Department of Agricultural Engineering

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Agricultural research online system: an approach to promote collaboration and sharing of agricultural research knowledge in Tanzania
(University of Dar es salaam, 2006) Lwoga, Edda
The purpose of this study was to develop a prototype of an agricultural research online system in order to promote collaboration and sharing of knowledge among researchers in Tanzania. Major focus was on the application of the open access (OA) and community of practices (CoP) concepts in order to improve the process of capturing and sharing of the agricultural technologies and knowledge to researchers, subsistence and commercial fanners and other stakeholders for the sustainable development of agriculture in Tanzania. An exploratory survey, system analysis and ICT-based design were the used methodologies to convey the current state and challenges of knowledge sharing activities among agricultural researchers, as well as to assess the user requirements and develop the Agrinet-Tz prototype. Survey results revealed that the current state of knowledge sharing activities in agricultural research institutes is still not satisfactory within the country. This is mainly due to poor knowledge sharing culture, poor ICT infrastructure, inadequate funds, lack of awareness about rhe OA issues and inadequate knowledge management support by the research institute management. Major features to be included in the proposed system were also identified in the survey with a greater emphasis on both intrinsic and interpersonal motivational factors in order to stimulate researchers to share their knowledge online. Prototype (i.e. Agrinet-Tz) of the agricultural research online system in Tanzania was therefore developed with the application features geared at both intrinsic and interpersonal motivational factors. This was done in order to resolve some of the revealed challenges such as poor knowledge sharing culture among agricultural researchers. The selected open source software (i.e. Dspace, SMF forum and Joomla portal software) were re-designed to develop the Agrinet-Tz prototype. Additionally, the system was also tested in order to assess the system usability, where the positive feedback was received from the respondents. User roles for the developed prototype were also defined in various categories in order to ensure the system sustainability
An examination of alternative fertilizer transportation, warehousing and application systems for agricultural cooperatives
(Sokoine University of Agriculture, 2004) Kilima Fredy Timothy Mlyavidoga
The difficulty of controlling cost in a dynamic industry where competitiveness and costs are changing over time has long been recognized. Conventional wisdom suggests that players who succeed in such an industrial setting are those who capture the opportunities presented by a new business environment while maintaining economic efficiency (Bello, Lohtia and Sangtani; Flint). In recent years, one of the business challenges for fertilizer suppliers in the United States has been to keep pace with the changing business environment. The changes arise from changing demand, growing global competition, increased regulations in the industry for environmental and safety reasons, and improvements in the transportation and application methods. The improvement in fertilizer distribution and application methods is by and large a reflection of changes in the physical condition and operating characteristics of highways, and changes in farm transportation and application equipment (USDA, Agricultural Cooperative Service). Changes in fertilizer demand and increased market competition are attributable to changes in farm application systems, and consolidation of farming business that has decreased the number of farms and increased the average farm size (Norton).
Assessing potential land and surface water resources available and suitable for irrigated agriculture in the wami sub-basin Morogoro
(Sokoine University of Agriculture, 2021) Malekela, Charles John
Assessing potential land and water resources suitable for surface irrigation is essential for proper planning of their utilization types. The assessment has a great role in satisfying subsistence requirements, increasing agricultural production and hence reducing poverty. Despite efforts made by various stakeholders to improve agricultural productivity by increasing irrigated areas, Tanzania is still facing a daunting task of reaching the one million hectare target of irrigated area. This indicates that land and water resources are not presently effectively utilized. This study was initiated with the objective of assessing the land and water resources suitable for irrigated agriculture along with the extent of small-scale irrigation in the Wami sub-basin. Geographical Information System (GIS) based on Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) was used along with various spatial tools including a model builder which was used to create geo-referenced maps of land and water resources. Ten layers (irrigation suitability factors) were used in the analysis for identification of potential land suitable for irrigated agriculture. Results indicate that, based on the suitability factors about 841.39 km 2 (3.11% of the total area), is highly suitable for surface irrigation, about 18,244.41 km 2 (67.51%), is moderately suitable and 7939.87 km 2 (29.38%), is marginally suitable for surface irrigation. Furthermore, results shows that the extent of small-scale irrigation is about 1958.87 km 2 . Moreover, results indicates that, approximately 1958 km 2 of land assumed to represent the extent of small- scale irrigated areas in Morogoro region including Dakawa and Mvomero in particular. As such, the exploration of various resources as observed in this study, including land, soil and water was well demonstrated by the integration of GIS-Based Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA), and the weighted overlay technique for land suitability analysis.
