Nitrogen (N) fertilizer rate is important for high yield and good quality of potato tubers. In this dissertation, I seek to study the response of different potato cultivars under different N fertilizer rates and how that can impact tuber quality, examine the performance of active optical sensors in improving a potato yield prediction algorithm, and evaluate the ability of active optical sensors (GreenSeeker (GS) and Crop Circle (CC)) to optimize a N recommendation algorithm that can be used by potato growers in Maine. This research was conducted at 11 sites over a period of two years (2018–2019) in Aroostook County, Maine; all sites depended on a rainfed system. Three potato cultivars, Russet Burbank, Superior, and Shepody, were planted under six rates of N (0-280 kg ha-1), ammonium sulfate and ammonium nitrate, and were applied in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications. Active optical sensor readings (normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI)) were collected weekly after the fourth leaf stage began. The coefficient of determination (R2) between soil organic matter (OM) content and total tuber yield for all sites combined was 0.78**. Sites with ≥ 30 g kg-1 of soil OM produced higher total tuber yield, marketable yield, and tuber weight per plant (39.45%, 45.22%, and 54.94%, respectively) than sites with ≤ 30 g kg-1 of OM. Specific gravity increased by 0.18% in the sites with ≥ 30 g kg-1 of OM. The total tuber yield for the three cultivars was maximized at 168 kg N ha-1. Vegetation indices measurements obtained at stages of 16 or 20 fully expanded leaves were significantly correlated with tuber yield, which can be used in the yield prediction model. Sensor measurements obtained at the 20th leaf stage were significantly correlated with tuber yield, with the exponential model showing the best fit for the regression curve. The recommended N rate calculated based on in-season sensor readings was reduced by approximately 12–14% compared to the total N rate that growers currently apply based on the conventional approach.
ZnS thin films were grown onto glass substrates by flash evaporation technique, the effects of ? – rays on the optical constants of ZnS these films were studied. It was found that ? – rays affected all the parameters under investigation.
PbxCd1-xSe compound with different Pb percentage (i.e. X=0,
0.025, 0.050, 0.075, and 0.1) were prepared successfully. Thin films
were deposited by thermal evaporation on glass substrates at film
thickness (126) nm. The optical measurements indicated that
PbxCd1-xSe films have direct optical energy gap. The value of the
energy gap decreases with the increase of Pb content from 1.78 eV to
1.49 eV.
In the present work, a z-scan technique was used to study the nonlinear optical properties, represented by the nonlinear refractive index and nonlinear absorption coefficients of nanoparticles cadmium sulfide thin film. The sample was prepared by the chemical bath deposition method. Several testing were done including, x-ray, transmission and thickness of thin film. z-Scan experiment was performed at two wavelengths (1064 nm and 532 nm) and different energies. The results showed the effect of self-focusing in the material at higher intensities, which evaluated n2 to be (0.11-0.16) cm2/GW. The effect of two-photon absorption was studied, which evaluated β to be (24-106) cm/GW. In addition, the optical limiting behavior has been studied.
... Show MoreThis contribution investigates the impact of adding transition metal of Ti to CeOy samples at various concentrations referring to 0, 15.84, 24.46, 34.46, 36.23, 38.46, 45.38% and pure TiOy, correspondingly. The samples were fabricated by the magnetron sputtering technique. X-ray diffraction (XRD) configurations demonstrate the presence of α-Ce2O3 and Ce2O3 phases with increased Ti contents in the systems. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) experimentation confirms the purity of the S1-sample (CeO2) and the purity of the S8-sample (TiO2). Further XPS analysis reveals that Ti incorporation in the doped systems functions as a reducing agent because of the existence of α-Ce2O3 and Ce2O3 phases. Moreover, based on UV–vis spectroscopy res
... Show MorePMMA/TiO2 homogeneous thin films were deposited by using plasma jet system under normal atmospheric pressure and room temperature. PMMA/TiO2 nanocomposite thin film synthesized by plasma polymerization. Titanium oxide was mixed with Methyl Methacrylate Monomer (MMA) with specific weight ratios (1, 3 and 5 grams of TiO2 per 100 ml of MMA). Optical properties of PMMA/TiO2 nanocomposite thin films were characterized by UV-Visible absorption spectra using a double beam UV-Vis-NIR Spectrophotometer. The thin films surface morphological analysis is carried out by employing SEM. The structure analysis are achieved by X-ray diffraction. UV-Visible absorption spectra shows that the increasing the concentration of titanium oxide added to the polym
... Show More
(3)
TiO2 thin films were deposited by reactive d.c magnetron sputtering method on a glass substrate with various ratio of gas flow (Oxygen /Argon) (50/50, 100/50 and 150/50) at substrate temperature 573K. It can be observe that the optical energy gap of TiO2 thin films dependent on the ratio of gas flow (oxygen/argon), it varies between (3.45eV-3.57eV) also it is seen that the optical constants (α, n, K, εr and εi ) has been varied with the change of the ratio of gas flow (Oxygen /Argon).
Tin Oxide (SnO2) films have been deposited by spray pyrolysis technique at different substrate temperatures. The effects of substrate temperature on the structural, optical and electrical properties of SnO2 films have been investigated. The XRD result shows a polycrystalline structure for SnO2 films at substrate temperature of 673K. The thickness of the deposited film was of the order of 200 nm measured by Toulansky method. The energy gap increases from 2.58eV to 3.59 eV when substrate temperature increases from 473K to 673K .Electrical conductivity is 4.8*10-7(.cm)-1 for sample deposited at 473K while it increases to 8.7*10-3 when the film is deposited at 673K
In this work, the optical properties of Cu2S with different thickness
(1400, 2400, 4400) Ǻ have been prepared by chemical spray pyrolys
is method onto clean glass substrate heated at 283 oC ±2. The effect
of thickness on the optical properties of Cu2S has been studied. It
was found that the optical properties of the electronic transitions on
fundamental absorption edge were direct allowed and the value of the
optical energy gap of Cu2S (Eg) for direct transition decreased from
(2.4-2.1) eV with increasing of the thickness from (1400 - 4400)Ǻ
respectively. Also it was found that the absorption coefficient is
increased with increasing of thicknesses. The optical constants such<
(1)
Colloidal crystals (opals) made of close-packed polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) were fabricated and grown by Template-Directed methods to obtain porous materials with well-ordered periodicity and interconnected pore systems to manufacture photonic crystals. Opals were made from aqueous suspensions of monodisperse PMMA spheres with diameters between 280 and 415 nm. SEM confirmed the PMMA spheres crystallized uniformly in a face-centered cubic (FCC) array. Optical properties of synthesized pores PMMA were characterized by UV–Visible spectroscopy. It shows that the colloidal crystals possess pseudo photonic band gaps in the visible region. A combination of Bragg’s law of diffraction and Snell’s law of refraction were used to calculate t
... Show More