Efficient Utilization Of Available Resources Research Articles

Feasibility Study of Marigold as Intercrop in Drumstick Cultivation for Interim Income Generation

Drumstick (Moringa oliefera Lam.) PKM-1(Annual) is an important perennial vegetable crop present cultivating in India not only as vegetable and for moringa leaf powder. India is the main producer of drumstick in the world because higher contribution is due to favourable temperature during flowering and fruit development stages. Even though encountered several production hurdles resulting greater yield loss due to existing climatic conditions during fruit developmental stages. But this crop gave them perfect assurance in giving good income in an average about 2-3 Lakhs rupees over a period of 2 years. Based on weather conditions farmers were being come forwarded by training programmes conducted by our KVK from 2017-till date, we have documented the farmers results by growing intercrops mainly marigold crop. Which gives good yield and good income to the farmers before pod formation of drumstick. Marigold is 110 days crop where drumstick gives first yield after 7 months. In between marigold crop not only giving accountable benefits to the farmers and it reduces the nematode problems in the field as well explained by Steiner, 1941 Marigold (Tagetes erecta) is one of the most widely studied plant genera due to its allelopathic potential against PPNs. Marigolds’ repressive impact on nematodes has been documented for over 50 years and some studies said that spiral (Helicotylenchus multicinctus) nematodes are responsible for yield losses of 30–60% in many banana-producing countries in the tropics (Davide, 1995, Speijer and Kajumba, 1996, Kashaija et al., 2004) . The partner crops of the intercropping system share space, water, and nutrients making the most efficient utilization of available resources (Xu et al., 2020). Earlier farmers were paddy growers where they didn’t see profits by selling paddy in IKP centers or as individual sales. So We conducted trails in Huzurabad Division and Errabelli villages of Karimnagar District (Old Karimnagar District), got successful results by doubling the farmer’s income. Raised marigold seedlings in KVK during June month and supplied to the farmers. Transplanted marigold and Drumstick in July month with 60cm x60cm and Drumstick spacing was 3mx3m where 444 plants were accommodated in one acre area, Intercropping is an agricultural system that improves land use efficiency through simultaneous cultivation of more different crops in the same field using functional complementarity to increase resources utilization, increase the productivity of crops and nutrient-use efficiency (Chifflot et al., 2006; Zhan and Li, 2003) Even went through many hurdles in marigold and drumstick crops in rainy season due to paddy growing soils and water logging conditions. In this, observed positive effects on soil carbon and nitrogen of intercropping found in previous intercropping studies (Makumba et al., 2007), [1]. Results are as follows we harvested 36.80Q per acre in 8 pickings and after drumstick pods harvested from February up to June 134 pods per tree. It shows C: B ratio as drumstick (PKM1) contribution 1:11.7 and marigold (Tanindo (Yellow and Orange) contribution 1:4.3 to the farmers. The demonstration plots reported that yield of marigold and drumsticks are 38.6Q and 49.58Q per acre. Farmers got good income Rs. 2, 74,160.00 through two crops in one acre area with Marigold as inter crop in Drumstick plantation. Based on this success story of the farmers, NABARD bank started giving loans to the farmers and they published this success story in their credit linkage plan 2018-19.