Assessment of physical status of the irrigation structures in Nyarubogo irrigation scheme, Rwanda
(2024-09) Bosco,Tuyisabe Jean; Festo,Richard Silungwe; Mahoo,Henry F
The physical status of irrigation structures holds immense importance in ensuring the efficient and sustainable management of water resources for agricultural purposes. This study aimed to assess the physical status of the Nyarubogo irrigation scheme structures, which has implications for the level of performance of this irrigation scheme. Specifically, the study assessed the effectiveness of the irrigation infrastructures in terms of intake efficiency, canal physical condition, and command area development. Cross sectional study design was employed, and units for the study were randomly selected to be included in this study. Observation method were used to characterize the physical condition of the Nyarubogo irrigation scheme while questionnaire survey were used to collect data on the implication of socioeconomic characteristics on the performance, and effectiveness of irrigation system. The collected data were fitted to the irrigation structures assessment approaches suggested by Bos, Zende and Nagarajan. Analysis of farmer’s responses was through Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (Version 27). This study evaluated the physical status of about 130 irrigation structures in Nyarubogo irrigation scheme. The structures included 7 division boxes, 73 water drops, 2 aqueducts, 42 turnouts, 4 bridges, and 2 Culverts. Overall, the scheme had an effectiveness of 63.8%, with culverts, bridges, and water drops presenting more than the average functional condition of 64.38%, 75.00%, and 100.00%, respectively. The intake efficiency during this study was found to be 67% accumulated from efficiencies of sediment level (20%), embankment (35%), and sluice gate (12%) based on their weightage percentage and rank scores. The overall canal condition was good and was quantified to 70%. The command area development was exhibiting subpar performance, registering a mere 32% effectiveness. Moreover, the study evaluated how farmers' socio-economic status influenced the inadequate maintenance of the Nyarubogo irrigation systems. It uncovered numerous elements contributing to this dilemma: there was limited engagement of women and youth in agricultural pursuits, low educational attainment, challenges surrounding land ownership (specifically, land tenure), the small size of land holdings per household and a notable absence of government incentives for maintenance efforts. These factors, however, when coupled with inadequate funds derived from water fees, significantly obstruct the proper care of these irrigation infrastructures. On the other hand, high runoff due to heavy rainfall was mentioned by the majority of farmers (20.7%) among the primary causes of poor maintenance of irrigation structures. Generally, the evaluation of the Nyarubogo irrigation system structures emphasizes the uneven levels of efficacy and challenges, highlighting the necessity of focused maintenance efforts and enhanced water management techniques.
Assessment of the soil information and analysis of related land constraints to the selected detailed town planning schemes in Morogoro Municipal
(Scientific research publishing, 2022) Pori, Dickson B.; Msigula, Proches; Massawe, Hussein Boniface
In Tanzania, land use and planning are under the land authority. They are responsible for ensuring sustainable land use and management in urban and rural areas. Nevertheless, lack of adherence to the soil to detailed soil proper- ties and land use constraints by urban planners, urban explosions in different areas in Tanzania, particularly Morogoro have been a big issue of concern as it poses danger to the environment and also to themselves as urban areas they are also vulnerable to land use constraints such as flood, erosion, water log- ging, erosion hazards and rock outcrop. This study aims to assess the availa- ble soil information and analyze land constraints related to the Selected De- tailed Town Planning Schemes in Morogoro Municipal so as to address fail- ures of the current urban planning approach. Detailed soil information pro- vided by the municipality and literature of previous studies were accessed. A total of six land use constraints: poor drainage and waterlogging, rock out- crop, erosion hazard, flood hazard, soil depth and surface slope were analyzed in this study to map major land use constraints in the study area. A geospatial analysis approach was used to combine these constraints so as to map total land use constraints and asses the spatial distribution of the constraints. Finally, detailed land use schemes accessed from the Morogoro land management au- thority were digitized and overlayed on the constraints map. Detailed schemes approved in areas of Mkundi have shown to be a success as these areas have the lowest land use constraints whilst areas of Kilakala, and Mlimani has been a failure due to high slope, erosion hazards and shallow soil, the middle part of Morogoro including the new Kingalu market have been a failure and costly due to flood and water logging mitigations.
