{"title":"Evaluation of segmentation methods for RGB colour image-based detection of Fusarium infection in corn grains using support vector machine (SVM) and pre-trained convolution neural network (CNN)","authors":"T. S. Rathna Priya, A. Manickavasagan","doi":"10.7451/cbe.2022.64.7.9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7451/cbe.2022.64.7.9","url":null,"abstract":"This study evaluated six segmentation methods (clustering, flood-fill, graph-cut, colour-thresholding, watershed, and Otsu’s-thresholding) for segmentation accuracy and classification accuracy in discriminating Fusarium infected corn grains using RGB colour images. The segmentation accuracy was calculated using Jaccard similarity index and Dice coefficient in comparison with the gold standard (manual segmentation method). Flood-fill and graph-cut methods showed the highest segmentation accuracy of 77% and 87% for Jaccard and Dice evaluation metrics, respectively. Pre-trained convolution neural network (CNN) and support vector machine (SVM) were used to evaluate the effect of segmentation methods on classification accuracy using segmented images and extracted features from the segmented images, respectively. The SVM based two-class model to discriminate healthy and Fusarium infected corn grains yielded the classification accuracy of 84%, 79%, 78%, 74%, 69% and 65% for graph-cut, watershed, clustering, flood-fill, colour-thresholding, and Otsu’s-thresholding, respectively. In pretrained CNN model, the classification accuracies were 93%, 88%, 87%, 84%, 61% and 59% for flood-fill, graph-cut, colour-thresholding, clustering, watershed, and Otsu’s-thresholding, respectively. Jaccard and Dice evaluation metrics showed the highest correlation with the pretrained CNN classification accuracies with R2 values of 0.9693 and 0.9727, respectively. The correlation with SVM classification accuracies were R2–0.505 for Jaccard and R2–0.5151 for Dice evaluation metrics.","PeriodicalId":34955,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Biosystems Engineering / Le Genie des biosystems au Canada","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45176475","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Historical development of subsurface drainage in Quebec from 1850 to 1970","authors":"S. Barrington","doi":"10.7451/cbe.2022.64.1.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7451/cbe.2022.64.1.1","url":null,"abstract":"Despite its beginning in the 1850’s and being first in Canada to purchase a tile drainage trencher, subsurface drainage of agricultural lands in Quebec is poorly documented, which the present paper will try to document from 1850 to 1970. In Quebec, Catholic priests and monks played an important role in educating rural communities by establishing French agricultural schools throughout the province. For the English rural communities, Macdonald College (Macdonald Campus of McGill University) played a major role especially in preparing plans, besides promoting the technology. The Quebec Ministry of Agriculture encouraged subsurface drainage early in 1912 but would prefer investing in land clearing and watercourse deepening to establish more farms, from the employment needs created by WWI, the great 1930 depression and WWII. This work mostly completed in the early 1960’s, the Quebec Government would then initiate a major subsurface drainage program, allowing private enterprises to take over shortly after 1967. Although the Ministry changed names several times even after 1967, the term ‘Ministry of Agriculture’ will be used throughout this article. To compare trencher performance, a 15 m average spacing is presumed. This paper is limited to the main events and persons involved, without being able to cover them all.","PeriodicalId":34955,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Biosystems Engineering / Le Genie des biosystems au Canada","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48047525","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"L’HISTOIRE DU DÉVELOPPEMENT DU DRAINAGE SOUTERRAIN AU QUÉBEC DE 1850 À 1970","authors":"Suzelle Barrington","doi":"10.7451/cbe.2022.64.1.15","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7451/cbe.2022.64.1.15","url":null,"abstract":"Peu documenté, le drainage souterrain fait partie de l’histoire du Québec depuis son tout début en 1850, et depuis son achat de la première draineuse mécanisée au Canada en 1902. Le but du présent article est donc de documenter cette historie de 1850 à 1967. L’église catholique a activement participé à l’éducation des communautés rurales francophones du Québec en fondant plusieurs écoles d’agriculture. Du côté anglophone, le Collège Macdonald (Campus Macdonald de l’Université McGill University) jouait un rôle important surtout pour la préparation de plans, en plus de sa vulgarisation. Le Ministère de l’Agriculture encourageait le drainage souterrain à compter de 1912 mais lui adressait peu d’importance pour défricher et excaver les cours d’eaux, afin de trouver des emplois à la suite des deux grandes guerres mondiales, et de la grande dépression de 1930. Une fois les travaux de creusage de cours d’eau pratiquement réalisés vers le début des années 1960, le