Integrated Farming System: A Sustainable Approach towards Modern Agriculture

Integrated farming system (IFS) is an integrated approach towards sustainable agriculture in this modern era. It is the integration of various agricultural enterprises or practices such as crops, livestock, Poultry, fish, agroforestry, horticulture, vermicomposting, Mushroom cultivation and beekeeping, in a single farming system. IFS is considered as the efficient tool for enhancing the profitability of farming systems especially for small and marginal farmers. The purposes or objectives of the IFS are: It enhances the productivity per unit area; Agriculture waste management; Soil health management and soil conservation; Generation of diversified income round the year; less use of chemicals; Increasing the yield of all integrated components and food security. IFS include various components or enterprises. These enterprises not only increase the farmer’s income but also increase employment generation of a family. The juadicious integration of these agricultural enterprises improves the socio-economic status of the farmers. The crop production component of IFS includes the cultivation of various economically important crops such as cereals, pulses, vegetables, fruits, and herbs. To maintain the soil health & fertility and management of Plant diseases and pests, various cultural methods such as intercropping, crop rotation, soil solarisation, organic amendment, Mulching, etc. Mushroom cultivation is also one of the important enterprises in IFS that contribute towards increase in farmer’s income. Another important component of IFS includes the rearing of different types of livsestock such as cows, goats, sheep, Duckery, Piggery, Apiary, and poultry. Livestock provides a source of income and produces manure, which can be used as fertilizer for crops. Biogas is another enterprise which is the use of agricultural and animal waste to produce energy. This Bioenergy helps to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels and provide a source of income for farmers. There are various models that can be used in IFS like Horticulture+ Piggery+ Fisheries+ Plantation crops and Agriculture+ Horticulture+ Poultry+ Fishery+ Mushroom. Hence, Integrated Farming System is a promising approach for increasing productivity, increasing farmer’s income by utilizing the agricultural and animal waste, recycling farm by-products and efficient utilization of available resources.

Seed yield limitations of coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) based on plant structure analysis

The present study describes the dependencies of key productivity and growth indicators of coriander plants on sowing rate and fertilization parameters. The aim of the research was to establish the patterns of coriander yield formation through the prism of plant structure considering modifications in nutrient conditions and sowing rates. Graphical models and correlation matrices were developed for three coriander varieties with similar morphological features (Oksanit, Nectar, Caribe). Data from field studies conducted in 2013–2015 in the Forest-Steppe zone of Ukraine serve as the basis for model construction. Two variable technological elements were studied (sowing rate of seeds; fertilization system) to determine the dependencies of biometric indicators for each variety. 3D graphical models of dependency for structural elements showed advantages over linear models. Seed yield of coriander in the study ranged from 1.24 t/ha with the lowest sowing rate to 1.91 t/ha with a sowing rate of 2.5 million seeds/ha. Maximum essential oil yield for cv. Oksanit was 46.4 kg/ha with a seed yield of 2.16 tons/ha. Cv. Nectar forms 45.6 kg/ha of essential oil with a seed yield of 2.01 tons/ha, and cv. Caribe forms 40.6 kg/ha with a seed yield of 2.06 tons/ha. Absence of statistically significant correlation between seed yield and essential oil output points to the peculiarities of the experiment. Research factors have opposing effects on the formation of essential oil, and consequently, its yield from the seed yield. The value of the results lies in the potential application of this approach in practice and the implementation of findings in the humid zone. The development of productivity models (like 3D plots) across a range of multiple factors simultaneously, based on crop structure indicators, allows for the prediction of target crop parameters, enabling the efficient utilization of available resources.

Enhancing yield, mineral composition, and energy fractions through intercropping and nutrient management in oats and berseem

Inadequate green fodder of subpar quality poses a significant risk to livestock productivity, underscoring the pivotal role of intercropping and integrated nutrient management to effectively address the dual challenge of meeting both quantity and quality requirements in fodder. In this study, employing factorial randomized block design the experiment incorporated intercropping treatments S1- sole oats, S2- sole berseem, S3- 2 rows of oats + 1 row of berseem, and S4 −1 row of oats + 2 rows of berseem) alongside four nutrient management treatments N1- Control (100 % Recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF)), N2 − 50 % RDF + Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) + 2 spray of seaweed extract, N3 − 75 % RDF + PGPR + 2 spray of seaweed extract, N4 − 100 % RDF + PGPR + 2 spray of seaweed extract with each treatment replicated thrice. Results revealed that the significantly highest green fodder yield of oats (24.73 and 12.81 t ha−1) and berseem (13.35 and 13.79 t ha−1) in S1 and S2 crops recorded at both the cuts, respectively followed by intercropping of oats: berseem in 2:1 (S3) and 1:2 (S4) row ratio. Application of 100 % RDF + PGPR + 2 spray of seaweed extract recorded the highest green fodder yield of oats (21.80 and 9.79 t ha−1) and berseem (8.09 and 11.46 t ha−1). Oats and berseem recorded varying trends in nutrient concentration (1.72–18.9 %), nutrient uptake (35.5 kg ha−1 to 251.4 kg ha−1), energy fractions (0.33 MJ kg−1 to 10.2 MJ kg−1) due to intercropping and nutrient management. Therefore, we recommend adopting a combination of oats: berseem intercropping in a 2:1 row ratio, coupled with the application of 100 % RDF + PGPR + 2 sprays of seaweed extract to optimize yield, improve nutritional quality, and increase energy content. This approach ensures efficient utilization of available resources and can be beneficial for the farming community.