Autonomous navigation of a center-articulated and Hydrostatic transmission rover using a modified Pure pursuit algorithm in a cotton field
(MDPI, 2020-08-07) Kadeghe, Fue; Wesley, Porter; Edward, Barnes; Changying, Li; Glen, Rains
This study proposes an algorithm that controls an autonomous, multi-purpose, center-articulated hydrostatic transmission rover to navigate along crop rows. This multi-purpose rover (MPR) is being developed to harvest undefoliated cotton to expand the harvest window to up to 50 days. The rover would harvest cotton in teams by performing several passes as the bolls become ready to harvest. We propose that a small robot could make cotton production more profitable for farmers and more accessible to owners of smaller plots of land who cannot afford large tractors and harvesting equipment. The rover was localized with a low-cost Real-Time Kinematic Global Navigation Satellite System (RTK-GNSS), encoders, and Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU)s for heading. Robot Operating System (ROS)-based software was developed to harness the sensor information, localize the rover, and execute path following controls. To test the localization and modified pure-pursuit path-following controls, first, GNSS waypoints were obtained by manually steering the rover over the rows followed by the rover autonomously driving over the rows. The results showed that the robot achieved a mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.04 m, 0.06 m, and 0.09 m for the first, second and third passes of the experiment, respectively. The robot achieved an MAE of 0.06 m. When turning at the end of the row, the MAE from the RTK-GNSS-generated path was 0.24 m. The turning errors were acceptable for the open field at the end of the row. Errors while driving down the row did damage the plants by moving close to the plants’ stems, and these errors likely would not impede operations designed for the MPR. Therefore, the designed rover and control algorithms are good and can be used for cotton harvesting operations.
Center-articulated hydrostatic cotton harvesting Rover using visual-servoing control and a finite state machine
(MDPI, 2020-07-30) Kadeghe, Fue; Wesley, Porter; Edward, Barnes; Changying, Li; Glen, Rains
Multiple small rovers can repeatedly pick cotton as bolls begin to open until the end of the season. Several of these rovers can move between rows of cotton, and when bolls are detected, use a manipulator to pick the bolls. To develop such a multi-agent cotton-harvesting system, each cotton-harvesting rover would need to accomplish three motions: the rover must move forward/backward, turn left/right, and the robotic manipulator must move to harvest cotton bolls. Controlling these actions can involve several complex states and transitions. However, using the robot operating system (ROS)-independent finite state machine (SMACH), adaptive and optimal control can be achieved. SMACH provides task level capability for deploying multiple tasks to the rover and manipulator. In this study, a center-articulated hydrostatic cotton-harvesting rover, using a stereo camera to locate end-effector and pick cotton bolls, was developed. The robot harvested the bolls by using a 2D manipulator that moves linearly horizontally and vertically perpendicular to the direction of the rover’s movement. We demonstrate preliminary results in an environment simulating direct sunlight, as well as in an actual cotton field. This study contributes to cotton engineering by presenting a robotic system that operates in the real field. The designed robot demonstrates that it is possible to use a Cartesian manipulator for the robotic harvesting of cotton; however, to reach commercial viability, the speed of harvest and successful removal of bolls (Action Success Ratio (ASR)) must be improved.
Construction and evaluation of a modified multicrop thresher model irr1-pak
(Sokoine University of Agriculture, 1987) Kilasara,Wenceslaus George
ABSTRACT A modified IRRI-PAK Multicrop Axial-flow thresher has been manufactured at the International Rice Research Institute (1RRI), Engineering workshop, based on the blueprints of the IRRI-PAK-30 Multicrop Axial-flow Thresher from Pakistan.The modifications include, a piece of hollow shaft to the threshing cylinder shaft; bolted thresher stands; increased area of one of the cleaning screens, and omission of locks and hinges on the observation windows. Different models of four-wheel tractors were used.Three of the four crops used — sorghum variety casor 2; paddy varieties IR38, IR58 and 1917; and yellow corn were obtained from IRRI experimental plots. Wheat was found in Ilocos Region - Northern part of the Philippines.Settings which included increasing/decreasing aspirator air vents, varying the slope/pitch of the oscillating tray assembly, and varying the cylinder speed/peripheral velocity were the variables for the experiments conducted.A conveyor was used during sorghum threshing,An output of 1594 kgh 1 with 97.65% cleaning efficiency, 98.47% threshing efficiency, 1.27% grain loss were recorded.The paddy threshed, gave an output range of UJ7kgh”1■l,r"'r'’-“1 with cleaning efficiency of 93.39% 1569 kgh to 96.01%, and a threshing efficiency of above 99% and total grain loss of between 1.27% and 2.01%.The output of wheat varied from 790kghT1to 2110kgh cleaning efficiency of 76.60% to 96.57%. with Threshing efficiency increased with increased speed. The speed of 510rpm [17.81ms 1 ] gave 96.12% and 710rpm [24.79ms 1 ] gave 98.14%.The results for corn threshing were influenced by the concave bar clearance and or the design of the louvres which resulted to high grain losses from straw thrower (15.94% to 16.98%). The output ranged from 862 kgh -1 to 896 ,._^-lkgh with cleaning efficiency of 85.79% to 86.66% and threshing efficiency of above 99%.
