrared, electronic spectral, Elemental microanalysis (C.H.N) and AA . The complexes with the formulas [M(Val)2(HSac)2] M= Mn (II) , Fe (II) , Co(II) ,Ni(II), Cu (II),Zn(II) and Cd(II) L- Val H= (C5H11NO2) , C7H5NO3S The study shows that these complexes have octahedral geometry; The metal complexes have been screened for their in microbiological activities against bacteria.
... Show MoreThe syntheses, characterizations and structures of three novel dichloro(bis{2-[1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl-κN3]pyridine-κN})metal(II), [M(L)2Cl2], complexes (metal = Mn, Co and Ni) are presented. In the solid state the molecules are arranged in infinite hydrogen-bonded 3D supramolecular structures, further stabilized by weak intermolecular π…π interactions. The DFT results for all the different spin states and isomers of dichloro(bis{2-[1-phenyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl-κN3]pyridine-κN})metal(II) complexes, [M(L1)2Cl2], support experimental measurements, namely that (i) d5 [Mn(L1)2Cl2] is high spin with S = 5/2; (ii) d7 [Co(L1)2Cl2] has a spin state of S = 3/2, (iii) d8 [Ni(L1)2Cl2] has a spin state of S =
... Show MoreThe use of economic resources enjoyed Iraq by especially oil resources, which constitute the main source of financial revenue, would the economic surplus outside the oil sector increases by mobilizing and rallying the labor power and turn it into an access capitalism, , was the cause of "the inaction of the productive sectors of the economy, made the investment planning process and even investment in human capital was not rationality with the increasing number of unemployed, particularly certificates and specializations high campaign, direction of the government towards market liberalism after 2003 through the, was focused not follow a clear economic policies, and the absence of planning, and the absence
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