The macaw palm has been identified as a prime feed stock for biodiesel industries in the near future coming decades. However, there are no machines for harvesting and detaching fruits in the biofuel industry; hence, the study of the dynamic behavior of the fruit-rachilla system would aid in the development of such machines. Thus, this study seeks to determine the modulus of elasticity and the damping ratio of four different plant accessions obtained from the Active Germplasm Bank of the Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV). Tensile testing was conducted to determine the modulus of elasticity. From the graphical results of tension versus specific strain, it was possible to determine the modulus of elasticity by using the tangent method. To determine the damping ratio, the logarithmic decrement method was performed using vibration testing. Vibration test consisted of a generated impulse of 100% of the amplitude of acceleration that was used to excite the system. The acquisition of the generated information was performed by a piezoelectric accelerometer. The average modulus of elasticity ranged from 2.22 to 3.17MPa, and the average damping ratios ranged from 0.04 to 0.08. Thus, the macaw fruit-rachilla was an under-damped system.

The fruit of the native macaw palm [Acrocomia aculeata (lacq) Lood. ex Mart] is an alternative for biodiesel production because of the plant characteristics, as well as its adaptability, hardiness and high vegetable oil yield. However, its exploitation remains extractive and there are significant difficulties in its harvest. This study aimed to determine the mechanical properties of the macaw palm fruit-rachilla system that will support the design of harvest machines based on mechanical vibration. Ten samples of four accessions in the immature and mature stages of maturity were used. Traction and vibration tests were conducted to determine the mechanical properties of the macaw palm fruit-rachilla system. The elastic modulus of the rachilla was 188.39-385.09 MPa for the immature stage and 109.02-320.54 MPa for the mature stage. The Poisson's ratio for the rachilla varied between 0.20 and 0.52 for the immature stage and between 0.16 and 0.52 for the mature stage. The damping ratio varied between 0.02 and 0.12 for the immature stage and between 0.06 and 0.12 for the mature stage. The fruit-rachilla system was characterized as underdamped.

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In addition to be absorbed by plants, nitrogen (N) applied in the soil is subject to loss by leaching, volatilization and microorganism immobilization. The spectral characteristics of plants have been used for defining the N fertilizer rate. However, it has been a challenge to translate the sensor readings into the N rate. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate three spectral variables to recommend variable rate N fertilization in Brachiaria decumbens using the Nitrogen Sufficiency Index (NSI). The five treatments consisted of a control plot (without nitrogen application), a reference plot with a fixed N rate of 150 kg ha-1 and three different spectral readings for applying N at variable rates. In the variable rate plots were initially applied a N rate equal to 50% of that in the reference plot, and the following rates were defined based on NSI. The three spectral variables were: a portable chlorophyll meter readings, Visible Atmospherically Resistant Index (VARI RedEdge) and the ratio between Modified Chlorophyll Absorption Ratio Index and Optimized Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (MCARI/OSAVI). The experiment was conducted in randomized block design with five replicates during three plant harvesting. The forage was harvested when the plant height was 25 cm in the reference plot. The variable rate treatments presented better nitrogen use efficiency than the fixed rate treatment. The portable chlorophyll meter was more suitable than the used vegetation indices to recommend variable N rate fertilization since their plots produced the same dry biomass matter as in the fixed rate plot with less amount of fertilizer applied.

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The macaw palm has been domesticated due to its potential use in the production of biofuel, in addition to several co-products that can be generated from its oil and pulp. One of the current challenges in this area is the harvesting, as there are no specific machines for this operation. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the appropriate information regarding the physical properties of the plant, so that it is feasible to develop the technologies necessary for the commercial scale application of macaw palm, allowing it to contribute to the sustainable production of raw material for the biofuel industry and other co-products. The principle of mechanical vibration can be used to shed fruit from trees when ripe, and it can be a method used for harvesting. Thus, as proposed in this study, it was necessary to study the dynamic behavior of the fruit-rachilla system during vibration. Hence, the modal properties of the system were determined. A study on the dynamic behaviors was carried out using a deterministic finite element model, and the natural frequencies were obtained through a frequency-scanning test to evaluate the model. The mean relative error (MRE) between the measured and simulated natural frequencies was also used to evaluate the model. The natural frequencies, determined experimentally, varied from 26.21 to 33.45 Hz on average, whereas the simulated frequencies varied from 24.81 to 39.27 Hz. The overall MRE was 9.08%. Once the model was validated, a sensibility test was carried out, which showed that the density of fruit and the elasticity modulus are the parameters that most influence the natural frequencies of the fruit-rachilla system.

The use of optical sensors to identify the nutritional needs of agricultural crops has been the subject of several studies using precision agriculture techniques. In this work, we sought to overcome the lack of research evaluating the use of these techniques in the management of nitrogen (N) fertilizer in pastures. We evaluated the methodology of the nitrogen sufficiency index (NSI) in N management at variable rates (VR) using a portable chlorophyll meter. In addition, the use of color vegetation indices generated from a digital camera was evaluated as a low-cost alternative. The work was conducted in four management cycles at different times of year, evaluating the productivity and quality of Brachiaria brizantha cv. Xaraés grass. Three NSIs (0.85, 0.90 and 0.95) were evaluated, applying complementary doses of N according to the response of monitored plots using a chlorophyll meter and comparing the productivity and leaf N content of these treatments to the reference treatment (TREF), which received a single dose of N (150 kg ha-1). Together with these treatments, plots without N application (control) were analyzed, totaling five treatments with six replications in a completely randomized design. The dry mass productivity and N leaf concentration of the VR treatments were statistically equal to TREF in all management cycles (P < 0.05). Most color vegetation indices correlated significantly (P < 0.05) to the chlorophyll readings. The use of NSI methodology in pastures allows the same productivity gains, with significant input savings. In addition, the use of digital cameras presents itself as a viable alternative to monitoring the N status in pastures.

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