Deep learning based Real-time GPU-accelerated tracking and counting of cotton bolls under field conditions using a moving camera
(2018 ASABE Annual International Meeting, 2018-08) Fue, Kadeghe G.; Porter, Wesley; Rains, Glen
Robotic harvesting involves navigation and environmental perception as first operations before harvesting of the bolls can commence. Navigation is the distance required for a harvester’s arm to reach the cotton boll while perception is the position of the boll relative to surrounding environment. These two operations give a 3D position of the cotton boll for picking and can only be achieved by detection and tracking of the cotton bolls in real-time. It means detection, tracking and counting of cotton bolls using a moving camera allows the robotic machine to harvest easily. GPU-accelerated deep neural networks were used to train the convolution networks for detection of cotton bolls. It was achieved by using pretrained tiny yolo weights and DarkFlow, a framework which translates YOLOv2 darknet neural networks to TensorFlow. A method to connect tracklets using vectors that are predicted using Lucas-Kanade algorithm and optimized using robust L-estimators and homography transformation is proposed. The system was tested in defoliated cotton plants during the spring of 2018. Using three video treatments, the counting performance accuracy was around 93% with standard deviation 6%. The system average processing speed was 21 fps in desktop computer and 3.9 fps in embedded system. Detection of the system achieved an accuracy and sensitivity of 93% while precision was 99.9% and F1 score was 1. The Tukey’s test showed that the system accuracy and sensitivity was the same when the plants were rearranged. This performance is crucial for real-time robot decisions that also measure yield while harvesting.
Design of the improved evaporative cooling structure for storage of tomatoes in morogoro
(Sokoine university of agriculture, 2022) Mwankemwa, Leonard Saimon
In most developing countries, smallholder farmers face several challenges while embarking on their farming for agriculture crop production. The challenges are serious during post-harvesting processes. The phenomenon is evident in sub-Saharan countries, Tanzania inclusive. Tanzania’s economy is agriculturally based which contributes 26.7% of its GDP and it employs over 80% of the population. As such any efforts geared to eradicate poverty and improve livelihoods should focus on the agriculture (horticulture subsector) which is characterized by small scale subsistent farming, low productivity, and huge post-harvest losses. These huge losses can be attributed to a lack of appropriate post- harvest processing techniques, low awareness, on the part of good harvesting and packaging practices or techniques and lack of storage facilities. Morogoro smallholder farmers of tomatoes are not spared from this phenomenon. Several storage technologies for curbing tomato post-harvest losses have been introduced to smallholder farmers. Some technologies have shown promising results. However, more investigation of the technology’s effectiveness is needed. This study aimed to design an evaporative cooling structure for the storage of tomatoes. A need assessment survey was conducted to help generate information on tomato handling practices and losses for small scale farmers and retailers in six selected areas in the Morogoro region. Sixty respondents with at least 3 years of farming or retailing tomatoes were purposively selected through the help of the extension officer and market leaders to represent part of the tomatoes’ handling chain. The findings obtained showed that farmers were not using any storage facilities for tomatoes while retailers used inferior handling facilities and some did not use any storage facilities, ultimately losing most of their tomatoes. This study found that tomato post-harvest losses (PHLs) were 29.7% at the farmers’ level and 18.4% at the small scale retailers’ level during handling and marketing. The majority of the respondents showed a desire to possess evaporative coolers to reduce tomato PHLs. In this context, the improved wind operated passive evaporative cooling (IWOPEC) storage structure for tomatoes was designed and fabricated, and its performance was evaluated against other storage conditions. A randomized complete block design (RCBD) was used. The storage environment conditions considered were ambient (AT), cold room (CR), and IWOPEC structure. The results on the effects of temperature and relative humidity (RH) were significantly different (p<0.05) under the studied storage environments. Total soluble solids and percentage weight loss significantly increased (p<0.05) for all studied environmental conditions, whereas firmness and titratable acid significantly decreased (p<0.05) in response to storage time and environmental conditions. The IWOPEC structure reduced temperature, increased RH and gave peak and daily average cooling efficiency of 84.89% and 61.67%, respectively. The result of the benefit-cost ratio (BCR) was 2.51 shows using the IWOPEC structure for the storage of fresh ripened tomatoes is viable. In areas with high PHLs under AT, using the IWOPEC structure to improve the shelf life of tomatoes is economically feasible. Improvement of the IWOPEC structure by having water boot sump and a water pump to increase the cooling efficiency of the storage atmosphere is recommended.
