Escapement and watches. These are described individually below. Although the invention of the crystal oscillator and the quartz clock in the 1920s shifted technological research in timekeeping to electronic methods, major advances in the design of mechanical escapement are still happening. Coaxial escapement, invented by English watchmaker George Daniels around 1974 and patented in 1980 has rather dramatically increased the accuracy and durability of mechanical watches. Yoshikazu Akahane with teams of engineers at Seiko Epson developed the spring drive movement around 1977, and obtained not less than 230 patents between 1982 and the present. The reliability of an escapement depends on
Controlled-release fertiliser Controlled-release fertiliser A controlled-release fertiliser (CRF) is a granulated fertiliser that releases nutrients gradually into the soil (i.e., with a controlled release period). The slowness of the release is determined by the low solubility of the chemical compounds in the soil moisture. Since conventional fertilisers are soluble in water, the nutrients can disperse quickly as the fertiliser dissolves. Because controlled-release fertilisers are not water-soluble, their nutrients disperse into the soil more slowly. The fertiliser granules may have an insoluble substrate or a semi-permeable jacket that prevents dissolution while allowing nutrients to flow outward. The Association of American Plant Food Control