Advances in Food Science and Technology

Advances in Food Science and Technology ISSN: 6732-4215 Vol. 8 (1), pp. 001-007, January, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

A study on hyperspectral estimating models of tobacco Leaf Area Index

Zhang ZhengYang¹, Ma XinMing²*, Liu GuoShun³, Jia FangFang¹, Qiao HongBo², Zhang YingWu¹, Lin Shizhao¹ and Song WenFeng³

¹Agronomy College of Henan Agriculture University, Zhengzhou 450002, People’s Republic of China.

²Information and Management Science College of Henan Agriculture University, Zhengzhou 450002, People’s Republic of China.

³National Tobacco Cultivation, Physiology and Biochemistry Research Centre, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, People’s Republic of China.

Accepted 09 December, 2019

Abstract

Leaf Area Index (LAI) is an important biophysical parameter and is a critical variable in many ecology models, productivity models, and carbon circulation studies. To assess and compare various hyperspectral models in terms of their prediction power of tobacco LAI, tobacco canopy hyperspectral reflectance data of the root extending stage, fast growing stage, and mature stage in different water-nitrogen conditions were collected with a FieldSpec HandHeld spectroradiometer. Based on the pot experiment data, an evaluation of tobacco LAI retrieval methods was conducted using four vegetation indices, principal component analysis (PCA), and neural network (NN) methods. The estimated effects of the three methods were then compared. Results indicated that all three methods have ideal effects on LAI estimation. Determination coefficients (R²) of the validated models of vegetation indices, PCA, and NN were (0.768 ~ 0.852), 0.938, 0.889, respectively. The PCA and NN methods show higher precision. The stability of the PCA validated model is the best because its Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 0.172 is smaller than those of the vegetation indices (0.237 ~ 0.322) and NN (0.195). As a whole, the PCA and NN methods could improve the retrieval precision and were prior selection for LAI estimation.

Key words: Hyperspectral, flue-cured tobacco, LAI, vegetation Indices, principal component analysis, neural network.

Advances in Food Science and Technology ISSN: 6732-4215 Vol. 8 (1), pp. 001-010, January, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

A study on structural features in early flower development of Jatropha curcas L. and the classification of its inflorescences

Jun Wu, Yuan Liu, Lin Tang, Fuli Zhang and Fang Chen*

College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610064, China.

Accepted 26 November, 2019

Abstract

Jatropha curcas L. produces seed oil that is viewed as having tremendous potential as an economical alternative for diesel fuel. Seed yield, the main factor determining jatropha oil production, is highly associated with flower development, especially with the number of female flowers. However, little was known regarding floral development in this species. Accordingly, studies were undertaken to develop more information on the developmental process of floral organs. The early floral development was divided into 12 phases. The present study illustrated that, the sex differentiation of male or female flowers occurred in phase-VII; earlier phases presented unapparent structural differences. The male flowers always had unisexual tissues during floral development. In contrast, early development of female flowers presented bisexual tissues, with male sexual degradation occurring at the later developmental phases. There was significant location specificity with respect to the inflorescence of male and female flowers. Based on this, the present study combined the total number of female flowers, and divided the inflorescence into three types, which had significant differences in the number of female flowers; they likewise presented different probabilities of occurrence in terms of different growing seasons.

Key words: Biofuel, flower, inflorescence, Jatropha curcas, sex differentiation, scanning electron microscopy.

Advances in Food Science and Technology ISSN: 6732-4215 Vol. 8 (1), pp. 001-012, January, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Ecological relations between forest communities and environmental variables in the Lishan Mountain Nature Reserve, China

Jin-Tun Zhang¹* and Feng Zhang²

¹College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.

²Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100093, China.

Accepted 16 October, 2019

Abstract

This study attempts to reveal the relationships between forest communities and environmental variables in the Lishan Mountain Nature Reserve, North China. The Lishan Reserve is located at E111° 05’ 43” - 111° 56’29”, N35ë 29’ 07” - 35° 23’10”, and is a part of Zhongtiao mountain range. Floristic and environmental data from fifty-eight quadrats, each of 10 × 20 m along an elevation gradient from 1400 to 2100 m were analyzed by TWINSPAN, DCCA and species diversity indices. Nine forest communities were distinguished by TWINSPAN, and they are all secondary vegetation. Forest units varied in accordance with altitudinal gradient. The results of DCCA showed that elevation and soil organic matter were the most important factors determining the spatial patterns of forest communities in the Lishan Reserve. Vegetation distribution was also significantly related to slope, aspect, soil N, P, Cu, Zn, pH and conductivity. The interaction between the examined environmental factors was obvious. Almost all environmental variables were significantly correlated with elevation and soil organic matter. The effects of soil Cu on forests was important in the studied area because Cu affects the effects of most other variables. Species richness increased linearly with the elevation, which is in contrast to the hump-shaped pattern of diversity-elevation relations. However, species heterogeneity and evenness followed the hump-shaped pattern with elevation. Besides elevation, slope was also a significant factor to species diversity in forest communities. Species diversity was negatively correlated with most soil variables except Cu. The interactions between species diversity and soil variables need more attention in future studies.

Key words: Forest conservation, canonical ordination, classification, topographic factors, soil variables, species diversity.

Advances in Food Science and Technology ISSN: 6732-4215 Vol. 8 (1), pp. 001-004, January, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Hazard analysis and critical control points in palm oil processing in Anambra State, Nigeria

Ego U. Okonkwo

Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute Headquarters, Km. 3 Asa Dam Road, P. M. B. 1489, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. E-mail: [email protected].

Accepted 14 December, 2019

Abstract

Palm oil processing with the indigenous technology which is mainly women’s occupation at the village level in Akamili, Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria was assessed with the hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) system for food safety and quality. The analysis showed that the hazards existed at all stages of process. The critical control points were the sorting stage of the palm fruits, clarification to remove moisture and storage which were identified as the important operations in oil processing. These actions taken will promote gender empowerment; reduce hunger and alleviate poverty culminating in achieving food security in agriculture that meets the millennium development goals (MDGs). The actions recommended for eliminating the hazards in production of quality red palm oil are discussed.

Key words: Hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP), oil palm, fruit, domestic, processing.

Advances in Food Science and Technology ISSN: 6732-4215 Vol. 7 (7), pp. 001-006, July, 2019. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Gender analysis in agricultural enterprises producing early potatoes in the Adana province of Turkey

Müge K. Davran¹* and Naciye Tok²

¹Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Çukurova, 01330 Adana-Turkey.

²Adnan Menderes University, Atça Vocational High School, Aydin-Turkey.

Accepted 19 March, 2019

Abstract

Given gender, there exists an unequal social structure between women and men related to education, division of labour, occupation structure etc. This discrimination is rather sharp especially for women working in the agricultural sector and the agricultural enterprises in Turkey, which produce early potatoes, which can be taken as a good example for this paper. In this study, the gender structure in the enterprises in Adana, producing early potatoes was analysed in terms of the owner of the enterprise and his wife and women working as agricultural workers and their spouses. The data was obtained in the villages producing early potatoes in the years 2008 to 2009 through individual interviews and statistical analysis. As a result of the study, it is evident that women are generally oppressed; moreover, female seasonal workers have certain disadvantages compared to both men and their counterparts living in urban areas.

Key words: Gender, seasonal women worker, division of labour, early potato, Turkey.