Development and performance evaluation of solar greenhouse dryer with desiccant energy storage system for tomatoes
(Sokoine University of Agriculture, 2021) Mbacho, Susan Andrew
Tomato is one of the most important horticultural crops widely grown in the tropical East Africa countries. It is mostly used as vegetable recipe for food preparation at most homes or consumed raw as a salad. However, during the rainy season, tomato farmers experience widespread post-harvest losses due to insect and molds infestation. Also, during harvesting seasons, most markets in East Africa are flooded with the produce leading to over- supply against low demand resulting to heavy postharvest losses. Therefore, it is necessary to use appropriate drying technologies especially solar drying technology to reduce these losses. The use of solar drying technology is a good alternative solution to the problem of crop drying and especially the perishable tomato crop. Literature review show that most solar crop drying technologies developed for the past 50 years have very small loading capacity and cannot operate during the night. Therefore, in this study, we developed an integrated greenhouse solar dryer with Clay- CaCl 2 solid desiccant energy storage system. Solar greenhouse drying systems have an advantage over other solar drying systems because its structural simplicity combined with high loading capacity. In addition, they have relatively good thermal crop drying performance compared to most solar dryers. The system was tested under no-load and load conditions. The experimental study with no-load condition exhibited the mean collector temperature of 41.9 °C giving an average temperature rise of 14.7 °C (35%) above the ambient (27.2 °C) with an average R.H. value of 32.6% at the flow rate of 0.28 m 3 /s on the test date. When the desiccant energy storage was used during night an average greenhouse temperature recorded within the drying chamber was 26.5 °C higher than the ambient temperature of 15.9 °C (40 % temperature rise). The results obtained under desiccant energy storage showed that at a 0.07 m 3 /s air flow rate with an average rise in temperature of about 13.6 (32.3%) against the average ambient temperature of 28.5°C. The average relative humidity within the system was found to be 36.5% lower than the ambient R.H. (84.1%). The collector efficiencies obtained from no load test was 46.2% and 40.8% for the dryer and desiccant chamber respectively. The performance of the dryer was evaluated with fresh tomato load during the month of September - December 2019 at Kenyatta University field site. The dryer demonstrated capacity to dry fresh tomatoes from 93.9% (wb) to 8.3% (wb) within 27 hours with solar greenhouse drying efficiency of 23% while at night the dryer demonstrated desiccant drying efficient of 19.9%. The drying rate for the two-day solar drying was 0.985 kg/h and 0.875 kg/h respectively and that in night drying using desiccants was 0.34 kg/h. The economic analysis of the drying system shows a payback period of less than a year (0.54 year) with benefit-cost ratio of 8.4 implying that the system is economically viable. On the basis of these results, it was concluded that prototype solar greenhouse dryer with Clay-CaCl 2 energy storage system has great potential for tomato drying and other high moisture agricultural products in East African countries.
Evaluating the effect of planter downforce and seed vigor on crop emergence and yield in Hill-drop vs Singulated Cotton.
(2018 Beltwide Cotton Conferences, San Antonio, 2018-01) Virk, S. S.; Porter, W. M.; Fue, K. G.; Snider, J. L.; Whitaker, J.
Selection of correct planting parameters and their optimization based on current field conditions is crucial in achieving high crop emergence, which can translate to higher yields. A study was conducted during 2017 to evaluate the effect of planter downforce and seed vigor on crop emergence and yield in two cotton varieties planted with singulated and hill-drop seed plates. For this study, two cotton varieties (a small seeded low vigor variety and a large seeded high vigor variety) were planted at 1-inch seeding depth using two different planters to obtain singulated and hill-drop planting conditions. Two seeding rates of 29,000 seeds/ac and 42,500 seeds/ac were used to represent a typical low and high population for planting cotton in Georgia. Planter downforce treatments consisting of low, medium and high downforce values (100, 200 and 300 lbs., respectively) were implemented using the available downforce technology on both planters. Field data collection consisted of emergence counts at one and three weeks after planting and yield data from the center two rows of a four row plot at the end of the season. Data analysis indicated that singulated seeds were more effective in low downforce treatments independent of the crop variety. Hill-drop seeds exhibited better crop emergence (75-81%) in higher downforce treatments as compared to crop emergence (62-72%) obtained with singulated seeds. Yield data also suggested that singulated cotton can maximize emergence in low to medium downforce conditions for large seeded high vigor varieties whereas hill-drop cotton yields better with small seeded low vigor varieties planted at medium to high downforce. Results showed that low vigor varieties require higher seeding rates (more seeds per foot) when planted using low downforce to provide an overall high crop emergence rate whereas this trend was not observed in the high vigor variety. A comparison among seeding rates showed that higher seeding rates did not maximize crop emergence when planted as hill-drop. Overall results from this study emphasized the importance of using correct planting parameters (downforce, seeding rate, and variety) based on existing field conditions to maximize crop emergence and yield.