Technology of Fuel Consumption and Emission Reduction, and Enhanced Electricity Generation using Mid-Infrared Rays – A Laser Additive

Efficient utilization of available resources is a promising research direction. In-depth studies can provide a unique platform for reducing fuel consumption while simultaneously reducing pollution, thereby avoiding environmental pollution and health hazards for this purpose various fuel addictive are being used now. A laser additive for liquid and gaseous fuel is yet to be developed. In this context, we successfully used the 2-6 mid-infrared spectrum as a fuel additive. To generate mid-infrared we invented a hand-lit pocket-size mid-infrared generating automizer (MIRGA). The trial fuels were irradiated with this spectral range, which caused chemical changes in the fuels.

A Framework for Sustainability of Small and Medium-scale Businesses in Nigeria Amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on small and medium-scale businesses in Nigeria has exposed the ill-preparedness of business owners and government in guarding against the collapse of these critical assets of the economy and, subsequently, saving livelihoods. Nigeria suffers from a colossal infrastructure inadequacy (for example, power supply and access to the internet are two critical inputs of business), and this problem has for a long time impeded the growth of most companies that cannot afford to run their constant operations on generators and expensive internet. These utilities would have, to a substantial extent, cushioned the effects of lockdowns and enabled e-commerce to thrive, rather than the reliance on the traditional face-to-face approach of doing business. The sustainability principle must be brought to bear on all aspects of life in Nigeria so that the thinking of efficient utilization of available resources will ensure the availability of the same resources in the future; long-term planning by small and medium-scale businesses are anchored on the sustainability concept; business mindsets must change to reflect the reality that it is not business as usual. Managers must begin to see the importance of applying sustainability principles in business, which will positively impact the short and long-term cycle of their business. This paper will peruse the different strategies necessary to keep small and medium-scale businesses afloat in the COVID-19 pandemic period and beyond; it will dissect all the avenues required to navigate the muddy waters occasioned by the advent of the Novel Coronavirus disease to safeguard businesses and jobs in the future in the event of another problematic situation.

Effects of Project Implementation Practices on Project Performance in Tanzania: The Case of Mnazi Bay Gas

