Closing the yield gap of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merril) in Southern Africa: a case of Malawi, Zambia, and Mozambique

Siyabusa Mkuhlani Isaiah Nyagumbo (2023, [Artículo])

Introduction: Smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are increasingly producing soybean for food, feed, cash, and soil fertility improvement. Yet, the difference between the smallholder farmers’ yield and either the attainable in research fields or the potential from crop models is wide. Reasons for the yield gap include low to nonapplication of appropriate fertilizers and inoculants, late planting, low plant populations, recycling seeds, etc. Methods: Here, we reviewed the literature on the yield gap and the technologies for narrowing it and modelled yields through the right sowing dates and suitable high-yielding varieties in APSIM. Results and Discussion: Results highlighted that between 2010 and 2020 in SSA, soybean production increased; however, it was through an expansion in the cropped area rather than a yield increase per hectare. Also, the actual smallholder farmers’ yield was 3.8, 2.2, and 2.3 times lower than the attainable yield in Malawi, Zambia, and Mozambique, respectively. Through inoculants, soybean yield increased by 23.8%. Coupling this with either 40 kg ha−1 of P or 60 kg ha−1 of K boosted the yields by 89.1% and 26.0%, respectively. Overall, application of 21–30 kg ha-1 of P to soybean in SSA could increase yields by about 48.2%. Furthermore, sowing at the right time increased soybean yield by 300%. Although these technologies enhance soybean yields, they are not fully embraced by smallholder farmers. Hence, refining and bundling them in a digital advisory tool will enhance the availability of the correct information to smallholder farmers at the right time and improve soybean yields per unit area.

Decision Support Tools Digital Tools Site-Specific Recommendations CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS LEGUMES YIELDS SOYBEANS

Leveraging the self-heating effect of ntc thermistor to detect its minimum coverage by a dispensed paste in the mass production process of temperature sensors

Saúl Alejandro Rodríguez Jiménez LEONOR ADRIANA CARDENAS ROBLEDO (2023, [Artículo])

This paper develops a device capable of confirming the minimum coverage area on a thermistor by a thermal paste dispensed and cured in the manufacturing process of Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) temperature sensors to provide the required fixation in the presence of mechanical shock conditions. Such a device leverages the thermistor’s self-heating effect and the thermal conductivity of the paste to read the voltage drop from the sensor, which translates into paste coverage area. The methodology follows a synthesized procedure to develop equipment and processes, considering an early phase for concept confirmation to demonstrate the feasibility of the device development. In a later phase, the optimal parameters are calculated and set to the device for delivering the corresponding classification of the sensors during the test. Once launched in production, the device demonstrates high effectiveness in screening out the sensors with rejectable paste coverage area on the thermistor.

Self-heating effect Thermistor Paste Temperature sensor Heat dissipation INGENIERÍA Y TECNOLOGÍA CIENCIAS TECNOLÓGICAS OTRAS ESPECIALIDADES TECNOLÓGICAS OTRAS OTRAS