Evaluation of a stereo vision system for cotton row detection and boll location estimation in direct sunlight
(MDPI, 2020-08-05) Kadeghe, Fue; Wesley, Porter; Edward, Barnes; Changying, Li; Glen, Rains
Cotton harvesting is performed by using expensive combine harvesters which makes it difficult for small to medium-size cotton farmers to grow cotton economically. Advances in robotics have provided an opportunity to harvest cotton using small and robust autonomous rovers that can be deployed in the field as a “swarm” of harvesters, with each harvester responsible for a small hectarage. However, rovers need high-performance navigation to obtain the necessary precision for harvesting. Current precision harvesting systems depend heavily on Real-Time Kinematic Global Navigation Satellite System (RTK-GNSS) to navigate rows of crops. However, GNSS cannot be the only method used to navigate the farm because for robots to work as a coordinated multiagent unit on the same farm because they also require visual systems to navigate, avoid collisions, and to accommodate plant growth and canopy changes. Hence, the optical system remains to be a complementary method for increasing the efficiency of the GNSS. In this study, visual detection of cotton rows and bolls was developed, demonstrated, and evaluated. A pixel-based algorithm was used to calculate and determine the upper and lower part of the canopy of the cotton rows by assuming the normal distribution of the high and low depth pixels. The left and right rows were detected by using perspective transformation and pixel-based sliding window algorithms. Then, the system determined the Bayesian score of the detection and calculated the center of the rows for the smooth navigation of the rover. This visual system achieved an accuracy of 92.3% and an F1 score of 0.951 for the detection of cotton rows. Furthermore, the same stereo vision system was used to detect the location of the cotton bolls. A comparison of the cotton bolls’ distances above the ground to the manual measurements showed that the system achieved an average R2 value of 99% with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 9 mm when stationary and 95% with an RMSE of 34 mm when moving at approximately 0.64 km/h. The rover might have needed to stop several times to improve its detection accuracy or move more slowly. Therefore, the accuracy obtained in row detection and boll location estimation is favorable for use in a cotton harvesting robotic system. Future research should involve testing of the models in a large farm with undefoliated plants.
Evaluation of drip irrigation system of a commercial tea {Camellia sinensis l.) Estate: a case study of Kibena Tea Estate in the southern highlands of Tanzania
(Sokoine University of Agriculture, 2007) Sinda,Mabvuso Christopher
A study was carried out at Kibena Tea Estate (KTE) to evaluate the performance of drip irrigation in commercial tea production. The undertaking of this study was necessitated by the need for a more water efficient method of water application given the water scarcity problems faced by KTE. The main objective of the study was to evaluate the performance of drip irrigation system at KTE. Specific objectives were to evaluate water use efficiency of drip irrigation. The second objective was to assess the yield response to water of four tea clones (i.e. SI5/10, PC81, 207 and K35) and thirdly, to investigate if water savings would be attainable through employing drip irrigation in commercial tea. Six irrigation application levels representing four water replenishment levels of 25% evapotranspiration (ETC). 50% ETC, 75% ETC and 100% ETC and two variations of drip lateral placement (i.e. one drip lateral placed in each of the inter row spaces and one lateral placed every after each of the inter row spaces) were adopted. No significant differences were observed on tea yields among the 6 irrigation application levels. Clone SI5/10 had the highest yield of 284 kg ha'1, followed by clone PC81, 207, K35 which had made tea yields of 207 kg, 184 kg and 116 kg ha' respectively. Irrigation application 1 had the best performance in terms of IE. and WUE. Irrigation application levels 1, 2 and 5 had acceptable range ofIE for drip irrigation systems. Whereas, irrigation application levels 3, 4, and 6 were below IE acceptable standards. Emission uniformity, for all irrigation application levels was within acceptable standards. The highest WUE for irrigation application level 1 was under clone SI5/10 with 1.46 kg mm followed by PC81 with 1.07 kg mm i'1, clone 207 had 0.95 kgmm. The least perfonning clone, K35, had 0.60 kg mm The cumulative depth of ,3 irrigation water application under irrigation application level 1 was 194 mm (1940 m; ha'j.while irrigation application level 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 received 350 mm, 467 mm, 623 mm, 208 mm and 659 mm respectively. The optimum level of irrigation water application under the prevailing conditions was irrigation application level 1. The recommendations from this study were that study should be repeated using proper drip scheduling methodology. Furthermore, the study should be done using irrigation requirements computed from recognised empirical methods such as Penman Monteith, Radiation with adherence to guidelines for scheduling of trickle systems. Possible research could be done to consider appropriate Kp and K< combination for drip in’igation scheduling at Kibena.
