Browsing by Author "Oyefeso, B. O."

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Automated fruit sorting system integrating image processing and support vector machine techniques
(AccScience Publishing, 2025) Oyefeso, B. O.; Oyewande, O. E.; Audu, J.
Traditional fruit grading methods are mostly time-consuming and subjective, thereby limiting efficiency in the agricultural sector. To address these problems, this paper presents the design and implementation of an automated fruit sorting system for classifying certain fruits, namely oranges, tomatoes, and mangoes, using image processing and support vector machine (SVM) techniques. An ESP32 camera was used to capture images of the fruits, which were later passed through algorithms in Python. Extracted features were then fed into a SVM model for the classification process of fruits. The model demonstrated excellent performance, achieving an accuracy of 100%, a precision of 96%, a recall of 92%, and an F1 score of 89%. The results indicated that incorporating multiple features significantly increases the accuracy of the classification. Moreover, the performance was optimized by selecting an appropriate regularization parameter during the training of the model and the use of polynomial kernel functions. Finally, the whole automated system was assembled to physically sort the classified fruits into different containers. This research highlights the potential of integrating image processing and machine learning technologies to revolutionize fruit classification processes, thereby improving both efficiency and quality control in agriculture.
Design and Construction of a Lyophilizer system using locally available material
(Nigerian Society of Engineers, 2017) Bello, R. O.; Raji, A. O.; Oyefeso, B. O.
A lyophilizer system was designed and constructed with a galvanized metal sheet to reduce the cost and to make it available to local and poor food processors. It consists of 330.2 mm x 508 mm x 457.2 mm rectangular shaped chamber with the inner and outer layer reinforced with a hollow mild steel square pipe of 17 x 1.7 mm to prevent implosion of the lyophilizer during dehydration phase. The system was designed based on the specific heat capacity of Pears, Tomatoes and Carrot with values of 3.62 kJ/kg C, 3.98 kJ/kg C and 3.79 k/kg C respectively. The results showed that dry-bulb temperature of 28°C at initial stage and 1°C after drying while the dew point temperature of 20.8°C at initial stage and -6.1°C after drying were recorded. The result obtained also shows that the temperatures (dry-bulb and dew point) and relative humidity of the lyophilized product is lower as compared to the imported ones. A total of 6hours was used for freeze drying with 1/10 reduction in weight of the lyophililized product when weighed.
Design, construction and performance evaluation of a portable sweet potato slicer
(Nigerian Institution of Agricultural Engineers, 2021) Oyefeso, B. O.; Adeyemi, T. S.
This study focused on the design, construction and performance evaluation of a portable motorized sweet potato slicer. The components of the slicer include a feeding trough, frame, slicing disc, collection tray and power transmission unit. The machine was powered by a 1 hp electric motor. A 3 x 2 factorial experiment in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) was used to investigate the effects of operational speeds (312, 406 and 501 rpm) and tuber diameters (25-50 and 51-70 mm) on the performance of the machine in terms of slicing efficiency and machine capacity. The performance evaluation of the slicer was carried out in triplicates and ANOVA was used in evaluating the results. The results from the study showed that variations in operational speed had significant effect (p≤0.05) on slicing efficiency and machine capacity while effect of tuber size was only significant (p ≤ 0.05) on capacity and not significant on the slicing efficiency. The slicing efficiency of the slicer increased from 74.4% to 94.1% and 76.0% to 96.4% for 25-50 mm and 51-70 mm tuber diameters respectively as the operational speed decreased from 501 to 312 rpm. The optimum rotational speed of the slicer obtained was 312 rpm at an average efficiency of 94.5% and capacity of 128.46 kg/h. The thickness of the slices produced from the slicer ranged from 2-4 mm. The machine helped to reduce drudgery associated with manual slicing of sweet potato.
Design, construction and performance evaluation of a rice destoner
(CIGR, 2018) Aremu, A. K.; Oyefeso, B. O.; Ajao, T. O.; Ojo, K.; Egbunu, J. O.
