Cut Height Research Articles

Shade, height of cut, and plant growth regulator effects on bermudagrass and zoysiagrass putting greens

Shade, height of cut, and plant growth regulator effects on bermudagrass and zoysiagrass putting greens

To determine the cut height of fallen stems

Abstract A significant part of the harvested crops lies down by the beginning of harvesting, and the harvesting of fallen bread cereals is accompanied by an increase in grain losses. The productivity and quality of the cutting devices of harvesting machines, which are used for harvesting crops, largely depend on the cut height of the fallen stems. It was found out that with an increase in the cut height, grain losses increase, and with its decrease, the efficiency of agricultural machinery decreases due to clogging of mechanisms with plants and soil. The article considers the analytical dependencies between the characteristics of the height of the cut stems, the soil surface and the cutting machine in its general movement across the field. The basic formulas of such dependencies are given.

Efficacy of the Coronoid Notch and Occlusal Plane As Predictable Landmarks for Determining the Medial Cut Height in Bilateral Sagittal Split Osteotomy: A Split-Mouth Observational Study.

This split-mouth observational study was conducted to assess the reliability and safety of using the coronoid notch and occlusal plane as landmarks to aid surgeons during bilateral sagittal split osteotomy(BSSO). Thirteen patients between the ages of 18 and 30 years, with class II and class III mandibular skeletal malocclusion requiring BSSO, were randomly selected and assigned to each of the study and control groups. A split-mouth study was chosen to conduct this research. Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging was conducted before the surgery to evaluate the anatomical structure, and three predefined points were marked at the superiormost point of the mandibular foramen, the inferiormost point of the mandibular foramen, and the deepest point of the sigmoid notch. A conventional sagittal split osteotomy was carried out in the control group. Preoperative values were obtained in the study group using the CBCT imaging technique by drawing an imaginary line from the inferiormost part of the mandibular foramen to the line corresponding to the occlusal plane that extended beyond the last molar. The lingual flap reflection was restricted to the internal oblique ridge. The posterior border of the mandible was not reflected. The measurements acquired via CBCT imaging were accurately transferred to the intraoperative surgical site using a vernier caliper. This facilitated the precise completion of the horizontal osteotomy, ascending ramus cuts, and vertical osteotomies. BSSO was performed, the mandibular setback or advancement was done with intermaxillary fixation, and the procedure was completed by rigid fixation. Types of lingual splits, types of lateral bone cut ends (LBCEs), any unfavorable split, and the time taken for the surgery (in minutes) were assessed. The surgery time in the control group (20.1538 ± 2.85325 min) was found to be higher than that in the study group (17.6154 ± 3.59487 min), with a p-value of 0.02. No significant differences were observed when assessing the presence of unfavorable splits in both groups (p = 0.500). Buccal LBCEs were the most prevalent, followed by inferior types. Type I lingual split was the most common in the study group (70%). This technique offers a dependable anatomical reference and significantly reduces surgical time for beginners. Additionally, the patterns of the lingual split were correlated with the types of lateral bone cut ends.

Sustainability of athletic field turf comparing organic and synthetic practices under two heights of cut

AbstractLong‐term comparisons over several years between organic and synthetic management are lacking in sports turf research. Our objective was to investigate playing surface qualities and soil properties over an 8‐year period. For this trial, Kentucky bluegrass (KBG, Poa pratensis L.) sod was established and annually inter‐seeded with perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and KBG. Factors included height of cut (3.2 and 6.4 cm) and management systems (MSs; synthetic and organic) with three replicates. Synthetic practices included chemical fertilizers and pesticides, while the organic system used hand‐weeding and biological fertilizers (leaf compost and naturally derived organics) with biological controls. In all years, wear was simulated in the fall using a slip‐wear machine and evaluated for playing qualities including visual wear tolerance, ball bounce (BB), surface hardness, and traction. Soil properties were evaluated in some years including pH, soil organic matter (SOM), soil bulk density, soil aggregate stability (SAG), and soil available P. Both MS received the same total N of 196 kg ha−1 year−1 but P applied varied with the MS (synthetic, 7.6 kg ha−1 year−1; organic, 23.2 kg ha−1 year−1). Synthetic practices provided acceptable visual wear tolerance (1–9, ≥6 acceptable) in 4 of 8 years compared to only 1 year for organic practices. Shorter cut grass (3.2 cm) consistently provided better visual wear tolerance (average = 5.6), harder surfaces (average = 51 g), and higher BB (average = 35.8%) consistent with accepted player standards. Synthetic practices afforded better tolerance to wear compared to organic practices in 5 of 8 years but little difference was observed in the other surface properties. Organic practices were consistently above 6.0 in soil pH (higher by 12%), 20% higher in soil available P, 25% higher in SOM, and with lower soil bulk density. SAG was higher following 8 years of simulated traffic by the last year of the test under organic practices. Results suggest competing benefits with synthetic practices affording better wear tolerance while organic practices promote better soil health.