Evaluation of the water budget technique for the determination of the effective length of the growing season under different climatic conditions in Malawi
(Sokoine University of Agriculture, 1998) Majamanda, Ignatious Ives
A study was conducted in Malawi, with the objective of evaluating the potential of the water budget technique, for the determination of the effective length of the growing season under different soil and climatic conditions. Two criteria were used to achieve the objective. One was the rainfall criterion, where rainfall was the only input and the other was the water budget criterion, where climatic data, soil and plant characteristics were major inputs. Historical rainfall data were tested for homogeneity and statistical distribution using RAINBOW computer programme. All the stations, except Dedza, were homogeneous (P = 0.05). The coefficient of determination (R^) suggested that the onset and end of the growing season can be approximated by normal distribution whilst the annual rainfall can be approximated by lognormal distribution. Three years of historical rainfall data were used to calibrate IRSIS as a predictor of daily runoff. Very good and consistent performance (R2=0.86) was obtained in predicting runoff. The calibration of the rainfall criterion using the water budget criterion indicated that the onset of the growing season could be defined as, a day when a running total of 30mm of rain is accumulated in a decade with no dry spell of more than 10 days occurring in the following 30 days. The results of the start and end of the growing season indicate that the rainfall criterion used in this study can be adapted for Chitedze and Makoka. The water budget criterion predicted onset dates closer to when farmers usually plant maize than the rainfall criterion. Both criteria revealed that Mangochi, Ngabu, Makhanga and Chileka have short growing seasons and high occurrence of dry spells within the growing season. Water conservation measures and / or supplemental irrigation should be advocated in these areas for sustainable crop production. Using runoff plots, the study also showed that the Curve Number (CN) value in plain plot was higher than in contour plot. It is recommended that the rainfall criterion which does not require a lot of input data should be calibrated using a more accurate approach (water budget) to establish appropriate threshold and conditions for different stations.
An extensive review of mobile agricultural robotics for field operations: focus on cotton harvesting
(MDPI, 2020-03-04) Kadeghe, G. Fue; Barnes, Edward M.; Rains, Glen C; Porter, Wesley M
In this review, we examine opportunities and challenges for 21st-century robotic agricultural cotton harvesting research and commercial development. The paper reviews opportunities present in the agricultural robotics industry, and a detailed analysis is conducted for the cotton harvesting robot industry. The review is divided into four sections: (1) general agricultural robotic operations, where we check the current robotic technologies in agriculture; (2) opportunities and advances in related robotic harvesting fields, which is focused on investigating robotic harvesting technologies; (3) status and progress in cotton harvesting robot research, which concentrates on the current research and technology development in cotton harvesting robots; and (4) challenges in commercial deployment of agricultural robots, where challenges to commercializing and using these robots are reviewed. Conclusions are drawn about cotton harvesting robot research and the potential of multipurpose robotic operations in general. The development of multipurpose robots that can do multiple operations on different crops to increase the value of the robots is discussed. In each of the sections except the conclusion, the analysis is divided into four robotic system categories; mobility and steering, sensing and localization, path planning, and robotic manipulation.
Field testing of the autonomous cotton harvesting Roverin undefoliated cotton field
(2020 Beltwide Cotton Conferences, Austin, Texas, 2020) Fue, K. G.; Porter, W. M.; Tifton, G. A.; Barnes, E. M.; Cary, N. C.; Rains, G. C.
This study proposes the use of an autonomous rover to harvest cotton bolls before defoliation and as the bolls open. This would expand the harvest window to up to 50 days and make cotton production more profitable for farmers by picking cotton before the quality is at risk. We developed a cotton harvesting rover that is a center-articulated vehicle with an x- y picking manipulator and a combination vacuum and rotating tines end-effector to pull bolls off the plant. The rover uses a stereo camera to see rows, RTK-GPS to localize itself, fisheye camera for heading, and stereo camera to locate the cotton bolls. The SMACH library is a ROS-independent task-level architecture used to build state machines for the rapid implementation of the robot behavior. First, the GPS waypoints are obtained, and then, the rover passes over the rows while picking the cotton bolls. The navigation is controlled by a modified pure-pursuit technique together with a PID controller. Two parallel programs organize the entire rover regarding when to pick and when to navigate. While navigating, the rover looks for harvestable bolls, and when bolls are discovered, the robot will stop and pick. It will do this repetitive work until it finishes all the rows. The rover navigation had an absolute error mean of 0.189 m, a median of 0.172 m, a standard deviation of 0.137 m, and a maximum of 0.986 m. The largest errors occurred during turning around at the end of rows and were caused by wet conditions and tire slippage. The rover picked cotton bolls at the average Action Success Ratio (ASR) of 78.5% and was able to reach 95% of the bolls. Most bolls that were not picked could not be pulled into the vacuum using the rotating tines on the end-effector.