The market price of local rice in the market is significantly determined by its quality which is dependent on the level of cleaning and some other processing operations. Hence, the need to improve the quality of rice, increase production and reduce human labour has brought about the development of rice destoning machine. Therefore, this study aimed at designing, fabricating and evaluating the performance of a rice destoner. The design was based on the principle of material separation and was constructed from locally-available materials. The machine was powered by a 2hp electric motor and three vibrating screens of varying apertures were used for the upper, middle and lower screens. The machine had an average capacity of 130 kg/h. The performance of the machine was evaluated with 10 kg of Ofada rice at 11, 21 and 25% moisture content (dry basis) and 10 kg of Faro 55 rice at 14, 22 and 27% moisture content (dry basis). The results showed that separation efficiency decreased as the moisture content of rice decreased for both varieties. Cleaning of rice at low moisture content is recommended for optimum performance of the destoner.
Development of a concentric drums peeling machine for cocoyam (Xanthosoma sagittifolium) cormel
(School of Engineering and Engineering Technology, Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), 2022) Aremu, A. K.; Oyefeso, B. O.; Gbolagade, A. T.
Cocoyam is cultivated mainly for its edible cormels. In spite of its great potential as a cheap raw material, the processing operations are still largely performed manually. Some of the equipment already developed for mechanizing the postharvest operations require further modifications and performance optimization. This study therefore, aimed at developing and evaluating the performance of a cocoyam cormel peeling machine with a view t reducing the drudgery involved in manual peeling. A cocoyam cormel peeling machine was developed using locally available materials. The machine consists of the main frame, hopper and outlet gates, two abrasive concentric drums (one stationary and the other rotating) and blower. Performance of the machine in terms of capacity, peeling efficiency and peel-cormel weight proportion were evaluated for soaked and unsoaked cormels. The average machine capacities were 188.4 and 188.9 kg/h for soaked and unsoaked cormels, respectively. The peeling efficiencies ranged between 55.5 and 87.5% while the peel-cormel weight proportions ranged between 15.3 and 22.9%. The peeling efficiency was higher for soaked cormels than unsoaked ones. The developed cocoyam cormel peeling machine helped in reducing the drudgery associated with its peeling operation while soaking as a form of pretreatment was recommended before peeling the cormels for better performance.
Development of an image processing algorithm for recognition of selected indigenous fruits
(Nigerian Institution of Agricultural Engineers, 2023) Oyefeso, B. O.; Uduoka, J. T.
Fruits are extremely fundamental in our everyday diet as they contain the vast majority of significant nutrients, minerals, and antioxidants. Sorting and grading of fruit are important aspects of its processing. However, these separation operations are still largely done manually in many developing countries including Nigeria. This study therefore, developed an algorithm for identifying and classifying fruit types. The proposed method involved the use of an image acquisition device, which acquired the images of the selected fruits namely apple, onion, banana, pepper and tomato fruits. These fruit images were divided into training and testing data sets. The algorithm extracted the textural and colour features of the fruit images from the training data sets to serve as templates for the testing procedure, after which they were processed using MATLAB software with Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm as the classifier. The fruit recognition system classified the input fruit sample by determining the similarities between the attributes (colour and Gray Level Co-occurrence Matrix values) of input fruit samples and the templates obtained from the training data sets. The levels of accuracy of the proposed system for apple, banana, green pepper, red pepper and tomato fruits were 97.2, 97.0, 97.2, 98.1 and 97.2%, respectively. The proposed method proved to be very promising in classifying the selected fruit types based on their colours and textural characteristics.
Development of predictive mass and volume models for African bush mango (Irvingia gabonensis
(School of Engineering and Engineering Technology, Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), 2025) Oyefeso, B. O.; Yusuff, O. A.; Fadele, O. K.
