Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Tahmina Akter Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Irrigation and Water Management, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet, Bangladesh Author-Name: Saumik Acharya Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Irrigation and Water Management, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet, Bangladesh Author-Name: Sayed Jaber Al-Hossain Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Farm Power and Machinery, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet, Bangladesh Author-Name: Golam Kibria Robbani Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Farm Power and Machinery, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet, Bangladesh Title: Vetiver grass for road slope protection through soil erosion and runoff reduction in a haor area of the Sunamganj district Abstract: Erosion control on slopes and embankments is a global concern, with vetiver planting emerging as an effective solution. This study investigated vetiver grass as a potential alternative for reducing runoff and soil erosion in protecting road embankments. In a small-scale model on a 1 V : 2 H slope, simulated rainfall was applied through a perforated sheet. The runoff was collected, and the eroded soil samples were dried using the sand bath method. The runoff and soil loss were compared with and without vetiver grass. The results showed that the vetiver grass significantly reduced the soil erosion, preventing about 87% more soil loss than the bare soil. During 60 min of simulated rainfall, the bare soil plot lost 27.056 kg.m-2 per unit area, whereas the vetiver-covered plot lost only 3.606 kg.m-2. This soil retention is due to vetiver's strong, deep root system and its hedge-like structure that effectively holds the soil. Additionally, the runoff was reduced by 14% in the plots covered with vetiver. For the 60 min of cumulative rainfall, the total runoff in the bare soil micro-plot was 81.15 cm, compared to 70.35 cm in the vetiver micro-plot. Therefore, vetivers are expected to be a sustainable and eco-friendly solution for runoff and erosion control within the lowland haor context. Keywords: erosive force, flood risk, soil quality, soil stability, vegetation Journal: Research in Agricultural Engineering Pages: 195-203 Volume: 72 Issue: 3 Year: 2026 DOI: 10.17221/124/2025-RAE File-URL: http://rae.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/124/2025-RAE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/rae-202603-0001.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlrae:v:72:y:2026:i:3:id:124-2025-RAE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Viktor Baranovsky Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Mechanical Engineering Technologies, Faculty of Mechanical, Structural and Technological Engineering, Ternopil Ivan Puluj National Technical University, Ternopil, Ukraine Author-Name: Maria Pankiv Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Mechanical Engineering Technologies, Faculty of Mechanical, Structural and Technological Engineering, Ternopil Ivan Puluj National Technical University, Ternopil, Ukraine Author-Name: Roman Komar Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Mechanical Engineering Technologies, Faculty of Mechanical, Structural and Technological Engineering, Ternopil Ivan Puluj National Technical University, Ternopil, Ukraine Author-Name: Vitalii Pankiv Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Mechanical Engineering Technologies, Faculty of Mechanical, Structural and Technological Engineering, Ternopil Ivan Puluj National Technical University, Ternopil, Ukraine Author-Name: Yevhen Berezhenko Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Mechanical Engineering Technologies, Faculty of Mechanical, Structural and Technological Engineering, Ternopil Ivan Puluj National Technical University, Ternopil, Ukraine Title: Experimental study of the haulm-cutting moduleof root crop harvesting machines Abstract: Reducing the energy consumption during the harvesting of large root crops (such as sugar and fodder beets, and chicory), which are used to produce food and industrial products, is a priority issue for improving the efficiency of production processes in agro-industrial enterprises. One approach to addressing this issue involves reducing the energy expenditures by the working elements of the haulm removal module in root crop harvesters by implementing a single-phase harvesting method. An improved method for haulm cutting is proposed, whereby the cut haulm is deposited in the field between two adjacent dividing discs located in the inter-row space of the root crops. This eliminates the intermediate operation of unloading the haulm onto the harvested field, which is a feature of the conventional method. Based on the results of the planned factorial experiments, empirical models were obtained that describe the functional variation of the specific mass of haulm deposited in the protective row zone, depending on changes in the module travel speed, haulm yield, and rotational speed of the rotary haulm cutter. A graphical analysis showed that the specific mass of the deposited haulm ranges from 15 to 82 g.m-2 at rotary cutter speeds of 400, 600 and 800 rpm. Keywords: housing, guide channel, flat screen, factors, regression equation, optimisation parameter Journal: Research in Agricultural Engineering Pages: 155-166 Volume: 72 Issue: 3 Year: 2026 DOI: 10.17221/172/2025-RAE File-URL: http://rae.