Ministère lançait un important programme de drainage souterrain pour ensuite laisser la relève aux entrepreneurs privés peu après 1967. En dépit de ses nombreux changements de nom même après 1967, le présent article utilise simplement le nom de ‘Ministère de l’Agriculture’. Pour comparer le taux d’installation de drainage souterrain, un écartement moyen de 15m sera présumé. Le présent article vise a souligner les éléments importants de l’histoire du drainage souterrain au Québec, ne pouvant mentionner tous ceux-ci ni toutes les personnes impliquées.","PeriodicalId":34955,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Biosystems Engineering / Le Genie des biosystems au Canada","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42237721","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Canola yield and quality under tile drainage in the Canadian Prairies","authors":"","doi":"10.7451/cbe.2022.64.1.29","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7451/cbe.2022.64.1.29","url":null,"abstract":"For areas with seasonally shallow water tables and poorly drained soils, subsurface drainage systems are ideal for removing excess water from the root zone and improving soil workability, trafficability, and timeliness of field operations. With increased interest in tile drainage in southern Manitoba, the objective of this study was to evaluate the impacts of drainage on canola yield and canola oil qualities over three growing seasons (2019-2021) in Winkler, Manitoba. The study was carried out on replicated field plots with three different drainage treatments: controlled drainage (CD), free drainage (FD), and no drainage (ND). Subsurface drain tiles were installed at a depth of 0.9 m. The drains were spaced at 8 m for CD and 15 m for FD. Compared to FD plots (3.02 Mg/ha), the CD plots (3.51 Mg/ha) had significantly higher yields in 2019 with good rainfall. With low rainfall in 2020 and 2021, the impact of drainage, especially CD, diminished, with no significant differences between the treatments. In 2020, the average yields were 3.12, 2.52, and 2.97 Mg/ha for ND, CD, and FD, respectively. Similarly, in 2021, there was no significant difference between CD (1.14 Mg/ha), FD (1.52 Mg/ha), and ND (1.07 Mg/ha). The impact of CD under drought conditions was not significant. This could be related to the narrower drain spacing, which tends to remove water rapidly within the soil profile during short periods of high-intensity rainfall. The canola quality assessments (oil, protein, glucosinolate and fatty acid profile) showed no significant differences between ND, CD, and FD in each of the years. This suggests that environmental variables (mainly temperature and precipitation) may have masked drainage impacts on canola quality.","PeriodicalId":34955,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Biosystems Engineering / Le Genie des biosystems au Canada","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45433421","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effects of weather on temperatures of the grain bin components and headspace of a 10-m diameter corrugated steel bin.","authors":"V. Bharathi, F. Jian, D. Jayas","doi":"10.7451/cbe.2022.64.3.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7451/cbe.2022.64.3.1","url":null,"abstract":"The mean global temperatures are increasing as a result of climate change. To understand how the change in ambient weather influences the temperature of the stored grain, the temperature fluctuation patterns of the floor, roof, sidewalls, and headspace were monitored from mid-August 2019 to the end of October 2021 in Winnipeg, Canada. The bin was filled with 300 t of wheat at an initial average moisture content of 12.5 ± 0.1% (wet basis). The thermocouples were installed at 17, 9, and 12 locations on the floor, roof (outside), and sidewalls (outside) of the bin, respectively. Sixteen temperature and relative humidity sensors were installed at different locations with varying distances from the surface of the grain in the headspace. The ambient weather (air temperature (°C), relative humidity (%), barometric pressure (kPa), average solar radiation (W/m2), precipitation (mm), wind speed (m/s), and wind direction (degrees with reference to the north)) were also measured near the bin during the study period. The temperatures of the roof, sidewalls, and headspace were influenced by the ambient temperature and solar radiation. In Year II (November 2020 – October 2021), the floor, roof, sidewalls, and headspace temperatures were higher by 2.1 ± 0.1°C, 3.9 ± 0.1°C, 3.5 ± 0.2°C, and 1.9 ± 0.1°C than that in Year I (November 2019 - October 2020), respectively. The ambient temperature increased by 1.8°C in year II, compared to year I. These results can be used in the prediction of temperatures in grain bins caused by weather changes.","PeriodicalId":34955,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Biosystems Engineering / Le Genie des biosystems au Canada","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48660245","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Supporting teaching practice, program improvement, and accreditation efforts in an engineering program","authors":"Jillian Seniuk Cicek, Danny Mann, R. Renaud","doi":"10.7451/cbe.2022.64.9.