Caracterización del silaje de maíz de planta entera cosechado a diferentes alturas de corte y con dos aperturas del acondicionador de grano en condiciones de campo

Maize was harvested for whole plant silage at two cutting heights (CH) above the ground, 30cm (CH30) and 55 cm (CH55), and with two grain conditioner roller openings (RO), 1mm (RO1) and 3 mm (RO3). The amount of dry matter of the remaining material (DM) and its dry matter percentage (%DM) at both CH was determined. In a bifactorial design, the CH*OR treatments were analyzed for their kernel processing scores (KPS) on the harvested material, and chemicalcomposition and in situ ruminal degradation of starch (DegS) in micro-silage. Plots harvested at CH55 had a larger DM and showed a tendency to present higher %DM and higher %DM in the ensiled material compared to CH30. In themicro-silage, there were some differences in the contents of neutral detergent fiber and of lignin in acid detergent, for both variables the lowest value was presented by the combination CH55-RO3. Both the KPS of the ensiled material and DegS were similar among all treatments. The KPS value indicates minimal processing under the field conditions.

Characterization of a Rectangular-Cut Kirigami Pattern for Soft Material Tuning

Kirigami is the art of cutting paper to create three-dimensional figures for primarily aesthetic purposes. However, it can also modify the mechanical behavior of the resulting structure. In the literature, kirigami has been applied to modify the material’s structural behavior, such as by changing its elasticity, rigidity, volume, or any other characteristic. This article examines the behavior of a pattern of rectangular kirigami cuts on a thermoplastic polyurethane soft material structure and its influence on the mechanical parameters of the macrostructure. The results demonstrate that rectangular kirigami patterns significantly affect the stiffness of the test specimens, changing from 1635 N/m to 4020 N/m. In elongation, there is a variation from 176.6% to 218% by simply altering the height of the rectangular cut. This enables the adjustment of the soft material structure’s stiffness based on the geometry of the propagating kirigami cuts.

Forage yield and nutritive value of Desho grass (Pennisetum glaucifolium Trin.) as affected by cutting heights in the central highlands of Ethiopia

Desho grass (Pennisetum glaucifolium Trin) an important fodder grass. However, information on its production is lacking. This study was carried out to evaluate the forage dry matter yield and nutritive value of Desho grass harvested at different cutting heights (CH), under rain-fed conditions in two different sites in central highlands of Ethiopia for two years. The treatments (T1-T8) were: 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, and 120 cm cutting heights, distributed in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The root splits of the grass were planted in a 3 m × 4 m (12 m2) plot size with 0.5 m × 0.25 m inter and intra-row spacing. In the two locations, over the years, significant differences were observed among cutting heights. The interaction of cutting heights by locations, and location by years were also significant. The interaction among cutting height, location, and year was insignificant. The highest (number of leaves per plant) NLPP was attained as the plant height advance, while the number of tillers per plant (NTPP) showed non-significant differene in different treatments. The dry matter yield (DMY) increased linearly with an increase in CH (ranging from 12.2 to 20.1 t ha−1 at Holetta, and 4.2 to 11.4 t ha−1at Kulumsa). The grass's ash and crude protein (CP) contents decreased as the cutting height increased. An increase in CH increased the fiber content Neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and Acid detergent lignin (ADL), resulting decrease in in-vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD). We recommend that desho grass be managed at 80–90 cm height resulting in optimum dry matter yield and nutritive value for use in smallholder farmers and market-oriented livestock producers of the central highlands of Ethiopia and major growing areas.