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/172/2025-RAE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/rae-202603-0002.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlrae:v:72:y:2026:i:3:id:172-2025-RAE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Nguyen Dinh-Tu Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Can Tho University of Technology, Can Tho, Vietnam Author-Name: Huu-Phat Tran Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, National Central University, Tao Yuan, Taiwan Author-Name: Duc-Tin Le Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Can Tho University of Technology, Can Tho, Vietnam Author-Name: Nguyen Hoai-Tan Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, Can Tho University, Can Tho, Vietnam Author-Name: Thanh-Thuong Huynh Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, Can Tho University, Can Tho, Vietnam Title: Enhancing the performance of lotus seed kernel and shell sorting after dehulling: A real-time approach based on deep learning and image processing (YOLOv8) Abstract: Lotus seeds represent a high-value agricultural commodity, widely utilised in the food and pharmaceutical industries for their nutritional and medicinal benefits. However, post-harvest processing, specifically the removal of shells, often relies on manual labour or rudimentary equipment that results in low productivity. This study proposes a computer vision system based on the YOLOv8 deep learning framework to automate and enhance the efficiency of post-decortication sorting. The model is designed to detect and classify three distinct components: unshelled seeds, kernels, and shell fragments. Based on these predictions, the system controls pneumatic actuators to perform precise, real-time separation. Trained on a dataset of more than 30 000 images, the model achieved a mean average precision (mAP@0.5) of 92.6%. These results validate the model's capability to accurately identify lotus seed components under high-speed processing conditions. Consequently, this research presents a feasible technological solution to mitigate the labour dependence and optimise the shell residue removal stage in industrial lotus seed processing. Keywords: computer vision, deep learning, fresh lotus seed shelling, post-harvest automation, shell-kernel lotus seed separation, smart and precision agriculture, YOLOv8n Journal: Research in Agricultural Engineering Pages: 181-194 Volume: 72 Issue: 3 Year: 2026 DOI: 10.17221/29/2026-RAE File-URL: http://rae.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/29/2026-RAE.html File-Format: text/html File-URL: http://rae.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/29/2026-RAE.pdf File-Format: Application/pdf X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/rae-202603-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlrae:v:72:y:2026:i:3:id:29-2026-RAE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Thanh Thuong Huynh Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Can Tho University, Can Tho, Vietnam Author-Name: Dao Khanh Danh Dinh Author-Workplace-Name: Graduate school, Can Tho University, Can Tho, Vietnam Author-Name: Bui Van Huu Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Can Tho University, Can Tho, Vietnam Title: A semi-automatic prototype machine for splitting and endosperm extraction of Nypa fruticans: Design and experimental evaluation Abstract: Nypa fruticans is a mangrove palm whose immature fruit endosperm is widely consumed, but harvesting and extraction are still largely performed manual, resulting in low productivity and inconsistent quality. This study presents the design and experimental evaluation of a semi-automatic prototype machine for splitting nipa palm fruits and extracting the endosperm. The machine integrates a roller-blade mechanism for fruit splitting with a suction-based endosperm extraction system. To determine suitable operating conditions, the Taguchi design of experiments was applied using two independent L9 orthogonal arrays for the splitting and extraction functions. The performance was evaluated using the mean response and ANOVA analyses. The results show that the proposed mechanism achieves relatively high and stable splitting, while the extraction performance is mainly influenced by the suction flow rate. Integrated tests on 180 fruits under optimised conditions confirmed stable splitting and a practical extraction efficiency. The results demonstrate the technical feasibility of the proposed prototype and provide a basis for further improvements in robustness and processing capacity. Keywords: agricultural machinery, nipa palm processing, suction-based harvesting, Taguchi method, vacuum-assisted separation Journal: Research in Agricultural Engineering Pages: 204-216 Volume: 72 Issue: 3 Year: 2026 DOI: 10.17221/44/2026-RAE File-URL: http://rae.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/44/2026-RAE.html File-Format: text/html File-URL: http://rae.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/44/2026-RAE.pdf File-Format: Application/pdf X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/rae-202603-0004.