Allometric properties of fruits such as physical properties are indispensable in design of equipment and processing systems. This study aimed to develop mathematical models in relation to some selected physical properties of bush mango. The axial dimensions, equivalent mean diameter (EMD), geometric mean diameter (GMD), arithmetic mean diameter (AMD), criterion area (CPA), projected areas (perpendicular to the length, width and thickness), mass, and volume of African bush mangoes were determined. The mean values obtained for length, width, thickness, EMD, GMD, AMD, CPA, projected areas (perpendicular to the length, width and thickness), mass, volume, surface area, sphericity, aspect ratio, shape index, eccentricity and elongation ratio were 63.39 mm, 53.93 mm, 49.46 mm, 55.59 mm, 55.27 mm, 55.32 mm, 2292.50 mm2, 2691.48 mm2, 2101.29 mm2, 2361.77 mm2, 92.67 g, 86.96 mm3, 9626.18 mm2, 0.87, 0.85, 1.23, 0.52 and 1.18, respectively. The mathematical relationship between the mass and volume was found to have a coefficient of determination of 0.988. Thus, the developed models can be employed in the automated machine for sorting and packaging of African bush mango fruit.
Effect of blanching period and drying temperature on selected physicochemical properties of cocoyam (Xanthosoma sagittifolium) flour
(African Journals Online, 2021) Oyefeso, B. O.; Ayorinde, M. O.; Ogunlade, C. A.; Fadele, O. K.; Akintola, A.
This study investigated the influence of Blanching Time (BT) and Drying Temperature (DT) on some selected physico-chemical properties of cocoyam flour including water absorption capacity, bulk density, swelling index, wettability and gelatinization point. The quality parameters of the flour were analysed using AOAC standard methods and procedures. Twofactors, 3-levels Historical Data Design of Response Surface Methodology was adopted for the analysis to determine the effects of BT and DT on the investigated parameters. Second order polynomial model was obtained at 5% level of significance. The flour samples had 1.60 to 4.00% water absorption capacity, 0.71 to 0.81 g/cm3 bulk density, 5.2 to 6.8 g/g swelling index, 7 to 16s wettability and 68 to 90 oC gelatinization point. Samples dried at 60oC and blanched for 9.05 mins had better quality with optimum response values of 3.37% water absorption capacity, 0.76 g/cm3 bulk density, 6.22 g/g swelling index, 12.71 s wettability, and 85.73oC gelatinization temperature. BT and DT had significant effects on water absorption and wettability while no significant influence was observed on the bulk density, swelling index and gelatinization temperature of the flour at p ≤ 0.05. These findings will serve as a guide in ensuring proper choice of blanching time and drying temperature based on end-use and desired physico-chemical properties of cocoyam flour.
Effect of Different Drying Methods on Selected Quality Attributes of Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.)
(Faculty of Engineering, Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), 2024) Oyefeso, B. O.; Ogunrinde, J. A.; Ogunlade, C. A.
This study examined the impact of different drying techniques and packaging materials on specific quality characteristics of dehydrated okra. The techniques employed for drying and packaging, along with the specific types of dried okra used, should be explicitly described in the Materials and Methods section. The okra samples underwent pre-treatment by immersing them in hot water and salt water prior to being dried using two different ways, namely a laboratory oven and a microwave. The untreated samples were utilised as the control. The desiccated specimens were enclosed in Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) and High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) pouches and kept in normal environmental conditions for a duration of eight weeks. The quality parameters of pH, colour, and viscosity were tested at two-week intervals for the entire storage duration. The initial pH of the fresh sample was 6.560±0.087. After blanching with fresh water and salt water, the pH climbed to 6.77±0.037 and 6.78±0.041, respectively. The pH further increased when the sample was dried in an oven, reaching 7.03±0.057 and 6.91±0.037. However, the pH declined when the sample was dried in a microwave, resulting in pH values of 6.18±0.051 and 6.39±0.033. The initial colour difference of the fresh sample (45.360±1.197) increased following the process of blanching in fresh water (45.900±1.527) and salt water (47.867±1.221), and subsequently dropped considerably after undergoing oven drying (9.950±1.221, 10.610±1.987) and microwave drying (8.590±1.294, 4.900±0.945). The viscosity of the fresh sample increased from 0.0124±0.003 to 0.0144±0.003 after blanching in boiled fresh water. However, it reduced to 0.008±0.002 after salt water blanching. After oven drying, the viscosity climbed to 0.016±0.001 and 0.0736±0.0257. Similarly, after microwave drying, the viscosity increased to 0.0928±0.0037 and 0.0256±0.007. Both LDPE and HDPE films were deemed suitable for packaging the dried okra samples, as they exhibited minimal contact with the surrounding environment and effectively maintained the quality of the product during the eight-week storage period.