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7451/cbe.2022.64.9.1","url":null,"abstract":"This paper emphasizes the essential role of a support person for faculty teaching and assessing the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) graduate attributes as part of an ongoing accreditation cycle. It details the continuous program improvement process adopted by the Department of Biosystems Engineering at the University of Manitoba, and the role of engineering stakeholders. It recounts a study that details the supportive efforts of a Research Associate who helped to validate and implement rubrics with individual professors as outcomes-based tools for teaching and assessing the 12 CEAB graduate attributes, which resulted in the creation of 14 rubrics for 12 courses. Findings included new pedagogical understandings, the appreciation of individual support from the Research Associate, and the continued use of rubrics; the work led most professors to think deeply and in new ways about teaching and assessment. There was evidence that six professors engaged in ‘reverse design’, developing rubrics with targeted learning outcomes and course materials in mind. The work led to critical improvement in teaching practices and evidence of continual program improvement. Despite overall engagement and success, some professors continued to struggle with the concept and use of rubrics. In sum, this experience emphasizes the benefit of a dedicated person to support professors to implement rubrics, and in creating and sustaining an outcomes-based assessment culture in the department.","PeriodicalId":34955,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Biosystems Engineering / Le Genie des biosystems au Canada","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45819564","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Rapid assessment of canola spoilage under sub-optimal storage condition using FTIR spectroscopy","authors":"C. Erkinbaev, Whitney Morse, J. Paliwal","doi":"10.7451/cbe.2022.64.7.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7451/cbe.2022.64.7.1","url":null,"abstract":"The storage environment of grains and oilseeds influences their physico-chemical properties that determine shelf-life and nutritional quality. In case of oilseeds, and more specifically canola, analytical chemistry methods are commonly used to determine their quality which is characterized by fatty acid value (FAV) of samples. As wet chemistry methods are time consuming and require the use of chemicals, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy combined with multivariate data analysis was investigated for rapid assessment of canola quality as affected by sub-optimal storage. Moreover, in order to conduct the analysis on-site outside of a laboratory setting, the feasibility of using a portable instrument was studied. An FTIR spectrum of canola seeds stored at sub-optimal storage condition (35°C and 84% relative humidity) was obtained weekly for a period of five weeks. The quality degradation over this storage period was measured in terms of reduction in germination and FAV content. Principal components analysis (PCA) was applied on FTIR spectral data for dimensionality reduction and the first two principal components could successfully separate canola samples of different qualities (based on their respective storage durations). Quantitative analysis for prediction of FAV using partial least squares (PLS) regression method was done and models were built utilizing the entire spectral data as well by grouping the spectral into three spectral bands. A root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) of 4.4% and R2=0.96, was achieved with the model built using the entire mid-infrared region. The spectral bands of 1000–1500 cm-1 and 2500–3000 cm-1 were also able to provide comparable results. Various combinations of spectral pre-processing of data were also explored. The results establish that portable FTIR instruments provide an accurate and rapid alternative to chemical analysis for predicting spoilage and determining canola quality.","PeriodicalId":34955,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Biosystems Engineering / Le Genie des biosystems au Canada","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49603526","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alyssa Ruta, Jillian Seniuk Cicek, A. Mante, M. Speare, Randy Herrmann