Study on the Stability of Cut Slopes Caused by Rural Housing Construction in Red Bed Areas: A Case Study of Wanyuan City, China

The red beds that are widely distributed in hilly areas in eastern Sichuan Province are inevitable rock and soil masses in engineering construction. In order to obtain a larger building area, engineering slope cutting is quite common in red bed hilly areas. Engineering slope cutting destroys the inherent stability of a slope and causes geological disasters. In order to practice the concept of sustainable development and explore ways to develop and utilize land resources reasonably and reduce the possibility of geological disasters caused by engineering slope cutting, this paper took the slope cutting sites caused by rural housing construction in the red bed area of Wanyuan City as research objects. The internal and external factors affecting the stability of the cut slopes were summarized through a field investigation, and two typical slopes were selected for analysis. Sampling and indoor tests were conducted to obtain the geotechnical parameters. Geo Studio software (2018 R2) was employed to establish numerical models, simulate the stress and strain distributions, and compute stability coefficients under different slope cutting conditions at the same time. Based on field investigations and numerical simulations, the three main failure modes of shallow landslides caused by slope cutting were summarized, and the evolution process of slope landform accelerated by slope cutting activities was deduced. In an engineering application, the functional relationship between the cutting height and the stability coefficient was fitted. It was found that the critical cut height values of soil slope were 6.3 m, 6.2 m, 5.2 m, and 2.6 m at slope of 10°, 20°, 30° and 40°, respectively; the critical cut height values of rock–soil mixed slope were 9.3 m, 6.5 m, 5.9 m, and 2.2 m at slope of 10°, 20°, 30° and 40°, respectively. The research findings can be used to prevent and manage the hazards caused by slope cutting in this study area.

A new technique for determination of the optimum cut height according to the fabric type in garment production

Purpose Fabrics, which are one of the raw materials of the clothing industry, constitute approximately 40–45% of the total cost of an apparel product. Due to the labor-intensive nature of this industry and failure to apply scientific methods along with the manufacturing processes, the wastes in the raw materials, including fabrics, become higher. Besides, quality deficiencies are encountered due to the same reasons. This study aims to determine the optimum total fabric layer height based on the fabric type during the cutting process with a straight knife cutting machine, which provided a decrease in the cutting errors. Design/methodology/approach Frequently used fabric types in an enterprise operating in organic cotton knitwear were listed. During the cutting tests, the straight knife cutting machine was used as the cutting device. The weight and thickness values of the fabrics were obtained to provide a comparison basis. Two different algorithms were created to evaluate the defective pieces according to fabric type, cutting height and error placement. Cutting resistances of these fabrics were also determined to evaluate the defect reasons. In the end, optimum total fabric layer count and total cutting height suggestions were proposed for each fabric type for a minimum cutting error. Findings At the end of this study, the error-free layers were identified per fabric type. At the same time, the optimum cutting height was suggested for each fabric basis. For 40/1 single jersey fabrics, the cutting height should be between 2.10 cm and 10.40 cm; for 30/1 single jersey fabrics, between 1.65 cm and 5.70 cm; for 20/1 single jersey fabrics, between 1.83 cm and 6.70 cm; for two-thread fleece fabrics, between 2.13 cm and 4.70 cm; and for three-thread fleece fabrics, between 0 cm and 4.90 cm. Research limitations/implications Within the scope of the study, since the products made of knitted fabric were produced more frequently and in large quantities, the study was carried out with 15 different types of knitted fabrics at 10 different layers. The same methods should be applied for woven, denim and nonwoven fabric types, which would shed light on the following studies. Originality/value Due to scarce research carried out on the cutting procedure of the clothing industry in regards to sustainability, this study aims to contribute to this area. The main difference between this study and the studies that mostly make mathematical predictions about the cutting procedure is that it is practice-oriented.

