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.
In this work, Pure and Cu: doped titanium dioxide nano-powder was prepared through a solid-state method. the dopant concentration [Cu/TiO2 in atomic percentage (wt%)] is derived from 0 to 7 wt.%. structural properties of the samples performed with XRD revealed all nanopowders are of titanium dioxide having polycrystalline nature. Physical and Morphological studies were conducted using a scanning electronic microscope SEM test instrument to confirm the grain size and texture. The other properties of samples were examined using an optical microscope, Lee's Disc, Shore D hardness instrument, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Results showed that the thermal conductivity
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Diamond-like carbon (DLC) homogeneous thin films were deposited from cyclohexane (Ccyclohexane (Ccyclohexane (Ccyclohexane (C cyclohexane (Ccyclohexane (Ccyclohexane (C cyclohexane (Ccyclohexane (C 6H12 ) liquid by using a plasma jet system which operates with alternating high voltage 7.5 which operates with alternating high voltage 7.5which operates with alternating high voltage 7.5which operates with alternating high voltage 7.5 which operates with alternating high voltage 7.5which operates with alternating high voltage 7.5which operates with alternating high voltage 7.5 which operates with alternating high voltage 7.5which operates with alternating high voltage 7.5 which operates with alternating high voltage 7.5which operates with al
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Zinc Oxide (ZnO) is considered as one of the best materials already used as a window layer in solar cells due to its antireflective capability. The ZnO/MgF2 bilayer thin film is more efficient as antireflective coating. In this work, ZnO and ZnO/MgF2 thin films were deposited on glass substrate using pulsed laser deposition and thermal evaporation deposition methods. The optical measurements indicated that ZnO thin layer has an energy gap of (3.02 eV) while ZnO/MgF2 bilayer gives rise to an increase in the energy gap. ZnO/MgF2 bilayer shows a high energy gap (3.77 eV) with low reflectance (1.1-10 %) and refractive index (1.9) leading to high transmittance, this bilayer could be a good candidate optical material to improve the performance
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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<
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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
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Thin films of CuPc of various thicknesses (150,300 and 450) nm have been deposited using pulsed laser deposition technique at room temperature. The study showed that the spectra of the optical absorption of the thin films of the CuPc are two bands of absorption one in the visible region at about 635 nm, referred to as Q-band, and the second in ultra-violet region where B-band is located at 330 nm. CuPc thin films were found to have direct band gap with values around (1.81 and 3.14 (eV respectively. The vibrational studies were carried out using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Finally, From open and closed aperture Z-scan data non-linear absorption coefficient and non-linear refractive index have been calculated res
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Electrochemical method was used to prepare carbon quantum dots (CQDs). Size of matter was nature when evaluate via X-ray diffraction (XRD). A distinct peak at 2θ equal to 31.6° and three other small peaks at 38.28°, 56.41° and 66.12° were observed. The measures of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) showed the bonds in the transmittance spectrum are manufactured with carbon nanostructures in view. The first peaks are the O–H stretching vibration bands at (3417 and 2922) cm−1, (C–O–H at 1400, and 1317) cm−1, (C–H), (C=C), (C–O–H), (C=O), and (C–O) bonds at 2850, 1668, 1101, and 1026 cm−1 sequentially. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results presented that the spherical CQDs are in shape and on a
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PMMA/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
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