Effect of heat treatments on proximate composition of sweet potato tubers
(Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Ege University, 2022) Oyefeso, B. O.; Udu, G. O.
Sweet potato is an important member of root and tuber crops which serve as a carbohydrate source for large populace in many developing countries. Its tuber is subjected to various heat treatment processes in its conversion from the raw form into final products which can be readily consumed. This study investigated the effects of heat treatment methods on the proximate composition of processed sweet potato tubers. White- and yellow fleshed sweet potato tubers used for this study were sourced locally from Bodija market in Ibadan metropolis, Oyo State, Nigeria. The tubers were subjected to three common heat treatment methods namely boiling, roasting and frying. Sweet potatoes from each of the heat treatments were subjected to proximate analysis. The results obtained shows that the heat treatment methods did not have any significant effect (p≤0.05) on the carbohydrate content of both varieties. Boiling, on the other hand, had significant effect (p<0.05) on the ash, fibre and fat contents while it had no significant effect (p<0.05) on the moisture and protein contents of both varieties. Roasting had no significant effect on the fat content although it had significant effect (p<0.05) on the ash, fibre, protein and moisture contents of both varieties. All the investigated heat treatment methods had significant effects (p<0.05) on the crude fibre and ash contents of both varieties. All the heat treatment methods effectively retained most of the nutrients in the sweet potato tubers within acceptable limits for human consumption. However, frying resulted in increased fat content which is often recommended to be avoided by the medical practitioners and dieticians to avoid the attendant health risks. Boiling is recommended when products of higher moisture and protein contents are desired.
Effect of moisture content and loading orientation on elasticity of cocoyam cormel during transit and storage
(International Commission of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (CIGR), 2017) Raji, A. O.; Oyefeso, B. O.
Cocoyam (Xanthosoma sagittifolium) is one of the major staple food items in Nigeria. The crop is recently gaining attention and there is urgent need to intensify research efforts towards fully exploiting its promising potentials. Information on the elastic properties of the cocoyam cormels are necessary for understanding their behaviour under loading and in the design of equipment for proper handling of the cormels during processing and storage. This study investigated the effects of moisture content and orientation of loading on the elasticity of cocoyam cormels. White-fleshed and pink-fleshed varieties of the X. sagittifolium cormels were used for this study. The elastic properties of the cormels along the three mutually-perpendicular axes were determined. Deformation at rupture, modulus of elasticity (MOE), degree of elasticity (DOE) after first and third cycles along the longitudinal, cross-sectional and transversal directions ranged from 5.14 and 11.64 mm, 3.03 and 11.70 N mm-2, 0.51 and 0.73 mm, 0.45 and 0.70 mm, respectively. The degrees of elasticity of the cormels decreased with the increasing number of loading and unloading cycles thereby, limiting the stack height of cocoyam cormels in transit and storage to reduce mechanical damage and subsequent postharvest losses. The study provides the information which can serve as guidelines in ensuring proper handling of cocoyam cormels in transit and storage.
Effect of moisture content and loading orientation on selected mechanical properties of cocoyam cormel
(Nigerian Institution of Agricultural Engineers (NIAE), 2020) Oyefeso, B. O.; Raji, A. O.