Purpose: The successful achievement of any project means that several of its perceived factors were attained. The success of projects depends on how the risks are mitigated and the way it is managed and controlled. This study examined project implementation management practices and their effects on the Mnazi Bay Gas Project Performance. Towards analysing the data, the study used the Resource Based Theory, Theory of Constraints, Management Theory, and Stakeholder Theory.
 Methodology: The study employed a descriptive approach and utilized primary and secondary research methods. The sample size for the study was 100 respondents which included residents around the project, local government leaders, political leaders as well as managers and officials managing the project. Out of 100 only 84 respondents were reached. This study employed simple random sampling and purposive sampling to recruit study sample. The quantitative data were collected through questionnaires and the collected data were analysed using descriptive analysis and presented through descriptive statistics.
 Findings: The study reveals a positive relationship between the successful implementation of the Mnazi Bay Gas project and its overall performance, notwithstanding the challenges associated with community involvement. The research significantly advances our understanding of how project management methods influence the project's success. furthermore, the study highlights the project's strengths, including effective implementation, skilled personnel, and clear communication channels, but also identifies weaknesses, particularly in community engagement. Moreover, the study underscores the impact of various management and implementation challenges, such as difficulties in community involvement, regulatory compliance, and environmental assessments, on the project's performance and ultimate success.
 Conclusion: The study leverages Resource-Based Theory to underscore the efficient utilization of available resources, demonstrating its impact on Mnazi Bay Gas project performance. It utilizes the Theory of Constraints to pinpoint and tackle critical bottlenecks within this resource-intensive project. Management Theory offers a comprehensive view of project management practices and evaluates diverse managerial approaches. Lastly, Stakeholder Theory provides a thorough analysis of stakeholder interests and involvement, shedding light on the intricate dynamics within Mnazi Bay Gas involving local and international stakeholders. This integration of theories enhances the study's analytical framework, enabling a multifaceted evaluation of project implementation practices and their influence on project performance. This study concludes that there is positive relationship between project implementation and the performance of the Mnazi Bay Gas project. Apart from challenges that were identified with regard to community involvement, the Mnazi Bay Gas project was implemented well. However, there are challenges which were identified during planning in so far as the indigenous or surrounding community of the project are concerned. They were not furnished with enough information about the project, their expectations were not met mainly employment to an uneducated and better life and the dissemination of information during planning was bias since the brochures and flyers used a foreign language which is English.
 Recommendations/Policy Implications: Theories enrich the study's analytical framework, facilitating a comprehensive assessment of project implementation practices and their influence on performance. Thus, with this achievement policymakers should consider resource allocation strategies to enhance project performance in resource-intensive endeavors and address critical bottlenecks within projects and implement measures to alleviate constraints. Practitioners involved in project implementation should focus on optimizing resource utilization. Practitioners should adopt a stakeholder-oriented approach, actively engaging with diverse stakeholders and considering their interests throughout the project's lifecycle.

Examining operational efficiency with prudent risks of Covid-19: a contextual DEA analysis with an undesirable intermediate measure.

In the wake of the losses of human lives and disruption to the world economy caused by the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become imperative to assess the effectiveness of containment strategies adopted by countries. The success of any containment strategy of achieving low mortality and high recovery rate depends on the efficient utilization of available but limited resources, such as number of hospital beds and healthcare workers. While the spreading pattern of the pandemic has been researched heavily, there is limited research that comprehensively focuses on the efficient utilization of available resources to achieve the desired aims of low mortality and high recovery. In order to close this research gap, we employ a two-stage network data envelopment analysis (DEA) to identify the inefficiency in the process and resolve the resource constraints by considering medical and non-medical (administrative) interventions as two serial stages. The number of infected people is treated as the intermediate product, which is an undesirable output of the first stage and subsequently enters the second stage as an input. This network DEA model successfully addresses the conflict between the two stages over the handling of infected people and assesses the vulnerabilities of the countries against the transmission rates of the disease in the respective countries. Thus, the objective of this study is to develop a well-coordinated plan for different government agencies to jointly mitigate the risk under constrained resources. The findings reveal that almost of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries have used their resources suboptimally and are producing, on average, almost half the amount of the maximum possible outputs. As a sizeable amount of inefficiency can be explained by varying economic and demographic factors, such as health expenditure and the proportion of the aged population, the efficiency evaluation has been revisited with adjustments for unfavorable externalities. The analysis and its implications can help policymakers formulate optimal resource plans and identify potential areas for improvement.

Productivity and Profitability of Major Crops Cultivated under Mono-cropping vis-à-vis Diversified Conditions in India

Crop diversification suggests the cultivation of more than one crop simultaneously on farmland through efficient utilization of available resources for better returns on the one hand and biodiversity conservation on the other. The present study was undertaken to study the effect of crop diversification on the productivity and profitability of major crops of Punjab and Haryana, for which 100 respondents were interviewed from each state. It was evident that diversification led to a remarkable increase in productivity of paddy and wheat crops by 8.55 and 6.06 per cent in Punjab, while for Haryana, the respective gains were to the tune of 7.30 and 5.33 per cent. Therefore, diversification can be sought to increase the productivity and profitability of the farmers in Punjab and Haryana.