A Study Protocol to Investigate the Influence of Shoe Collar Height on Coordination and Plantar Pressure Distribution during Locomotion in Young Adults

Introduction: Higher collar heights are often associated with increased ankle support and stability while lower collar heights may allow for greater ankle flexibility. The design of footwear, particularly the height of the collar, plays a crucial role in influencing how individuals move and distribute pressure on their feet during various activities. Aim: To investigate how high-cut, low-cut and mid-cut shoes affects coordination and plantar pressure distribution during walking in young adults. Materials and Methods: Ninety-five healthy college-going students aged between 18-25 years wearing casual shoes for atleast six hours a day for 5 days a week for more than 6 months will be recruited through convenience sampling method. Participants shall be grouped based on the design and cut height of their shoes into high-cut, low-cut and mid-cut categories. Coordination tests under barefoot and shod conditions will be used to assess coordination. Plantar pressure in barefoot condition for different foot regions will be determined through Harris mat and Podia Scan® software. Results: Kolmogorov-Smirnov test will be used to determine normality (n>50). Parametric (Paired t-test) or non-parametric test (Wilcoxon-Signed Rank Test) will be used for within-group analysis. For between-group analysis, parametric (One-way ANOVA) or nonparametric test (Kruskal-Wallis H test) will be used. Conclusion: Understanding the relationship between shoe collar height and lower extremity coordination as well as foot pressure distribution is crucial for designing footwear that optimises performance, minimises injury risk, and enhances overall movement efficiency across various physical activities

Technological and microbiological characterization of an industrial soft-sliced bread enriched with chitosan and its prebiotic activity

Several studies have described the effects of chitosan as an ingredient in bread, particularly from a technological and functional point of view. However, these studies mainly focus on breads produced at lab scale with a short shelf life, which may not reflect the changes occurring in industrial production. Our study investigated the potential of using chitosan at an industrial scale to produce soft white bread, evaluating its impact on the final product's shelf life and providing deeper insights into the practical possibilities and limitations of its scalability. In particular, the rheological properties of the dough and the overall qualitative characteristics of the breads were evaluated when chitosan was used at 0.75 and 1.5%. The use of chitosan in bread dough increased its viscoelasticity, firmness and extensibility, making the dough more elastic but harder to mold and process industrially (extension resistance: 41.70 for 1.5% chitosan vs 22.55 for the control). Chitosan breads exhibited higher pH, aw (1.5%: 0.955 vs control: 0.934), firmness and a larger pore size, with a lower cut height and a more pronounced colour due to increased Maillard reactions. Microbiologically, the chitosan breads were within acceptable limits (<4 and 3 log CFU/g for aerobic mesophilic bacteria and yeasts, respectively) but showed no effect on spoilage microbiota. However, the addition of chitosan increased the prebiotic activity of the bread, as assessed by its ability to promote the growth of selected probiotics in simulated intestinal fluid, which has the potential to positively impact consumers' gut health.

Tall Fescue Mowing Height Effects under Simulated Athletic Field Traffic

Tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus) offers an alternative to kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) for use on athletic fields. Tall fescue has the ability to withstand athletic field traffic, but little is known about the best management practices such as optimal height of cut (HOC). A 2-year study was conducted on established ‘Snap Back’ tall fescue grown over a native soil root zone to determine optimal HOC under simulated athletic field traffic. Plots were maintained at various HOC treatments (1.5, 2, or 3 inches) for the duration of the growing season. Twenty-five simulated traffic events were applied each fall with a modified Baldree traffic simulator. The percentage of green cover (GC) loss per traffic event by HOC varied between years. In 2017, the 1.5-inch HOC improved traffic tolerance (–1.7% GC per event) compared with the other HOC treatments (–2.6% GC per event) in terms of percentage of GC. In 2018, the HOC did not have an impact on traffic tolerance. Differences in traffic tolerance between years could be a result of differences in precipitation (78 mm in 2017, 6 mm in 2018) during the period when traffic occurred, which suggest that the lower HOC performs better under wet conditions compared with the greater HOC. There were no differences among treatments for the safety variables measured (surface hardness, rotational resistance, and soil moisture).