Cocoyam, Xanthosoma sagittifolium, is a major staple food in many African countries including Nigeria. The crop has been under-utilized and there is need for more research input to fully exploit it. There is dearth of information especially in terms of the mechanical properties among other important engineering properties which are significant in designing equipment for handling and processing the cormels. This study therefore, investigated the effect of moisture content and orientation of loading on some mechanical properties of the cocoyam cormels. White- and pink-fleshed varieties of the X. Sagittifolium cormels were used for this study. Selected mechanical properties namely rupture force, compressive strength, stiffness and toughness of the cormels along the three mutually-perpendicular axes were determined at four moisture content levels using Universal Testing Machine (UTM). The rupture force, compressive strength, stiffness and toughness of the cocoyam cormels along the longitudinal, cross-sectional and transverse directions ranged between 361.40 and 1,093.60N, 0.53 and 2.51 Nmm-2, 3.03 and 11.70 Nmm-2 and 0.62 and 5.37 Nm respectively. The study further confirmed the moisture-dependence and anisotropic nature of cocoyam cormel as a biological material.
Effect of packaging materials on selected quality attributes of cocoyam (Xanthosoma sagittifolium (L.) Schott) flour
(Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Food Technology Osijek, 2022) Aremu, A. K.; Oyefeso, B. O.; Molehin, K.
Cocoyam (Xanthosoma sagittifolium (L.) Schott) is an important crop which serves as a staple food for a large number of people in developing nations including Nigeria. Its perishability necessitates immediate processing after harvest to obtain products such as chips, flakes and flour with better storage stability. Proper selection of appropriate packaging materials for cocoyam flour is important to maintain the quality attributes during storage and to extend its shelf life. This study, therefore, examined the influence of packaging materials and storage period on the quality of cocoyam flour. Cocoyam flour was produced from fresh, wholesome cormels. The flour samples were stored in three packaging materials (polyethylene terephthalate [PET] bottles, polyethylene bags and woven polypropylene sacks) for six months under ambient conditions. The flour samples were then analyzed at four-week intervals for proximate composition, pH, colour and sensory analysis using standard methods. The results showed that packaging materials and length of storage significantly affected crude fibre and carbohydrate content of cocoyam flour. The moisture content of the flour packed in woven polypropylene decreased to a larger extent due to its higher water vapour permeability. The type of packaging did not significantly affect the crude fat content of the flour throughout the storage period. The PET bottle performed better in retaining the protein and ash content of the flour. Although significant differences were observed in the pH levels and colour of the cocoyam flour samples after storage in the different packaging materials, the type of packaging material did not affect these physicochemical properties. The sensory properties of the cocoyam flour in three packaging materials were found to be within acceptable limits at the end of storage. All the selected packaging materials performed well in retaining the quality attributes of the cocoyam flour throughout the period of storage.
Effect of temperature and hysteresis on Monolayer moisture content of Moringa see Grit during storage
(Nigerian Society of Engineers, 2022) Akintola, A.; Aremu, A. K.; Oyefeso, B. O.
The adsorption and desorption isotherm data of stored moringa (Moringa oleifera) seed grit within the water activity and temperature ranges of 0.09–0.92 and 20–40oC respectively were used to determine its monolayer moisture content (Mo) using the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), Guggenheim-Anderson-DeBoer (GAB) and Caurie equations. Results showed that Mo decreased from 3.03 to 2.064 %db (BET); 4.38 to 2.792 %db (GAB); 4.24 to 2.63 %db (Caurie) and 3.007 to 2.011 %db (BET); 4.346 to 2.621 %db (GAB); 4.215 to 2.545 % (Caurie) in adsorption and desorption processes respectively as temperature increases from 20–40oC at specified relative humidity. The GAB model gave the highest Mo values at various temperatures followed by Caurie equation while the BET model gave the lowest values. The Mo were lower in desorption process than the corresponding adsorption values for the three models, thereby indicating the presence of moisture sorption hysteresis. However, one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that there were no significant differences between adsorption and desorption Mo at (p≤0.05), thereby indicating that moisture hysteresis has a negligible effect on the monolayer moisture content of moringa seed grit.
Effect of thickness and pre-treatment on drying kinetics of cocoyam
(International Commission of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (CIGR), 2020) Oyefeso, B. O.; Raji, A. O.
