Research in Agricultural Engineering, 2004 (vol. 50), issue 3
Potato bruise spot sensitivity dependence on regimes of cultivation
J. Blahovec, J. Židová
Res. Agr. Eng., 2004, 50(3):89-95 | DOI: 10.17221/4932-RAE 
Potato tuber bruising was simulated by impact pendulum at temperature 7°C. Two varieties (Agria and Samantana) cultivated under five different regimes were tested one month and/or five months after harvest. The regimes of cultivation differ by fertilising and/or irrigation. The obtained black spots were measured carefully to obtain detailed shape and volume. The obtained results are discussed in relation to tuber anatomy (vascular ring), regime of cultivation and mean tuber density. It is shown that contrary to bruising in fruits the black spots had maximum diameter not close to the surface but close the vascular ring. The relation between spot volume...
Application of smart sensors in the measurement of soil physical parameters
W. Skierucha, A. M Wilczek, R. T Walczak
Res. Agr. Eng., 2004, 50(3):96-102 | DOI: 10.17221/4933-RAE
The study presents the project and partial implementation of a modern monitoring system for the measurement of soil physical parameters. It is provided with smart sensors equipped with signal conversion electronics, individual identification and communication means decreasing the complexity of the measurement system and also the measurement errors that can appear during analog signal transmission along the cables from the sensors to the measuring unit. The applied wireless communication system operates in the 433MHz ISM (Industrial, Scientific, Medical) licence free frequency band for transmission of commands and data between a remote PC compatible...
Research specificity and standardization of agrophysical methods on the example of investigations in soil physics
A. Bieganowski, W. Skierucha, R.T. Walczak
Res. Agr. Eng., 2004, 50(3):103-106 | DOI: 10.17221/4934-RAE
The study presents agrophysics as an interdisciplinary branch of science dealing with the application of physical methods to examine the properties of agricultural materials and products as well as processes in soil-plant-atmosphere and plant-machine-crop systems, sustainable plant and animal production, modern food processing technology, especially concentrating on the quality of substrates and food products. The discussed specificity of agrophysical metrology results mainly from the big diversity as well as special and temporal variability of the studied objects and processes. The complexity of the field covered by agrophysics requires the efforts...
Ethanol enriched biodiesel as a fuel for compression ignition engines
M. Polák
Res. Agr. Eng., 2004, 50(3):107-111 | DOI: 10.17221/4935-RAE
In the Czech Republic the increased utilization of the biofuels, especially for diesel engines, has been registered in the last ten years. The rape-seed oil based fuels - called biodiesel, is the most extended. The use of rape-seed oil brings a good ecological and agronomic aspect, e.g. positive energetic and CO2 balance, biological decomposition, etc. A special attention should be paid for the emissions. The paper presents the practical results of the performance with the commercially available biodiesel and their mixtures with different quantity of fermented ethanol. The testing was realized with an unmodified AVIA 712.18 truck engine...
The present time of transposition of the European environmental legislation into Czech food industry
L. Macháčková, P. Heneman
Res. Agr. Eng., 2004, 50(3):112-116 | DOI: 10.17221/4936-RAE
The accession of the Czech Republic in the European Union has brought a necessity to adopt a range of new legal regulations and to apply them in our conditions. Their application however connects with a highly demanding and complex process of implementation of the individual acts of law, administrative and time requirements. One of laws that had to be adopted is the Act No. 76/2002 Coll. on integrated prevention and pollution control, on the integrated pollution register and on amendment to some Acts (hereinafter the IPPC Act). The Act imposes an obligation for all operators of various industrial and processing plants working at certain production...
N2O emission from mineral soils - Reviews
T. Włodarczyk, J. Gliński, U. Kotowska
Res. Agr. Eng., 2004, 50(3):117-122 | DOI: 10.17221/4937-RAE
Increasing deposition of N-compounds cause environmental problems such as leaching of nitrate or enhanced emission of N2O. Most N2O is formed from dissimilatory reduction of nitrate in oxygen deficient environment, although it can also be produced from chemolitotrophic and heterotrophic nitrification and assimilatory reduction of nitrate in aerobic conditions. N2O production is affected by many physical and biochemical factors, such as: the nature and amount of organic matter available as energy sources to the denitrifiers and heterotrophic nitrifiers, the aeration/moisture status of the soil, the soil nitrate concentration,...