Irrigation performance of a water distribution system: The case of Kigugu irrigation scheme-Mvomero district Morogoro region Tanzania
(Science publishing group, 2024) Chogohe, Mnega Hussein; Silungwe, Festo Richard; Tarimo, Andrew Kirumi Paul Rai
This study assessed the performance of the Kigugu Irrigation Scheme's water distribution system in Tanzania with an emphasis on its impact on crop yields. We used a combination of participatory tools and direct observation to gather comprehensive data, including weather patterns, water discharge rates, and farmer input levels. Descriptive statistical analysis revealed significant variations in water distribution across canals, with Relative Water Supply (RWS) values ranging from 0.7 to 5.9, indicating instances of both over- and under-supply. Despite these variations, satisfactory performance was demonstrated by the irrigation system, with high Water Delivery Performance Ratio (WDPR) values consistently recorded above 0.65, indicating that water demands were largely met across the system. Furthermore, the study found that equity in water distribution improved significantly during the growing season, with the equity index dropping from 0.2 to 0.1. This underscores the critical need for fair water allocation practices, particularly during low-flow periods, to ensure that all farmers receive an adequate supply. Based on these findings, several recommendations for irrigation system modifications were proposed to further improve water distribution and equity. In terms of productivity, a notable correlation between water distribution and crop yield was observed. A canal with a design discharge of 0.0228 m 2 /s produced a yield of 552.18 metric tonnes, demonstrating efficient water utilization. In contrast, canal SC.4-2, with a lower discharge of 0.0185 m2/s, achieved a smaller yield of 274.31 metric tonnes, further highlighting the importance of optimal water distribution for enhancing agricultural productivity. Overall, the Kigugu Irrigation Scheme maintains a reliable water supply, contributing positively to sustainable water resource management and agricultural productivity. This, in turn, supports local economic growth, enhances food security, and improves community well-being. The study’s findings provide critical insights for future improvements in irrigation management and resource allocation
Irrigation scheduling
(Sokoine University of Agriculture, 1984) Thadei, Simon y
This thesis deals with irrigation scheduling under rotational water supply. First, irrigation scheduling is defined and the general review of the principles, factors, methods, and scheduling techniques which must be considered before scheduling is given. This includes crop water requirements, factors affecting crop water requirements and methods for determining crop water requirements. Then soil waterholding capacity, irrigation requirements (efficiencies and leaching requirements), amount of water for irrigation, availability of water supply, and scheduling techniques are reviewed. Also, Tanzania's case study is given for two projects: Mbarali (a state farm) and Mombo (village owned farm). Finally, irrigation schedule is prepared for Mombo irrigation scheme.
Likelihood of adopting briquette technology in abundance of competitive energy sources: a case study of Morogoro urban and rural districts, Tanzania
(Research Gate, 2022) Yustas, Y. M.; Tarimo, W. M.; Mbacho, S. A.; Kiobia, D. O.; Makange, N. R.; Kashaija, A. T.; Silungwe, F. R.
Firewood and charcoal are the primary energy resources in many developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. However, the unstainable collection and use of these resources negatively impact the environment. Equally, using briquettes as green energy resources can address the energy shortage and conserves the environment. However, the information on people’s preference to use briquettes instead of other alternative energy sources is scarce. Furthermore, studies demonstrating the briquette technology preferences and adoption to prospective users, including youth and women in urban and rural areas, are limited. Therefore, this study was conducted in the Morogoro district to (1) characterise the respondents’ demographic issues useful for evaluation of people's preferences, (2) assess the preference for briquette fuels, particularly for youth and women, and (3) evaluate the extent of using the briquettes as sources of energy as compared to other alternative sources of energy. The household survey involved 330 respondents in urban, peri-urban, and rural areas of Morogoro. The areas were chosen to represent the Tanzania sceneries. Besides, supplementary key informants’ interviews involved village leaders, charcoal retailers and other people with knowledge of briquette technology. The results show that over 95% of respondents preferred to use briquette as an alternative energy source and expressed their willingness to engage in the briquette business. Additionally, the study shows low use of briquettes compared to other energy sources like charcoal and firewood in urban, peri-urban, and rural areas.Furthermore, there was no significant difference between men and women in their willingness to join the briquette business (p-value =0.517). Therefore, a few people are aware of briquette technology. This study recommends increasing the awareness of briquette technology through training youths and women on briquette technology and insisting on the availability of briquette products and stoves. In addition, assessing the factors hindering the briquettes from being a hundred per cent preferred by people is a point of research interest.

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