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlrae:v:72:y:2026:i:3:id:44-2026-RAE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Michael Mayokun Odewole Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Food Engineering, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria Author-Name: Tofunmi Oreoluwa Abodunrin Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Food Engineering, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria Author-Name: Gbolahan Olumide Ajayi Author-Workplace-Name: Project Design and Development, Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi, Lagos, Nigeria Author-Name: Sa'ad Olansile Yusuf Author-Workplace-Name: Project Design and Development, Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi, Lagos, Nigeria Title: Characteristics of tiger nut milk pretreated with magnetic field Abstract: The thermal pre-treatment of tiger nut milk (TNM) via pasteurisation may have adverse effect on its quality characteristics. The use of a magnetic field (MF) to pre-treat TNM is a promising non-thermal method. This study investigated the effects of an MF pre-treatment on three (3) selected quality characteristics of TNM. Fresh TNM samples were pre-treated at 0.25-15.37 mT MF strength under static and pulse MFs for 10 minutes. All the samples were analysed for calcium, vitamin E and the microbial load, using standard procedures. The results showed that the MF pre-treatment led to an average 10% increment under pulse MF in the calcium of TNM; vitamin E reduced by an average of 2.28%. A partial reduction in microbial load of the TNM was achieved with the MF pre-treatment. MF is a viable quality-enhancing pre-treatment alternative for TNM. Studies should be conducted on more quality characteristics of MF pre-treated TNM. Keywords: magnetic field, non-thermal, pre-treatment, quality, tiger nut milk Journal: Research in Agricultural Engineering Pages: 217-220 Volume: 72 Issue: 3 Year: 2026 DOI: 10.17221/50/2026-RAE File-URL: http://rae.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/50/2026-RAE.html File-Format: text/html File-URL: http://rae.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/50/2026-RAE.pdf File-Format: Application/pdf X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/rae-202603-0005.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlrae:v:72:y:2026:i:3:id:50-2026-RAE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Randy Amuaku Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Koforidua Technical University, Koforidua, Ghana Author-Name: Francis Kumi Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Agricultural and Mechanical, School of Sustainable Engineering, University of Cape coast, Cape coast, Ghana Author-Name: Godwin Kwasi Amanor Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Koforidua Technical University, Koforidua, Ghana Author-Name: Enoch Asante Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Renewable Energy Engineering, Koforidua Technical University, Koforidua, Ghana Author-Name: Gladys Pepertual Awudi Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Koforidua Technical University, Koforidua, Ghana Title: Effect of the probe diameter, cultivar and post-harvest storage on the cocoa pod firmness and deformation energy Abstract: The mechanical characterisation of cocoa pods is essential for improving the post-harvest handling, mechanised processing, and objective quality assessment. This study investigated the effects of the probe diameter, cultivar, and post-harvest storage duration on the cocoa pod firmness, deformation energy, and yield stress using penetration testing. Three cultivars (Amazonia, Forastero and Amelonado) were evaluated under controlled conditions (27 ± 2 °C; 70 ± 5% RH) over 8 days using probe diameters of 3.5, 8 and 11 mm. The results showed that the probe diameter significantly influenced the measured firmness, with smaller probes producing higher values due to stress concentration effects. The firmness and deformation energy decreased significantly during storage, particularly within the first 2-4 days, indicating rapid structural degradation. Cultivar-specific responses were observed, with Forastero exhibiting the highest mechanical strength and slowest softening, while Amazonia showed the fastest degradation, losing approximately 60% of firmness by Day 6. A strong positive correlation between the firmness and deformation energy (r = 0.9478-0.9999; P < 0.05) confirms the deformation energy as a reliable substitute for the mechanical integrity. The Partial Least Squares Regression models improved with the increasing probe diameter, with optimal performance observed in Forastero (R2 = 0.8118; RMSE = 1.4036 MPa). Keywords: mechanical modelling, penetration resistance, pod mechanics, texture analysis, yield stress Journal: Research in Agricultural Engineering Pages: 167-180 Volume: 72 Issue: 3 Year: 2026 DOI: 10.17221/54/2026-RAE File-URL: http://rae.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/54/2026-RAE.html File-Format: text/html File-URL: http://rae.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/54/2026-RAE.pdf File-Format: Application/pdf X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/rae-202603-0006.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlrae:v:72:y:2026:i:3:id:54-2026-RAE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Savelii Kuharets Title: Corrigendum: Reconstructed military machine for unique field testing of agricultural machinery capabilities Abstract: . Journal: Research in Agricultural Engineering Pages: 221 Volume: 72 Issue: 3 Year: 2026 DOI: 10.17221/277/2026-RAE File-URL: http://rae.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/277/2026-RAE.html File-Format: text/html File-URL: http://rae.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/277/2026-RAE.pdf File-Format: Application/pdf Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlrae:v:72:y:2026:i:3:id:277-2026-RAE