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At the inception of automated solar tracking in the 1970’s, geometric architectures with pair(/s) of solid-state photo-sensitive devices were constructed and used to detect the sun’s position. As an alternative in recent years, cameras have been used to capture and process live sky images to detect the sun’s position. When the sky is cloudy however, both approaches are prone to errors and sometimes require human intervention which tend to reduce the trackers’ economic viability [1].
Pesticide usage in agriculture has occurred for centuries and led to significant positive outcomes in food production and noticeable reduction in crop losses. However, pesticide usage on food crops often results in the presence of toxic pesticide residues on food produce, which is the main route of exposure to pesticides in humans. The toxicity of the pesticide residues can potentially cause debilitating effects to major human organs and body systems. Pesticide residue analysis addresses the issue of pesticide residues in foods by screening and quantifying the levels of pesticides in food commodities.
A major challenge facing farmers in Portland, Jamaica is dry weather, especially during the optimal growing season from April through August. During this five-month period Portland suffered from severe dry spells during the years 2014, 2015, 2018 and 2020. A second challenge is the damage to crops and land as well as loss of livestock due to tropical storms or hurricanes and the associated flooding. Portland farmers have suffered losses due to an active hurricane season numerous times and most recently in the years 2004, 2005, 2012 and 2020.
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