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Science and technology and its application to regional development
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].
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.
Plant viruses are responsible for significant losses in crop production annually. Infections are often exacerbated by mixed infections. One strategy of combatting viral disease spread lies in swift diagnoses so that immediate interventions can be employed to slow or stop their spread. Sweet pepper, hot pepper, and tomato are among the most important cash crops in Jamaica and are constantly threatened by pathogens.
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