Study on the bio-efficacy of micro-nutrients on lac production

Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) is widely grown in Madhya Pradesh with acreage of 3.63 m ha. C. cajan is generally grown in undulating land with little care. C. cajan is one among the 114 host plants of the insect (Kerria lacca). However, C. cajan is not exploited commercially for lac production in India. Presently, lac production in MP is carried on Butea monosperma, Ziziphus mauritiana and Schleichera oleosa, where farm women find it difficult to climb and perform operational procedures of lac production. In such a condition C. cajan is a good option for lac production, if grown in backyard with limited irrigation and resources. Lac consists of resin, wax and dye, thus has a wide range of applications in food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, perfumes, varnishes, paints, polishes, adhesives, jewellery and textile dye, since ancient times. It is an important intervention/ cultivation to increase the household income of small and marginal farmers with efficient utilization of available resources. Lac insect belongs to order Hemiptera, and family Tachardiidae (Kerriidae) its host range more than 150 host plants. The experiment was carried out during 2016-2017 on Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) at Madhya Pradesh on aspects of survival rate, lac production and also production of Pigeon pea yield by using micronutrients and plant growth regulators. Results revealed that there was an increase in the mean Dry pod weight/plant highest (4.396gm) in T8 (Micronutrients + Auskelp + Arbuscular Mycorrhiza + Aspergillus niger) followed by 4.135gm in T1 (Micronutrients + Auskelp) over control (1.139gm). Similarly, the mean dry seed weight/plant was also highest (2.87gm) T8 followed by 2.80gm T6 (Micronutrients + Plant Growth Regulators + Arbuscular Mycorrhiza) and 2.58gm T7 (Arbuscular Mycorrhiza) over control (0.51gm).

Exogenous application of bio-stimulant and growth retardant improved the productivity of cotton cultivars under different planting arrangement.

Optimum planting arrangement is an important attribute for efficient utilization of available resources and to obtain high yield of cotton. Application of plant growth promoter and retardant on cotton in improved planting density are the innovative techniques in the establishment of more productive cotton crop. Therefore, we planned a field study to assess the role of bio-stimulant and growth retardant in the resource utilization efficiency of cotton cultivars planted under variable row spacing at Agronomic Research Area Bahauddin Zakariya University and Usmania Agricultural Farm Shujabad during Kharif 2012. Experimental treatments consisted of cotton genotypes viz. CIM-573 and CIM-598, cultivated under conventional (75 cm), medium (50 cm) and ultra-narrow row spacing (25 cm) with foliar spray of bio-stimulant (moringa leaf extract) and growth retardant (mepiquate chloride), either sole or in combination, keeping distilled water as a control. Exogenously applied MLE alone and MLE + MC significantly enhanced the number of squares, flowers and green bolls per plant leading to higher cotton seed and lint yield of CIM 598 cultivar cultivated under conventional row spacing. While application of MC alone and MLE + MC produced maximum micronaire value, fiber strength and fiber uniformity ratio of CIM 573 cultivar cultivated under conventional row spacing. The results suggested that application of MLE is a possible approach to enhance the cotton productivity and the use of MC to enhance the fiber quality attributes under conventional row spacing.

Millet and pulse-based intercropping system for agricultural sustainability - A review

Millets and Pulses are world's renowned crops known for their nutritional significance. Millets being an underutilized species; farmer's especially in the rainfed zone solely depend on them for their livelihood; which could be enhanced through a planned and efficient intercropping system. Millets are highly adapted to higher temperature, scanty rainfall, poor fertile soils etc., leading its importance in climate change scenario. On the other hand, limiting land resources equipped with poor soil fertility status leads to find a way for efficient utilization of available resources along with enhanced productivity per unit area and time. This situation can be overcome by intercropping millets along with legumes and this has witnessed higher production with additional benefits which make them more suitable intercropping choice. It is very important that the performance under intercropping system depends on the selection of suitable intercrop. For assessment of intercropping, different indices have been used to determine advantage of an intercropping system over sole cropping using different formulae. This review gives a critical view about millets and pulse-based intercropping for agricultural sustainability.