Cocoyam (Xanthosoma sagittifolium) corms and cormels are among the staple foods in Nigeria. The cormels are processed into cocoyam flour and utilized for various purposes. Drying is an essential unit operation in the conversion of the cormels into cocoyam flour and the knowledge of the effect of drying variables on the drying characteristics of the cormels is necessary for analysis, optimization and control of the drying process. This study therefore, investigated the drying kinetics of cocoyam cormels as influenced by slice thickness and pre-drying treatment. White-fleshed (NXs. 001) and pink-fleshed (NXs. 002) cocoyam cormels were used for this study. Drying kinetics of the pre-treated cormels (blanched by soaking in hot water at 100oC for 5 minutes) and fresh cormel slices of 2, 3 and 4 mm thicknesses were examined at 60oC. Drying of the cocoyam slices was predominantly in the falling rate period which indicated that moisture removal occurred mainly by diffusion. Drying of thin pre-treated slices of cocoyam cormels is recommended to obtain the faster moisture removal and subsequently, a reduction in the drying period.
Effect of thickness and pre-treatment on drying kinetics of cocoyam
(International Commission of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (CIGR), 2020) Oyefeso, B. O.; Raji, A. O.
Cocoyam (Xanthosoma sagittifolium) corms and cormels are among the staple foods in Nigeria. The cormels are processed into cocoyam flour and utilized for various purposes. Drying is an essential unit operation in the conversion of the cormels into cocoyam flour and the knowledge of the effect of drying variables on the drying characteristics of the cormels is necessary for analysis, optimization and control of the drying process. This study therefore, investigated the drying kinetics of cocoyam cormels as influenced by slice thickness and pre-drying treatment. White-fleshed (NXs. 001) and pink-fleshed (NXs. 002) cocoyam cormels were used for this study. Drying kinetics of the pre-treated cormels (blanched by soaking in hot water at 100oC for 5 minutes) and fresh cormel slices of 2, 3 and 4 mm thicknesses were examined at 60oC. Drying of the cocoyam slices was predominantly in the falling rate period which indicated that moisture removal occurred mainly by diffusion. Drying of thin pre-treated slices of cocoyam cormels is recommended to obtain the faster moisture removal and subsequently, a reduction in the drying period.
Engineering properties of Ultrasonic treated african Ekki wood (Lophira Alata) Seed
(Nigerian Institution of Agricultural Engineers, 2024) Fadele, O. K.; Oyefeso, B. O.; Ijah, A. A.; Suleiman, R. T.; Bolaji, O. W.; Oni, B. O.; Otiwa, G.
Some selected engineering properties of ultrasonic treated seeds of Lophira alata were determined in this study. The dimension of Lophira alata seeds in the three principal axes (namely, length, width, and thickness) and its geometric diameter, sphericity, porosity, bulk and true densities were determined. The crushing force of the seed was also established. The mean values obtained for the seeds of Lophira alata in the three principal axes (namely, length, width, and thickness) were 14.42, 9.31 and 9.23mm for small seed size; 15.72, 9.52 and 9.48 mm for medium seed size and 17.09, 9.23 and 9.14mm for large seed size while geometric mean and arithmetic mean diameters were 10.72 and 10.99 mm; 11.21 and 11.57 mm; 11.28 and 11.82 mm respectively for the three sizes. The sphericity was also found to have mean values of 0.74, 0.71 and 0.66 for the three sizes respectively. The unit true density has mean values of 1.22, 1.18 and 1.19 kg/m3 respectively for small, medium and large seed sizes. However, the Ultrasonic Treated Seed (UTS) has a range of 0.67 to 0.74kg/m3 while Non-Ultrasonic Treated Seed (NUTS) has a range of 0.69 to 0.71 kg/m3 for bulk density. The mean values of crushing force ranged from 0.15 to 0.3kN and 0.3 to 0.5kN both UTS and NUTS respectively. In conclusion the data derived could be useful in processing Lophira alata seeds.