Innovative Selective Harvesting Technology for Cauliflower: A Design Approach using Plant Characteristics

Traditional manual harvesting methods for cauliflower are labor-intensive, time-consuming, and costly, and non-selective harvesting often leads to significant yield losses due to immature curds being harvested. To address these challenges, there is growing interest in developing selective cauliflower harvesters that can accurately identify and harvest mature and healthy cauliflower heads while minimizing damage and waste. This research paper focuses on the determination of design parameters for an efficient and adaptive selective cauliflower harvester based on a comprehensive understanding of the physical and mechanical properties of cauliflower plants. Two cauliflower varieties, Pusa Meghna, and Pusa Sharad, were studied to measure various physical properties such as plant width, height, curd diameter, curd depth, stalk diameter, stalk length, and stalk moisture content. Additionally, cutting force was measured to design the cutting unit of the harvester. The results revealed that design parameters, including frame height, width, length, cutter length, and cutter height, should be tailored to the specific physical properties of cauliflower plants to optimize the selective harvesting process. This research contributes valuable insights to the advancement of agricultural robotics and engineering, laying the groundwork for the development of sophisticated selective cauliflower harvesters.

Effect of cutting height, a bacterial inoculant and a fibrolytic enzyme on corn (Zea mays L.) silage quality

This study aimed to evaluate cutting height (CH) effects on ensiled corn without additives (C), with a lactic acid bacteria inoculant (L), a fibrolytic enzyme (F), or a mixture of both (FL), considering chemical composition and both in vitro digestibility dry matter (IVDMD) and in vitro neutral detergent fiber (IVNDFD). Corn was harvested at three different cutting heights (12, 25 or 42 cm above the soil) and ensiled with or without additives (AD). Data was analyzed according to a factorial design, with a 3 x 4 arrangement of treatments and three repeats. Dry matter content was highest in C12 and lowest in F12 (P&lt;0.05) silages. As cutting height was higher, cell wall content was lower (P&lt;0.05). Even considering it increased after the use of additives (P&lt;0.05), the highest values occurred with FL silages. Crude protein was equal (P˃0.05) between CH and increased (P&lt;0.05) with AD. The highest IVDMD was observed for 42 cm CH, while IVDMD and IVNDFD were higher in C and F, but lower with FL. None of the inoculation treatments, alone or combined improved corn silage quality. In fact, FL combination decreased such quality. Highlights: The efficacy of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and exogenous fibrolytic enzyme (EFE) is a funtion of the amount of cell walls and sugars present in the maize plant at harvest. Adding LAB and EFE to maize forage harvested at different cutting heights did not improve silage quality, in fact, the combination of both additives decreased silage quality. Further studies are needed to prove the efficacy of EFE and its combination with LAB on maize silage quality.

Zinc oxide nano-flowers improve the growth and propagation of mulberry cuttings grown under different irrigation regimes by mitigating drought-related complications and enhancing zinc uptake

Silkworm larvae mainly consume mulberry leaves; therefore, mulberry cultivation is important for the production of raw silk. Drought stress and micronutrient deficiency (Zn) are known to affect the propagation of mulberry cuttings. In this purview, the current investigation attempted to inspect the efficacy of different concentrations of zinc oxide nano-flower (ZnNFs) applied through both soil admixture and foliar spray on the propagation of mulberry cuttings grown under deficit irrigation regimes. The overall results demonstrated that the ZnNF-treated plant cuttings were well-adapted to drought stress and performed better in comparison to the control set. Out of the tested concentrations – ZnNF-10 (applied as 10 mg/kg soil and 10 ppm as foliar spray thrice) was found to be optimum, showing relatively better initial root establishment, the emergence of leaves, and survival and sprouting percentage. Further studies also confirmed an improvement in the accumulation of photosynthetic pigments, carbohydrates, and protein content even under extreme drought conditions. Most importantly, the ZnNF-10 treatment contributed to ROS detoxification and cell membrane protection by enhancing the pool of antioxidant enzymes. The study further demonstrated that ZnNF-10 application enhanced zinc content by 147.50%, 179.49%, and 171.99% in root, shoot, and leaves of the treated cuttings; thereby, improving the bioaccumulation factor of the plant parts. All of these interactive phenomena led to an increment in shoot height, biomass, leaf area, and leaf number of cuttings. These findings, therefore, indicated that ZnNFs can be developed as a promising nano-fertilizer for mulberry growth facilitating Zn uptake and mitigation of drought-induced complications.

