Utilizing convolutional neural network (CNN) for orchard irrigation decision-making.

Efficient agricultural management often relies on farmers' experiential knowledge and demands considerable labor, particularly in regions with challenging terrains. To reduce these burdens, the adoption of smart technologies has garnered increasing attention. This study proposes a convolutional neural network (CNN)-based model as a decision-support tool for smart irrigation in orchard systems, focusing on persimmon cultivation in mountainous regions.

Direct Observations of Graphene Dispersed in Solution by Twilight Fluorescence Microscopy.

Graphene and graphene oxide (GO) in solution were directly observed by a newly developed twilight fluorescence (TwiF) microscopy. A nanocarbon dispersion was mixed with a highly concentrated fluorescent dye solution and placed in a cell with a viewing glass at the bottom. TwiF microscopy images the nanocarbon material floating within a few hundred μm of the glass surface by utilizing two optical processes to provide a faintly illuminating backlight and visualizes GO as either a dark image by absorption and energy transfer processes or a bright image by alternation of fluorophore chemistry and autofluorescence.

Cryptosporidium and Giardia as determinants for selection of an appropriate source of drinking-water in southern Sri Lanka.

Four different water sources (irrigation canals, small reservoirs, shallow wells, and tubewells), used for domestic purposes, in an irrigated area in southern Sri Lanka, were tested for Giardia spp. cysts and Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts.