Convective drying extends the storage life of legume seeds, but its nonlinear kinetics and energy demand are difficult to predict with conventional models. This study developed and validated an artificial neural network (ANN) to predict the drying kinetics, drying time and energy consumption of black bean (\textit{Vigna unguiculata}) seeds during convective drying at 45-65~\degC, and to identify optimal drying conditions. Fresh seeds had an initial moisture content of 18.84% (wet basis), above the 12-14% safe storage limit. A 2-10-10-3 feedforward network (Levenberg-Marquardt training) used drying time and temperature as inputs and moisture ratio (MR), drying rate (DR) and energy consumption... More >

Reliable electricity remains a significant barrier to agricultural productivity in rural Nigeria. This case study investigated the potential of agrivoltaic systems, combining solar energy generation with crop production, to address food processing and water supply challenges in the Anambra State Agricultural Zones. Drawing on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), a cross-sectional survey was administered to 845 respondents, of whom 840 returned valid questionnaires, food processors, and water facility operators across 16 communities using probability-proportional-to-size sampling (design effect = 2.0). Descriptive statistics and ordinal logistic regression were used to assess perceptions an... More >

Despite its nutritional potential, Tiger nut remains under-utilized. This study examined the interactive effects of soaking time (24–72\,h) and microwave power (100–280\,W) on its proximate composition using response surface methodology. Commercial tubers (14.33% moisture) were rehydrated to 38.6–46.8% moisture via soaking and then microwave-dried at 2.45\,GHz. Proximate composition was determined by AOAC methods. Ash, fat and carbohydrate followed linear models (\(p<0.0001\)); fiber followed a two-factor interaction model (\(p<0.0001\)); protein showed quadratic behavior (\(p=0.0006\)). Multi-response optimization identified 48\,h soaking and 190\,W power as optimal (desirability=0.87... More >