Blockchain-Enabled Adaptive-Learning-Based Resource-Sharing Framework for IIoT Environment

The industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) has emerged as an essential paradigm to enhance industrial operations and productivity through efficient utilization of available resources. The paradigm allows industrial devices to share computing resources based on locality constraints to support innovative services. In this article, we propose a trusted multihop collaborative computing model for the efficient utilization of nearby devices in an IIoT environment. To establish trust, we explore a social-aware incentive scheme managed by network edge, using distributed ledgers. The extensive simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed model in the presence of malicious nodes in the industrial environment.

Resource use efficiency of cotton in improved vs conventional planting geometry with exogenous application of bio-stimulant and synthetic growth retardant.

Plant growth regulators and improved planting density are the innovative techniques in the establishment of more productive cotton crop. A field study was planned to assess the role of growth regulators in the resource utilization efficiency of cotton cultivars under different row spacing at Agronomic Research Area, Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan and Usmania Agricultural Farm, Shujaabad during Kharif 2012. The study was comprised of cotton cultivars viz. CIM-573 and CIM-598, cultivated under conventional (75 cm), medium (50 cm) and improved ultra-narrow row spacing (25 cm) and foliar spray of growth regulators viz. moringa leaf extract (MLE) and mepiquat chloride (MC), either alone or in combination, distilled water as a control. The application of MLE alone and in combination (MLE + MC) showed the promoting effect on crop growth rate, net assimilation rate, leaf area index, leaf area duration, sympodial branches and number of bolls leading to higher seed cotton yield of both cotton cultivars grown under conventional row spacing. While application of MC averts the plant growth without considerably improving the productivity. MLE being rich source of growth promoting hormone and nutrients showed its potential to a far greater extent under conventional row spacing in efficient utilization of available resources compared to MC and distilled water.

Contribution to Speeding-Up the Solving of Nonlinear Ordinary Differential Equations on Parallel/Multi-Core Platforms for Sensing Systems.

Solving ordinary differential equations (ODE) on heterogenous or multi-core/parallel embedded systems does significantly increase the operational capacity of many sensing systems in view of processing tasks such as self-calibration, model-based measurement and self-diagnostics. The main challenge is usually related to the complexity of the processing task at hand which costs/requires too much processing power, which may not be available, to ensure a real-time processing. Therefore, a distributed solving involving multiple cores or nodes is a good/precious option. Also, speeding-up the processing does also result in significant energy consumption or sensor nodes involved. There exist several methods for solving differential equations on single processors. But most of them are not suitable for an implementation on parallel (i.e., multi-core) systems due to the increasing communication related network delays between computing nodes, which become a main and serious bottleneck to solve such problems in a parallel computing context. Most of the problems faced relate to the very nature of differential equations. Normally, one should first complete calculations of a previous step in order to use it in the next/following step. Hereby, it appears also that increasing performance (e.g., through increasing step sizes) may possibly result in decreasing the accuracy of calculations on parallel/multi-core systems like GPUs. In this paper, we do create a new adaptive algorithm based on the Adams–Moulton and Parareal method (we call it PAMCL) and we do compare this novel method with other most relevant implementations/schemes such as the so-called DOPRI5, PAM, etc. Our algorithm (PAMCL) is showing very good performance (i.e., speed-up) while compared to related competing algorithms, while thereby ensuring a reasonable accuracy. For a better usage of computing units/resources, the OpenCL platform is selected and ODE solver algorithms are optimized to work on both GPUs and CPUs. This platform does ensure/enable a high flexibility in the use of heterogeneous computing resources and does result in a very efficient utilization of available resources when compared to other comparable/competing algorithm/schemes implementations.

Growth and Development of Small Business Through Microfinance Activities in Nepal

Small businesses play important role for economic development and stability. It develops access in financial services through enhancing economic activities. The study analyzes the growth and development of small businesses that enhance through the support of micro finance in Nepal. Descriptive and inferential were used to collected data and collected data were analyzed through using multiple linear regression analysis. Only 124 small business owners were selected for this study. The study helps to find out the growth of microfinance institutions (MFIs) and small businesses in emerging economy in Nepal. It also assists MFIs to assess the effectiveness of their services and help to efficient utilization of available resources in the economy of Nepal.