Effects of cut height and inoculant application on yield, nutrient composition, fermentative profile, and in vitro degradability of brown midrib whole-plant corn silage

Our objective was to determine the effects of cut height and inoculant application on brown midrib (BMR) whole-plant corn silage (WPCS) quality. Corn was harvested at 2 cut heights: low-cut height (LC, 30.5 cm) and high-cut height (HC, 56 cm). Three commercially available inoc- ulants were used as treatments: Lactobacillus plantarum and Pediococcus pentosaceus (SA), Propionibacteria freud- enreichii and Pediococcus pentosaceus (P2), and Lactoba- cillus buchneri and Pediococcus pentosaceus (B500). Mini silos were opened at 5 fermentation time points: 0, 2, 5, 30, and 90 d. Gross yield and DM yield of BMR WPCS decreased for HC compared with LC. The HC increased the concentrations of BMR WPCS DM, CP, and starch and predicted milk yield; decreased the concentration of NDF and ADF; and tended to increase NDF digestibility in 30-h in vitro digestion. The greater nutritive value of the HC possibly allows for an increased quantity of forage to be included in the TMR and de- creases the amount of ground corn needed to be added to the diet, potentially providing an economic benefit. The HC had lower acetic acid concentration compared with LC for CON and B500. The HC tended to have lower total acids and lactic acid compared with LC for all treatments. There was an interaction of height × length of storage for the fermentative profile. The increased acid concentra- tions during ensiling were expected and the greater acids concentration for LC compared with HC was probably due to more water-soluble carbohydrates for LC, which should have improved fermentation. The HC yielded a WPCS with better nutritional value; however, the fermen- tative profile was reduced compared with LC. Our results indicate that in the present conditions, the use of these particular inoculants did not improve WPCS fermentation profile.

Sustainable rural infrastructure: guidelines for roadside slope excavation

The construction of non-engineered, equipment-based rural roads in Nepal Himalaya is one of the predominant causes of landslides. The construction frequency of such roads has significantly increased over the past decade. However, the present guidelines governing slope excavation for these roads are not based on geotechnical characterizations of sites. The current study uses the limit equilibrium method with the Mohr–Coulomb constitutive model to determine safe cut heights and slopes for varying geometric and material parameters. GeoStudio Slope/W was used to model soil slopes with various gradients, and cuts with varying depths and slope angles were modeled to calculate the factor of safety (FoS) against shear failure for different geometric and material conditions. The results of the study were visualized in design charts with FoS as the dependent variable. The analysis highlights the importance of different parameters, i.e., excavation depth, excavation slope, and existing ground slope in the FoS, in addition to the slope-forming material. Furthermore, a field study was carried out to validate the model using the clustering approach. The results from the field are similar to those from the numerical model, although some additional site-specific parameters like vegetation cover and surface runoff conditions should be considered before selecting the cut slope. Finally, this study proposes that future road construction guidelines should consider terrain parameters, hydrology, and geotechnical site conditions to promote sustainable road infrastructure and reduce future disaster risks in the Himalayan region.

THE PROPERTIES SYNERGY OF STEEL AND WOOD IN THE CONSTRUCTIONS OF METAL-AND-TIMBER I-BEAMS WITH A CORRUGATED WALL

In modern bearing structures of frame widely used thin-wall steel profiles and constructions from glued timber. Each of these materials has its own advantages and disadvantages in the issues of bearing capacity, rigidity, heat engineering and other physical characteristics. For further improvement of the efficiency of bearing frame buildings it is expedient to consider possibility of combination of positive properties of timber and metal due to their optimal constructive combination.&#x0D; The purpose of the research is to determine the effectiveness and expediency of using metal-and-timber I-beam profiles in the construction of building frames. The uniqueness of this construction lies in to synthesize the properties of corrugated metal wall, which is well perceived transverse forces in beams, and belts from mass or glued timber, which are able to perceive significant normal stress along fibers and at the expense of the intensity contribute to the guarantee of bending-steep stability of beams.&#x0D; For a reliable combination of steel profiled sheet and timber belts it is possible to use mechanical suppression of rigid corrugated steel wall in timber belts, or connection with two-component epoxy adhesive, which has good adhesion both with metal and timber surfaces. As a result of the use of metal profiled walls in timber double-walled beams there is an increase in bearing capacity, rigidity of profile, the necessary height of cut and own weight of beams is reduced. All this significantly increases the range of use of double-branch beams with belts from timber and increases their efficiency.&#x0D; To ensure high corrosion resistance, a galvanized metal sheet is used. Due to the use of timber and thin corrugated wall, the own weight of combined beams is 2-3 times less than the same metal and solid timber beams of rectangular cut, which reduces the cost of building construction. Application of combined metal-and-timber beams is a promising direction of further increase of efficiency of constructions of bearing frame of buildings, combining positive properties of two materials.

