Environmental Sciences and Sustainable Engineering Centre (ESSENCE)

Indian Institute of Technology Palakkad&nbsp;(IIT Palakkad or IIT PKD) is a public autonomous&nbsp;engineering&nbsp;and&nbsp;research&nbsp;institute located in&nbsp;Palakkad,&nbsp;Kerala. It was&nbsp;one of the five new&nbsp;IITs&nbsp;proposed in the&nbsp;2014 Union budget of India. The campus was inaugurated on 3 August 2015. The institute has 94 faculty, 978 students, and 63 non-teaching staffs.

IT Palakkad currently offers four-year Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) and two years MS programmes in 8 different engineering disciplines including&nbsp;Computer Science, Electrical, Mechanical, Civil among others.

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IIT Palakkad

World University root node

in silico Plants

BioCro II: a Software Package for Modular Crop Growth Simulations

Steel fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC) is widely recommended where fatigue is a predominant mode of failure, such as concrete bridges, offshore structures and concrete pavements. From a detailed literature review, it was observed that the different fibre parameters like fibre type, fibre volume, aspect ratio, etc., influence the crack resistance performance and thus, the fatigue endurance limit. This paper attempts to understand the effect of various test parameters (stress ratio, frequency) and fibre parameters (length, diameter, volume of fibres, aspect ratio and reinforcing index) on the fatigue life of SFRC based on available literature data. Studies involving SFRC with volume fractions of 0.13–2.0% are included in the analysis. The objective of the current study is to propose a generalized fatigue model, based on statistical analysis of data available from literature, for pre-cracked SFRC with the consideration of the above variables. A multiple linear regression (MLR) analysis using SPSS software was used to perform analysis of variance (ANOVA). The most significant parameters, obtained from the analysis, for the prediction of fatigue life of pre-cracked SFRC are stress ratio, length of fibre and reinforcing index. The generalized expression can be used for the prediction of the post cracking fatigue life of SFRC for volume fractions within the range of 0.13–2.0%. It is envisaged that these generalized models could be integrated into any SFRC design methodology requiring fatigue response prediction, leading to better-optimized designs. Overall, this study expands the state-of-the-art on fatigue behaviour of SFRC and its analysis.

Department of Civil Engineering

RILEM Bookseries

Statistical Modelling of Flexural Fatigue Response of Steel Fibre Reinforced Concrete

The Midwestern “Corn-Belt” in the United States is the most productive agricultural region on the planet despite being predominantly rainfed. In this region, global climate change is driving precipitation patterns toward wetter springs and drier mid- to late-summers, a trend that is likely to intensify in the future. The lack of precipitation can lead to crop water limitations that ultimately impact growth and yields. Young plants exposed to water stress will often invest more resources into their root systems, possibly priming the crop for any subsequent mid- or late-season drought. The trend toward wetter springs, however, suggests that opportunities for crop priming may lessen in the future. Here, we test the hypothesis that early season dry conditions lead to drought priming in field-grown crops and this response will protect crops against growth and yield losses from late-season droughts. This hypothesis was tested for the two major Midwestern crop, maize and soybean, using high-resolution daily weather data, satellite-derived phenological metrics, field yield data, and ecosystem-scale model (Agricultural Production System Simulator) simulations. The results from this study showed that priming mitigated yield losses from a late season drought of up to 4.0% and 7.0% for maize and soybean compared with unprimed crops experiencing a late season drought. These results suggest that if the trend toward wet springs with drier summers continues, the relative impact of droughts on crop productivity is likely to worsen. Alternatively, identifying opportunities to breed or genetically modify pre-primed crop species may provide improved resilience to future climate change. © 2021 The Authors. Food and Energy Security published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Fulltext

Food and Energy Security

Drought imprints on crops can reduce yield loss: Nature's insights for food security

Brazil is one of the largest exporters of cattle meat production. Most of this production is under pasture areas, with different levels of livestock and field management. Remotely sensed images could be interesting tools to detect distinct temporal and spatial patterns of these systems. In this context, classification algorithms have been proposed to use information from satellite images to map different land covers. The Time-Weighted Dynamic Time Warping (TWDTW) is an algorithm that has the advantage of working well with datasets with enough amounts of temporal information and seasonality patterns. In the present work, the TWDTW was performed to classify pasture managements in farms located in Western region of São Paulo State in Brazil for the years 2017 and 2018, as a primary study. It was used Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) time series images from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer - MODIS sensor (products MOD13Q1 and MYD13Q) with 250 meters of spatial resolution. In classifications for the years 2017 and 2018, it was observed a predominance of traditional pasture. Total areas of degraded and traditional pasture were very similar between 2017 and 2018. The year of 2017 showed higher spatial distribution of intensified pastures than year 2018. The classification achieved satisfying results with complete accuracy in validation. The information collected from field visits were important to analyse general aspects of the results. Therefore, in this pilot study TWDTW algorithm demonstrated to have potential in differentiating classes of pasture management. Next steps will be to explor e the possibilities to classify pasture systems in large areas. © 2020 IEEE.

