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In Canada, the control of relative humidity is a key issue in greenhouse production as it has a direct and significant effect on dehumidification cost, crop quality and yield. Experiments were carried out to measure plant transpiration rate and fruit yield under four different ambient water vapour pressure deficits. Four identical greenhouses were used to produce tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) under four different regimes of water vapour pressure deficit (VPD). Dehumidification costs were highly correlated to VPD: low VPD produced low transpiration requiring little dehumidification. Thus, managing plant transpiration can lead to a more efficient use of transpiration for crop production. A model was developed to optimise greenhouse climatic conditions to maximize net profit. The present project validated this model, and compared measured values with those calculated from the transpiration and condensation sub-models and from the entire model itself. The sub-models and entire model proved to be accurate within 3% when used to simulate ideal climatic conditions for periods of one week or longer. Model sensitivity was greatest for exterior temperature because this factor affects heating costs without increasing yields. Using winter climatic conditions typical of Quebec City, Canada, three greenhouse climate control strategies were simulated and compared with respect to energy consumption and yield of a tomato crop. The merit and drawback of each strategy are discussed.

High rates of runoff and soil loss occur in temperate areas in late winter and early spring. A low-intensity rainfall simulator and a snowmelt simulator were developed to study soil erosion by snowmelt and/or spring rainfall on a sandy loam soil of southern Quebec. Erosive agent, land slope, thaw depth of partly frozen soil, and intensity and duration of the event were studied in the laboratory using the simulators. All these factors had significant effects on soil erosion. Sediment concentration, soil loss rate, and total soil loss increased with increasing land slope, thaw depth, and intensity, duration, and impact energy of the erosive agent. Duration showed a significant interaction with each of the other factors. interaction between thaw depth and intensity of the event was significant under both snowmelt and rainfall simulation, whereas interaction between land slope and intensity was significant under rainfall simulation, but not under snowmelt simulation. Erosive agent also interacted with each of the other factors. All these interactions increased soil loss. The presence of a frozen sublayer interacted with the other factors and greatly increased runoff, sediment concentration and total soil loss. Rainfall caused more soil loss than did snowmelt under the same conditions.

A field experiment was conducted at Inselele, KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, South Africa, in 1999/2000, to assess the influence of shading as related to varying levels of incident solar irradiance as well as microclimatic variations on banana (Musa spp) growth, phenology trends, morphology and productivity. The trial was established in August 1999 on a ratoon plantation. The experimental site, 0.655 ha in extent, comprised of three replications with four treatments having varying levels of incident solar irradiance levels of 100 %, 70 %, 40 % and 20 % under a planting density of 1666 plants ha. The irradiance levels were derived from black shade cloth, erected 1 m above the banana canopy level. Banana plantations have vegetation that does not completely cover the underlying ground surface. For such a canopy, there are basically two distinct and interacting surface components, the overstorey/canopy and the understorey/soil. Independent investigations and measurements of the solar energy fluxes for each of these two components forms a vital step to comprehend the factors that control the overhead energy fluxes in the plantation. In this study, evaluation of flux components in the understorey of the canopy using plastic microlysimeters was conducted. Considering normal variations in field measurements, the agreement and consistency among the different measurements with previous findings was adequate. Microlysimeter measurements of daytime soil evaporation were generally less than 1 mm, with an average of 0.45 mm. The study did not include flux measurement at the two level approach (Bowen ratio and Eddy correlation methods) which could have been compared with the single level approach and microlysimeter results. Two methods of deriving/measurement of energy fluxes were used and the differences between them are discussed. A reassessment of the microlysimeter technique is suggested. For the understorey, the sum of sensible and latent heat fluxes derived from spreadsheet computation was equal to the available energy. Mean soil temperatures at a depth of 20 to 60 mm ranged between 13 and 16 degrees C. This study illustrated that energy flux measurement and interpretation in within the experimental area. Good agreement was found in the patterns of wind speed profile measurements, with the 1.5 m profile depicting a mean difference of 52 % compared to the 3 m profile between day of year (DOY) 230 and 248 inclusive. This suggested that wind speed attenuation was strongly correlated to increment in height within the plantation due to canopy roughness. Differential canopy temperatures (measured with infrared thermometry) were more sensitive to the vapour pressure deficit than to wind speed. The most dense shade affected banana productivity indicated by a bunch weight of 22.69 and 33.65 kg under the 20 % and 100% irradiance treatments respectively. The bunch mass reduction was 32 %. Flowering dates were delayed by 8 days, 13 days and 21 days with incident irradiances of 70 %, 40 % and 20 % of the unshaded control (lOO % irradiance), respectively. The phenological responses in this study appear to be a result ofa contribution or interaction of both seasonal responses and shading treatments and this is further evidenced by the high levels of correlation (98.4%) reported between these two variables. Shading resulted in diminished leaf emergence rates (LER), pseudostem circumference and pseudostem height. However, just before flowering, no significant differences were observed in the pseudostem circumferences. There was a progressive increment in pseudostem height for all the treatments, with the 20 % irradiance treatment depicting the least heights registered compared to the rest of the treatments. Evident seasonal differences were registered in the LER and emergence to harvest (EH) interval. Comparison of LER and mean air temperature trends revealed a similar curve pattern and depicted a highly positive correlation of90.4%. The highest LER of3.8 was recorded in the month of January at a peak mean monthly air temperature of24.3°C while the lowest LER of 1.2 was registered in July which had the lowest mean air temperature of 14.7 cc. The EH intervals measured between September and December flowering varied from 125 days to 112 days respectively before harvest yet the April to May flowering had an EH duration of186 to 195 days respectively. The strong seasonal influence on phenological responses is further confirmed by these EH trends. Reductions in LAI observed with time were principally due to leaf senescence. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2001.