Engineering properties of Ultrasonic treated african Ekki wood (Lophira Alata) Seed
(Nigerian Institution of Agricultural Engineers, 2024) Fadele, O. K.; Oyefeso, B. O.; Ijah, A. A.; Suleiman, R. T.; Bolaji, O. W.; Oni, B. O.; Otiwa, G.
Some selected engineering properties of ultrasonic treated seeds of Lophira alata were determined in this study. The dimension of Lophira alata seeds in the three principal axes (namely, length, width, and thickness) and its geometric diameter, sphericity, porosity, bulk and true densities were determined. The crushing force of the seed was also established. The mean values obtained for the seeds of Lophira alata in the three principal axes (namely, length, width, and thickness) were 14.42, 9.31 and 9.23mm for small seed size; 15.72, 9.52 and 9.48 mm for medium seed size and 17.09, 9.23 and 9.14mm for large seed size while geometric mean and arithmetic mean diameters were 10.72 and 10.99 mm; 11.21 and 11.57 mm; 11.28 and 11.82 mm respectively for the three sizes. The sphericity was also found to have mean values of 0.74, 0.71 and 0.66 for the three sizes respectively. The unit true density has mean values of 1.22, 1.18 and 1.19 kg/m3 respectively for small, medium and large seed sizes. However, the Ultrasonic Treated Seed (UTS) has a range of 0.67 to 0.74kg/m3 while Non-Ultrasonic Treated Seed (NUTS) has a range of 0.69 to 0.71 kg/m3 for bulk density. The mean values of crushing force ranged from 0.15 to 0.3kN and 0.3 to 0.5kN both UTS and NUTS respectively. In conclusion the data derived could be useful in processing Lophira alata seeds.
Estimating Mass and Volume of Nigerian Grown Sweet and Irish Potato Tubers using their Geometrical Attributes
(Adeleke University, 2018) Oyefeso, B. O.; Raji, A. O.
Sweet and Irish potato are tuber crops which have been domesticated and cultivated in different parts of the world including Nigeria. They are often prepared in various ways for food. A good knowledge of the physical properties of these tuber crops will enhance proper design of post-harvest processing machines and handling equipment with high level of performance. Also, functional relationships established between the various physical properties of these crops could assist in ensuring proper handling and more efficient and economical processing. This study was therefore, aimed at developing mathematical models for predicting the mass and volume of sweet and Irish potato tubers using some of their geometrical attributes. The research was conducted on fresh sweet and Irish potato tubers which were sorted into four fractions based on their individual mass. The physical characteristics measured include the mass, volume, linear dimensions (length, width and thickness) and the projected areas taken along the three mutually-perpendicular axes. The models were divided into three classifications namely: single and multiple variable regression models based on linear dimensions; single and multiple variable regression models based on the projected areas; single variable regression models based on mass or volume. Mass and volume models based on the projected areas and the volume were the best models for both crops. The highest coefficient of determination (R2) for sweet potato was obtained for mass model based on the projected area along the longitudinal plane (R2 = 0.981) while mass model expressed on the basis of the multiple regression of the three linear dimensions performed best (R2 = 0.968) for Irish potato. This study provided useful information that can help in the design of systems for handling and processing of sweet and Irish potato tubers.
Features extraction in agricultural products using computer image processing
(Nigerian Society of Engineers, 2016) Raji, A. O.; Oyefeso, B. O.
The study was based on the application of image processing and machine vision technology in the extraction of some features of interest in agricultural products. It involved the development of an algorithm that used some computer programs written in the FORmular TRANslation (FORTRAN 95) programming language to carry out tests on some input data images. The input data images were obtained by digitizing the original images of some Amaranthus vegetables, cowpea seedlings and some food samples on which some fungi were found to be growing as captured by a digital camera. The results of this study carried out on the images showed that the algorithm was able to extract both the boundary of the leaves and the crop position by discriminating between the crop and the uncovered soil surface as well as the growth of the fungi on the food samples. The extracted images as produced by the programs compared favourably well with the original images as captured by the digital camera. This visual comparison showed that the approach is very promising in developing automated sorting and quality inspection techniques which can be applied to some agricultural and food products.