Safety-Critical Event Triggered Control via Input-to-State Safe Barrier Functions

The efficient utilization of available resources while simultaneously achieving control objectives is a primary motivation in the event-triggered control paradigm. In many modern control applications, one such objective is enforcing the safety of a system. The goal of this paper is to carry out this vision by combining event-triggered and safety-critical control design. We discuss how a direct transcription, in the context of safety, of event-triggered methods for stabilization may result in designs that are not implementable on real hardware due to the lack of a minimum interevent time. We provide a counterexample showing this phenomena and, building on the insight gained, propose an event-triggered control approach via Input to State Safe Barrier Functions that achieves safety while ensuring that interevent times are uniformly lower bounded. We illustrate our results in simulation.

Planning Framework for Optimal Resource Utilization Strategy in Microgrid

The incorporation of distributed energy resources and technical innovations has restructured the electrical power system network from conventional grid to microgrid. Consequently, significant impacts on both distribution and utilization of power have been observed triggered by diverse operating condition and enhanced power demand. In planning of microgrid, energy management is a critical issue which is related to efficient utilization of available resources at minimum operating cost. Distributed and intermittent nature of generations in microgrid demands efficient and optimal allocation of existing resources. An allocation technique is necessary to attain optimal utilization of assets and to accomplish decision making for optimal power flow route through shortest path. This paper proposes a multi-objective optimization-based resource allocation technique to efficiently control available generation at any load condition to achieve minimum operating cost while maintaining all system constraints. In proposed framework, line flows are maximized to its load-carrying capability and by controlling power flow through shortest possible path. Proposed methodology suggests proper controller position to sustain desired power flow through the shortest path between each generator and load pair. An interconnected microgrid network topology is considered to demonstrate the proposed methodology.

Impacts of magnetic water treatment on water quality, feeding efficiency and growth performance of common carp in integrated recirculating aquaculture systems

An integrated recirculating aquaculture system (IRAS) is considered as an alternative solution for efficient utilization of available resources, nutrient recycling and maintaining ecological balance. The effects of using magnetized water on the growth performance of common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) and water quality parameters were investigated in an IRAS. Six independent IRASs were designed; each system consisted of three tanks: a fish rearing tank, a waste-collection tank and a biological filter tank. An additional crop of macrophyte (Lemna minor) was used as a medium in the biological filter tanks in order to qualify as an IRAS. Two treatments with three replicates were set up in a randomized design. The experimental treatment was supplied with the magnetic field device, while there was no device in the control treatment. The fish growth, feeding efficiency and water quality parameters were measured in all systems. The results revealed that the use of magnetized water in the IRASs increased the specific growth rate of common carp and the growth rate of plants; while, decreased the feed conversion ratio. However, the magnetized water had no effects on the concentrations of ammonium nitrogen, nitrite nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen. The study suggested that the use of magnetized water in the IRASs could be beneficial as a cost-effective technique to increase the profitability of the system.

Uncertainty management via online scheduling for optimal short-term operation of cascaded hydropower systems

The efficient utilization of available resources plays a significant role in the operation of cascaded hydropower systems. Scheduling of such systems may be used to determine power generation and generating unit decisions that optimize economic performance subject to prevailing constraints. The highly volatile and unpredictable nature of market and weather conditions give rise to uncertainties in electricity prices and water inflows, which may significantly impact the power generation schedules for these systems. Computed schedules may also give rise to significant variation in the generating unit commitments in response to slight fluctuations in electricity pricing, a phenomenon referred to as “nervousness”. This article focuses on the development and implementation of a novel rolling horizon online scheduling scheme capable of handling uncertainties in key system and model parameters. Different strategies for mitigating the undesirable effects of nervousness are also investigated. These approaches are demonstrated through application to several case studies.