Nitrogen response of regenerated tillers varied among node positions in ratoon rice

Rice ratooning produces a ratoon crop (RC) with regenerated tillers in different nodes on the stubble of main crop (MC). It is crucial to apply nitrogen (N) at 15 d after heading and 1–2 d after harvest of MC for promoting bud initiation (N B ) and tiller growth (N T ), respectively to achieve high grain yield of RC. However, limited information is available on the N response of regenerated tillers in different node positions of RC. The hypothesis is that N response varied among node positions of regenerated tillers. [METHODS] Field experiments were conducted in 2019 and 2020 to compare yield performance of regenerated tillers of upper and lower node positions in RC under various combinations of N B and N T treatments and two cutting heights (15 and 45 cm) using a rice variety Huanghuazhan. showed that there was no significant difference in grain yield among N treatments of regenerated tillers in upper node (3rd and 2nd nodes from the top for 15 and 45 cm cutting height, respectively). However, N B and N T significantly increased the grain yield of regenerated tillers in lower nodes by 23.5 %− 52.7 % and 49.3 %− 115.7 %, respectively, which was mainly attributed to increased panicles m −2 for both cutting heights. N application also increased total dry weight and total N uptake of regenerated tillers in lower nodes, but not in upper node. Furthermore, a significant and positive correlation between grain yield and total N uptake was observed for regenerated tillers in lower nodes, but not in upper node. Our results indicate that regenerated tillers in lower nodes were more responsive to N application than those in upper node. [IMPLICATIONS] Therefore, optimization of N management for RC should emphasize on the N response of regenerated tillers in lower nodes for achieving high grain yield of RC. • Nitrogen (N) responses of tillers varied among node positions in ratoon crop. • Nitrogen responses of tillers in lower nodes were higher than in upper node. • Cutting height did not change N responses of tillers in various node positions. • Yield variation of ratoon crop was mainly due to the tillers in lower nodes.

Development and evaluation of notched concave disc seed drill for direct seeding of wheat in paddy stubble field

Combine harvester leaves behind a swath of loose paddy residues, which interfere with wheat sowing operations in conventional seed drills. To avoid this problem, farmers resort to the burning of paddy residue, which not only leads to the loss of massive biomass but also causes environmental pollution. To enable the sowing of wheat in paddy stubble fields, various kinds of furrow openers were introduced by many researchers. Due to high maintenance and low performance of these furrow openers are not adopted up to the desired level. The main objective of this study is to develop a furrow opener and seed drill that overcomes the problem of existing furrow openers like the uniform seeding operation, least soil disturbance, and better straw handling capacity. The developed seed drill and double disc seed drill (control) were evaluated in a combine harvested field at three levels of forward speed (1.5, 2.1, and 2.8 kmh −1 ) and height of cut (38, 45, and 52 cm) of straw. The results were evaluated in terms of plant emergence, tillers per meter area, effective tillers per meter area, plant height, pinnacle length, number of grains per ear head, weight of grain per ear head, and wheat yield. The fuel consumption was 12% less than the double-disc seed drill. Whereas, the average yield (4.6 t ha −1 ) was also higher in notched concave disc seed drill. The Notched concave seed drill offers the means of drilling wheat into paddy stubble without burning, eliminating air pollution and loss of nutrients and organic carbon due to burning, at the same time as maintaining or increasing yield. • Direct seeding avoids paddy straw burning, which is a climate-friendly practice. • Notched concave disc are self-engaging type which helps to get desired penetration. • The operating cost of developed seed drill is 1495.07 R/ha. • Fuel consumption of developed seed drill is 12% less than double disc seed drill. • It reduces crop production cost and improves soil productivity in p-w system.