In this research, the model of SWCT (soil water content and temperature) was developed for simulation of fluxes of soil water (liquid water and water vapor) and heat. The governing equations for water and heat fluxes were solved using numerical finite difference method. Soil water content and...

We examine the water-use balance, fruit yield and water-use efficiency of five-year-old peach trees with two different mulching systems: plastic film mulched ridge, with furrows (PFM) and straw mulched (SM). Compared with the clean tillage (CT) water management method, PFM increased, and SM...

Conventional soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] production in the midsouthern USA has involved planting Maturity Group (MG) V and later cultivars in May and later months in a seedbed that has been shallow-tilled in the fall or spring just before planting. Moisture deficits that frequently occur...

Conservation tillage has been widely recommended for implementation in the U.S. for its environmental benefits. The effect of conservation tillage on crop yield is a subject of continued concern amongst farmers who have not adopted the practice. Previous empirical research on the yield...

Soil mulching material significantly affects the energy balance and soil thermal regime. In order to study the effect of soil mulching with a paraffin-wax emulsion on soil thermal regime, we developed a one-dimensional numerical model, which simulates the microclimate of the mulched soil. The...

Advancement in genetic algorithm (GA) optimization tools for design applications, coupled with techniques of soft computing, have led to new possibilities in the way computers interact with the optimization process. In this paper, the concept of goal-oriented GA has been used to design a tool...

The spatial variability of surface temperature has been examined under greenhouse conditions at Al-Mada'in Research station. Soil temperatures were measured at 14:00 h on 3 consecutive days after a trickle irrigation. Measurements were made every 0.5 m along a 55-m transect with...

An agricultural greenhouse with natural ventilation in Thailand has to deal with high temperature. This problem shows the necessity of having a tool capable of predicting soil temperature and moisture in the greenhouse using the statistical data from the meteorological station. Rice husks were...