{"title":"Ten calls to action to integrate Indigenous Knowledges and perspectives into the Biosystems Engineering Program at the University of Manitoba","authors":"Alyssa Ruta, Jillian Seniuk Cicek, A. Mante, M. Speare, Randy Herrmann","doi":"10.7451/cbe.2021.63.9.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7451/cbe.2021.63.9.1","url":null,"abstract":"In this study, a rapid grey and academic literature scoping review was conducted to investigate how Indigenous Knowledges, perspectives, values and cultures are being incorporated into engineering education in several colonialized countries. The findings were used to make recommendations on advancing the Biosystems Engineering curriculum at the University of Manitoba to educate future engineers who have the cultural capacity to work ethically, respectfully, and reciprocally in engineering practice and partnership with Indigenous Peoples and communities. The study was spurred in part by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s 94 Calls to Action. In collaboration with Indigenous Peoples, calls for integrating Indigenous knowledge and teaching methods into classrooms and building student capacity for intercultural understanding, empathy, and mutual respect. Sources for this review were gathered from Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, countries that share a similar history of European colonization and are developing methods for curricular change. The findings demonstrated that incorporation of Indigenous Knowledges perspectives in engineering education can be organized into five main themes: 1. capacity building for engineering educators, 2. consultation and collaboration with Indigenous Peoples and communities, 3. coalescing dominant, Indigenous and engineering perspectives, 4. preparing students for professional practice with Indigenous Peoples, and 5. developing a new curriculum. By incorporating these recommendations, engineering educators will help create an educational environment where Indigenous Peoples and their ways of knowing, being and doing have space alongside Western and engineering worldviews. This will prepare engineering students for culturally sensitive and ethically sound professional practice and support the students who will see themselves reflected in Biosystems Engineering.","PeriodicalId":34955,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Biosystems Engineering / Le Genie des biosystems au Canada","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47557713","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Discrete element modelling (DEM) of hemp processing using a hammermill","authors":"M. Sadek, Ying Chen","doi":"10.7451/cbe.2021.63.2.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7451/cbe.2021.63.2.1","url":null,"abstract":"The discrete element method (DEM) was used to develop a model to simulate hemp processing using a hammer mill. The model was computed using a commercial software package - Particle Flow Code in Three Dimensions (PFC3D). In the model, a simulated hemp stem was defined using spherical particles connected with parallel bonds implemented in the PFC3D. The breakage of the bonds mimics the hemp breaking phenomenon within the hammermill. A micro property, bond strength of the hemp stems, was calibrated using the literature data from compression tests of hemp stems. The calibrated bond strength was 2.2 x106 Pa. With the calibrated bond strength, the model was used to simulate the power and energy distributions within the hammermill. The simulations were performed for different hammer rotational speeds and feeding masses. The results showed that both the specific kinetic and strain energies increased with the increase of the feeding mass; however, the effects of the hammer rotational speed did not follow any particular trends.","PeriodicalId":34955,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Biosystems Engineering / Le Genie des biosystems au Canada","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44546972","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M. Stumborg, Megan Vankosky, Alan Jones, O. Olfert, A. Thomas
{"title":"Design and performance of a 96 cell thermally controlled multi-cell instrument","authors":"M. Stumborg, Megan Vankosky, Alan Jones, O. Olfert, A. Thomas","doi":"10.7451/cbe.2020.62.7.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7451/cbe.2020.62.7.1","url":null,"abstract":"This paper describes the design, construction, and evaluation of a thermally controlled multi-cell instrument containing ninety-six independently controlled cells (designated as the TCMCI-96). Each cell was designed to operate over a temperature range of -20oC to +50oC with accuracy to the setpoint of ± 0.2oC compared to the setpoint requested by the operator at any point within the specific cell temperature cycle. The TCMCI-96 instrument was designed to meet the temperature range and accuracy objectives as well as a number of engineering design objectives to improve overall utility and serviceability when compared to the instrument reported by McLaughlin et al. (1985) and a previous one hundred and seventy-six cell version (designated as the TCMCI-176). This paper describes the design and illustrates the utility, flexibility, and accuracy of the TCMCI-96 by presenting data from biological studies conducted within the TCMCI facility at the Saskatoon Research and Development Centre. The temperature accuracy performance objective was not met as the TCMCI-96 achieved a ± 0.3oC accuracy compared to the set point. The temperature range and cycle frequency objectives were met and can be reliably used provided humidity around the instrument is controlled correctly.","PeriodicalId":34955,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Biosystems Engineering / Le Genie des biosystems au Canada","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47936006","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}