2020 IEEE Latin American GRSS and ISPRS Remote Sensing Conference, LAGIRS 2020 - Proceedings

Mapping Pasture Areas in Western Region of SÃO Paulo State, Brazil

To meet rising demands for agricultural products, existing agricultural lands must either produce more or expand in area. Yield gaps (YGs)—the difference between current and potential yield of agricultural systems—indicate the ability to increase output while holding land area constant. Here, we assess YGs in global grazed-only permanent pasture lands using a climate binning approach. We create a snapshot of circa 2000 empirical yields for meat and milk production from cattle, sheep, and goats by sorting pastures into climate bins defined by total annual precipitation and growing degree-days. We then estimate YGs from intra-bin yield comparisons. We evaluate YG patterns across three FAO definitions of grazed livestock agroecosystems (arid, humid, and temperate), and groups of animal production systems that vary in animal types and animal products. For all subcategories of grazed-only permanent pasture assessed, we find potential to increase productivity several-fold over current levels. However, because productivity of grazed pasture systems is generally low, even large relative increases in yield translated to small absolute gains in global protein production. In our dataset, milk-focused production systems were found to be seven times as productive as meat-focused production systems regardless of animal type, while cattle were four times as productive as sheep and goats regardless of animal output type. Sustainable intensification of pasture is most promising for local development, where large relative increases in production can substantially increase incomes or “spare” large amounts of land for other uses. Our results motivate the need for further studies to target agroecological and economic limitations on productivity to improve YG estimates and identify sustainable pathways toward intensification. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd

Global Change Biology

Assessment of yield gaps on global grazed-only permanent pasture using climate binning

This paper reviews the feasibility of using low grade clay for developing geopolymer mortar by partially replacing conventional source material. The study intends to develop a framework for identification, classification and utilization of various clays and suggest suitable processing techniques to qualify for geopolymerization. The influence of source clay based on the reactivity of silica, physical, chemical and mineralogical characteristics on the properties of geopolymer mortar is extensively studied based on existing literature. Characteristics of clay after various treatment methods (calcining and lime treatment) are also reviewed so as to identify the extent of its effectiveness on geopolymers. Characteristics based on micro-structural studies such as energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD) along with geotechnical characterization are reviewed. The paper highlights the significant characteristics of clay that is significant for geopolymerization and its implication on the properties of geopolymer mortar. The manifestation of geopolymer characteristics and its relation to crystallography and microstructure is explored to develop strategies for the qualification of clays. The influence of parameters such as alkali concentration and sodium silicate to sodium hydroxide ratio on compressive strength is presented. Based on the review, an attempt has been made to characterize different types of clay obtained from few sources in India, and a study has been conducted to assess the qualification technique proposed. © RILEM 2020.

Qualifying of Low Grade Clay for Geopolymer Mortar: A Preliminary Assessment

Pastures are complex land covers with a variety of land use systems. This land cover occupies large areas in the globe and is mainly used for livestock production. Brazil is one of the largest livestock producers and has extensive pasture areas. We analyzed the pasture land cover change of the São Paulo State between the years 2000 to 2015. São Paulo was chosen as study case due to its large industrial and agricultural importance and its expressive land cover changes over past decades. It was analyzed land covers databases generated by the Brazilian Annual Land Use and Land Cover Mapping Project (MapBiomas Project) - Collection 4. Transition matrix was generated to analyze the land cover change during the period. Gain, loss, total change, net change and swap were calculated in terms of area. Total pasture area decreased but continues the largest land cover of the São Paulo State; with 79.5% of persistence in the area. Main changes were from losses of pastures and gains in agriculture. Most of the changes to pasture came from other non vegetated areas and grassland categories. These results demonstrated the relevance of pastures areas in land cover change dynamics to address land use policy and plan future land use scenarios. © 2020 IEEE.

Pasture Land Cover Change in São Paulo State, Brazil

Use of fibre reinforced concrete (FRC) for pavements is advocated since the higher crack resistance could lead to lower slab thickness and higher joint spacing. The post-cracking capacity of FRC allows pavements to be designed and analysed considering the response beyond the elastic regime. The current paper presents possible failure patterns in FRC pavement slabs, which are governed by the slab dimensions, loading type and boundary conditions and the appropriateness of inelastic design methodologies for these failure patterns. Subsequently, a mechanistic-empirical design methodology developed for FRC pavements, based on yield line analysis incorporating fatigue in the moment calculation, is discussed. The proposed design methodology gives specific checks for the different failure patterns and the consequent design strategy to be adopted. The method incorporates material parameters, such as the first crack and post crack flexural strengths and fatigue correction factors for the evaluation of the moment carrying capacity. Cumulative fatigue damage analysis is also done as a serviceability check. The final design solution satisfies both the inelastic moment capacity requirement and fatigue life required without excessive damage accumulation.

Sadhana - Academy Proceedings in Engineering Sciences

Mechanistic-empirical design of fibre reinforced concrete (FRC) pavements using inelastic analysis

Nature Climate Change

Reply to: Brazilian ethanol expansion subject to limitations

Using fine-scale panel data and an econometric model, we predict land use change in the Midwestern United States if a new bioenergy crop, Miscanthus × Giganteus (miscanthus), is introduced. To explain farmers' current crop choices, we use a local, limited dependent variable regression based on soil and weather characteristics. To this model, we add miscanthus as a new crop, based on its place dependent BioCro model-predicted yield. We find that the vast majority of land used to grow miscanthus will come from land now used for non-major crops, pasture, woodland, and other uses. This implies that miscanthus can help mitigate climate change by displacing oil usage without causing food conflict. © 2019 Elsevier B.V.