ISSN:
1365-3180
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
Notes:
Summary Stem thickness of the weed Solanum nigrum and the crop sugarbeet was determined with a He–Ne laser using a novel non-destructive technique measuring stem shadow. Thereafter, the stems were cut close to the soil surface with a CO2 laser. Treatments were carried out on pot plants, grown in the greenhouse, at two different growth stages, and plant dry matter was measured 2–5 weeks after treatment. The relationship between plant dry weight and laser energy was analysed using two different non-linear dose–response regression models; one model included stem thickness as a variable, the other did not. A binary model was also tested. The non-linear model incorporating stem thickness described the data best, indicating that it would be possible to optimize laser cutting by measuring stem thickness before cutting. The general tendency was that more energy was needed the thicker the stem. Energy uses on a field scale are discussed.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-3180.2002.00282.x
