Research in Agricultural Engineering, 2021 (vol. 67), issue 3
A newly developed method based on surface physicochemical proprieties, for measuring the maturation level of olive fruitOriginal Paper
Soukaina Soufiani, Mohamed Bensalah, Hafida Zahir, Hajar Koubali, Mostafa El Louali, Hassan Latrache
Res. Agr. Eng., 2021, 67(3):101-107 | DOI: 10.17221/38/2020-RAE 
The maturation process is an important determining factor to initiate the fermentation process in olive fruit. Level of maturation classically determined by the color of the olive fruit. In this study, we aim to develop a measurable criterion based on physicochemical properties and surface roughness of two important olive varieties grown in Morocco. The hydrophobic/hydrophilic properties and the electron donor-acceptor character of the olives were calculated. The obtained results showed a very clear change in the electron donor character and the surface roughness of the two studied varieties. This change depended on the degree of maturity and the nature...
Determination of the effects of tillage on the productivity of a sandy loam soil using soil productivity modelsOriginal Paper
Tanko Bako, Ezekiel Ambo Mamai, Akila Bardey Istifanus
Res. Agr. Eng., 2021, 67(3):108-115 | DOI: 10.17221/46/2020-RAE
Based on the hypothesis that soil properties and productivity components should be affected by different tillage methods, field and laboratory experiments were conducted to study the effects of zero tillage (ZT), one pass of disc plough tillage (P), one pass of disc plough plus one pass of disc harrow tillage (PH) and one pass of disc plough plus two passes of disc harrow tillage (PHH) on the distribution of the bulk density, available water capacity, pH, organic matter, available phosphorus, iron oxide and aluminium oxide at different soil depths, and their effects on the soil productivity. The available water capacity, pH, organic matter and available...
Design, development and performance evaluation of small-scale fodder chopping machine for farmersOriginal Paper
Jannatul Ferdows Nipa, Md. Hasan Tarek Mondal, Md. Atikul Islam
Res. Agr. Eng., 2021, 67(3):116-122 | DOI: 10.17221/52/2020-RAE
A straw chopper is a mechanical device used to uniformly chop fodder into small pieces to mix it together with other grass and then feed it to livestock. The objective of this research was to design and develop an animal fodder chopping machine to be utilised by dairy farmers within their purchase range. The drawing of these machine parts was undertaken in AutoCAD software and the construction was performed in a local workshop. After development of this machine, performance tests were carried out on a farm. The chopping machine tests were carried out with commonly grown fodder (namely: straw, grass, and maize) in Bangladesh. The performance evaluation...
Influence of the moisture content and speed on the cutting force and energy of tannia cormelsOriginal Paper
Babatunde Olayinka Oyefeso, Akintunde Akintola, Monisola Grace Afolabi, Clement Adesoji Ogunlade, Oluwaseyi Kayode Fadele, Oluwaseye Micheal Odeniyi
Res. Agr. Eng., 2021, 67(3):123-130 | DOI: 10.17221/79/2020-RAE
This study investigated the influence of the moisture content and speed on the cutting force and energy of tannia cormels using the response surface methodology (RSM). The moisture content and cutting speed were varied over five levels each [95.79, 113.68, 136.68, 168.42, 242.11% moisture content (dry basis) and 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 mm×min-1, respectively]. The highest and lowest cutting forces were 114.09 and 63.99 N at the corresponding moisture contents of 168.42 and 113.68% and at cutting speeds of 10 and 20 mm×min-1, respectively. The highest and lowest cutting energies of 0.92 and 0.49 J were both obtained at a 136.68% moisture...
The effects of three plasma-activated water generation systems on lettuce seed germinationOriginal Paper
Rouzbeh Abbaszadeh, Pegah Khosravi Nia, Mahsa Fattahi, Hamidreza Ghomi Marzdashti
Res. Agr. Eng., 2021, 67(3):131-137 | DOI: 10.17221/105/2020-RAE
Irrigation water treatment using plasma technology is a new approach to improve productivity. In this study the generation of plasma-activated water (PAW) as a novel subject in agriculture is investigated. Three water treatment systems were designed and evaluated: 1st PAW generation from vapor and injection into the water, 2nd PAW generation using electrical discharge on the water surface and 3rd PAW generation in the aeration path into the water. The lettuce seeds were irrigated with PAW. The germination rate and mean germination time were measured after 6 days. The seedlings weight and the number of seedlings with...
Characterisation of briquettes from forest wastes: Optimisation approachOriginal Paper
Oluwaseyi Kayode Fadele, Temiloluwa Ojuolape Amusan, Ademola Olagoke Afolabi, Clement Adesoji Ogunlade
Res. Agr. Eng., 2021, 67(3):138-147 | DOI: 10.17221/6/2021-RAE
Waste from a forest environment constitutes an enormous quantity of renewable energy resources. In this study undesirable forest materials, such as jatropha seed shells (JSSs) and Eucalyptus camaldulensis wood shavings (EcWSs) were used in the production of briquettes with Acacia senegal as the binder using mixing proportions of 0 : 100, 25 : 75, 50 : 50, 75 : 25 and 100 : 0 while the binder was varied from 50, 60, 70, 80 to 90 g. Some physical properties, such as the density, moisture content, water resistance and shatter index, were optimised using the response surface methodology at these mixing proportions. The outcome of the...