This study investigates respiration rate of potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) under real and experimental storage conditions. Real storage conditions were obtained by building a small-scale storage facility equipped with two independent storage bins including all controls. Each bin was filled with 2.5 metric tons of potatoes and these were stored for five months. Temperature, relative humidity, air flowrate and other operational parameters were collected. Also, mass loss and CO2 analyses were performed. / A heat and moisture balance was applied to quantify heat and moisture rates produced by potatoes and were converted to respiration rates as CO 2 produced (ml.kg-1.h-1). Evaporation rates were also determined (g.kg-1.h -1). The balance was mainly applied on data collected from specific periods in which steady conditions were imposed; heaters and humidifiers were turned off and fans were operated to circulate air at a given flowrate for more than 8 h/day over a two month period. Respiration rates were determined as rates of heat produced (W) with stability and acceptable accuracy for a relatively large facility. Respiration rates were converted to CO2 production (ml.kg-1.h-1), and these agreed fairly with ranges reported in the literature. Simultaneously, respiration rates were measured by in-store CO2 analysis, and later they were measured under laboratory conditions using a closed gas analysis system. Comparing these with rates obtained by the heat and moisture balance, the later were slightly higher. Mass losses were also obtained by both weight losses and moisture balance; results from the two methods were quite similar and comparable with those reported in the literature. / Under experimental conditions, respiration rates were measured for healthy, diseased and sprouted tubers using a gas analysis method. This experiment demonstrated the need for a more extensive investigation of disease development and its relation to respiration rates, and the need for a faster and more convenient gas analysis system. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

I studied the onshore migrations of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in the northern Gulf of St. Lawrence to test the predictability of the distributions and catches of a migratory predatory fish relative to physical oceanographic processes and the distributions and abundances of its prey. To survey daily fish distributions and abundances by species, hydroacoustic signal discriminant methods were developed which classified schools of cod, capelin (Mallotus villosus), and mackerel (Scomber scombrus) with 93% success. Physical oceanographic processes along the 150 km of coastline studied were characterized by Ekman-type upwellings and downwellings forced by alongshore winds at periods $>$3 d. Physical elements of this system (principally currents and temperature) were associated with cross-shore movements of cod and accounted for as much as 83% of the variance in mean trap catch. Cod and capelin formed coherent spatial distributions when capelin were congregated where sea temperatures were most favorable to cod (1 to 5$ sp circ$C) and mean capelin densities were above 100/10$ sp5$m$ sp3$. Coherences were in phase at larger scales ($>$10 km) but became increasingly out of phase at smaller scales. Cod distributions fit the predictions of an "ideal" distribution (allometric constant = 0.67) when two constraints were put on the relationship: (1) capelin densities above 100/10$ sp5$m$ sp3$, and (2) temperatures between 1 and 9$ sp circ$C.

Doctor of Philosophy / A rice grain is composed of 90% starch, and amylose contributes to up 30% of the starch with the remainder as amylopectin. The structure of starch largely defines the quality of rice, yet the methods to characterise starch have not been reviewed recently. This thesis begins by using the simplest form of starch, debranched amylopectin, to detail and apply the principles of molecular weight theory using Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC) to illustrate that without correct calibration the molecular weight distribution of starch has been underestimated. In contrast to amylopectin, amylose is difficult to isolate from flour without causing irrevocable damage, is unstable in an aqueous system and is believed to be impossible to debranch with isoamylase. Here an amylose-rich fraction was extracted directly from flour using hot water to avoid the structural–damaging isolation techniques used previously. The ability of isoamylase to debranch the amylose was shown through traditional methods of controlled enzyme degradation of the starch, ensuring that association of chains did not hinder access to the enzyme activation site, and through the contrast of 1H NMR spectra before and after the debranching event. Further, it was shown that 20% of carbohydrate was not recoverable from the SEC, and the unrecoverable carbohydrate is likely to be of high molecular weight and with long chains. High temperatures during the grain filling period are known to impede on the rice quality of one classification of non-waxy varieties. That hypothesis was rigorously examined by growing rice from a wide genetic background in three temperature regimes, followed by analysis of amylose at a functional, structural and synthesis level. From that phenotypic data, the rice varieties could be divided into three distinct groups – two of poorer quality in an increasingly warmer climate. Candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been identified, and a mechanism proposed, to explain the phenotypes. Linking a phenotype to a SNP allows the opportunity for wide scale screening of varieties to predict the quality of rice in an increasing warmer environment. Rice quality has the potential to change with elevated carbon dioxide levels, both alone and with increased temperature. Here, the quality traits of varieties grown in four combinations of temperature and carbon dioxide levels were assessed. The negative impact of temperature on grain quality was unable to be overcome by an increase in carbon dioxide in all but one quality. Chalk is the undesirable opaque belly of a grain that defines the market price of the grain. In elevated carbon dioxide, the proportion of grains containing a high amount of chalk per grain which will increase the market value of the grain and may help to alleviate the burden of climate change on rice farmers.

Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Bibliography: Includes bibliographical references (leaves 52-58). Description: ix, 58 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm.

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No. of bitstreams: 1 silva_gz_dr_jabo.pdf: 2550895 bytes, checksum: a516c4118c17478299f78966864c897e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-09-11 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / A qualidade das sementes é influenciada pelas condições climáticas e fitossanitárias do campo de produção. A identificação das características das melhores áreas produtoras de sementes de forrageiras permite aprimoramento do setor. Assim, a presente pesquisa teve como objetivo identificar características climáticas das regiões produtoras que podem afetar a qualidade física, fisiológica e sanitária de sementes de Brachiaria brizantha cv. BRS Piatã. Foram avaliados 10 lotes de sementes de B. brizantha procedentes dos Estados de São Paulo, Goiás, Bahia, Minas Gerais e Mato Grosso do Sul. Avaliaram-se dois lotes de sementes de cada Estado pelas seguintes determinações: pureza, massa de mil sementes, teor de água, viabilidade pelo teste de tetrazólio, germinação e os testes de vigor de emergência, primeira contagem de emergência de plântulas em areia e emergência das plântulas em campo. Também foi avaliada a qualidade sanitária das sementes pelo método do papel de filtro. Foram obtidos dados de temperatura e precipitação desde o período de florescimento até a colheita das sementes de cada região de produção. As médias dos tratamentos foram comparadas pelo teste de Scott Knott, a 5% de probabilidade. Para discriminar as regiões que produzem lotes de sementes de melhor qualidade e quais fatores ambientais têm influência sobre cada um dos parâmetros de qualidade das sementes aplicou-se a análise estatística multivariada pela Análise de Componentes Principais. Locais de produção com temperaturas acima de 30 ºC nas épocas de florescimento, degrana e colheita estão relacionadas à produção de sementes de capim-piatã de menor qualidade física e fisiológica. Do mesmo modo precipitações pluviométricas acumuladas superiores a 500 e 137 mm no florescimento e colheita, respectivamente, são desfavoráveis ao vigor de sementes produzidas. Fusarium spp. predominou em locais cujo ambiente na colheita apresentou: temperaturas máximas superiores à 30 ºC, médias próximas à 25 ºC e acúmulo de chuva inferior à 82 mm. A incidência de Bipolaris sp. em sementes de capim-piatã é favorecida por locais com temperaturas entre 19 e 20 ºC na maturação. A maior incidência de Exserohilum sp. ocorre em locais cuja temperatura durante a colheita é próxima à 20 ºC e a precipitação pluviométrica acumulada situa-se entre 167 e 181 mm. / Seed quality is influenced by climatic and phytosanitary conditions of the field of production. The identification of the characteristics of the best forage seed producing areas allows the sector improvement . Thus, this research aimed to identify climatic characteristics of the producing regions that can affect the physical, physiological and sanitary quality of seeds of Brachiaria brizantha cv. BRS Piatã. Ten seed lots of B. brizantha from the states of São Paulo, Goiás, Bahia, Minas Gerais and Mato Grosso do Sul were evaluated. Two seed lots of each state were evaluated by means the following determinations: purity, mass of a thousand seeds, water content, viability by the tetrazolium test, germination and emergence vigor tests, first count of seedling emergence in sand and seedling emergence in the field. The sanitary quality of the seeds was also evaluated by the filter paper method. Temperature and precipitation data were obtained from the flowering period to the harvest of the seeds of each production region. Treatment means were compared by the Scott Knott test at 5% of probability. To discriminate the regions that produce seed lots of better quality and which environmental factors have influence on which parameters of seed quality was applied the multivariate statistical analysis through Principal Component Analysis. Production sites with temperatures above 30 °C during flowering, degrane and harvest are related to the production of lower quality piatã grass seeds. In the same way cumulative rainfall higher 500 and 137 mm in flowering and harvest, respectively, are unfavorable to seed vigor produced. Fusarium spp. maximum temperature was higher than 30 ºC, mean values close to 25 ºC and lower rainfall, less than 82 mm. The incidence of Bipolaris sp. in seeds of piatã grass is favored by sites with temperatures between 19 and 20 ºC in maturation. The higher incidence of Exserohilum sp. occurs at sites in whose harvest temperatures is close to 20 °C and cumulative rainfall is between 167 and 181 mm.