Hasil untuk "Agricultural industries"

Nicolò Grasso, Benedetta Fasciolo, Giulia Bruno et al.

Climate change and population increase are becoming a threat to human feeding. New technologies and practices are under development, and a significant effort is being put into developing indoor farming, which allows for all-year-round production of high-quality food, regardless of the climate. Moreover, indoor farming promises extreme water and chemical usage reduction, specifically when the system is autonomously regulated with an IoT architecture. Despite these attractive characteristics, indoor systems require considerable energy to provide adequate temperature and lighting for cultivated crops. This demand is often high enough to make the production system economically unsustainable. This work aims to develop a cultivation protocol for baby lettuce plants (up to three weeks old plants) that can increase overall productivity while mitigating the issue of high energy demand. To this aim, we performed a Design of Experiment to assess crop responses to different levels of nutrients, temperature, and light intensity with the productivity of the system and the quality of the harvested product. The collected data were used to design a dynamic cultivation protocol, which defines different growing conditions according to the plant development stage. Results demonstrate that the dynamic protocol can enhance system productivity by up to 25 % in biomass accumulation, compared with the productivity obtained with fixed growing conditions, while maintaining the same high quality. Furthermore, the improvement is achieved without increasing the resource use, confirming the potential of this approach to enhance the economic sustainability of indoor soilless farming.

Amine Hadir, Mohamed Adjou, Olga Assainova et al.

Accurate delineation of agricultural parcels is crucial for applications ranging from resource management to policy decisions, with a direct impact on agricultural productivity and sustainability. Parcel delineation is the subject of numerous studies, most of which focus on the development of more efficient methods or ones better adapted to specific cases. In addition, various methods exist in the literature for delineating agricultural fields from satellite images. Deep learning, in particular, has revolutionized the field. Many state-of-the-art methods now utilize deep learning, often incorporating segmentation and classification techniques to define agricultural parcel boundaries. While recent research has led to a surge in deep learning methods for this task, evaluating their effectiveness goes beyond simply comparing outputs. This paper emphasizes the critical role of parcel complexity as a powerful lens for assessing the performance of deep learning methods in agricultural parcel delineation. We categorize 14 evaluation metrics into three main groups, global, boundary, and structure metrics, respectively. Global metrics assess the overall accuracy of the delineated parcels, boundary metrics focus on the precision of the parcel boundaries, and structure metrics examine the topological relationships between the parcels. Our goal is to compare these deep learning methods based on these metrics and their performance across varying levels of parcel complexity. We systematically evaluate nine state-of-the-art methods using a public database, explicitly analyzing how their strengths and weaknesses are affected by different levels of parcel complexity. This approach ensures that future deep learning techniques are robust and accurate enough to meet the demands of accurately defining the agricultural landscape and provides important insights for the development and refinement of future deep learning techniques.

Megan Porter, Diane P. Barton, Joel Williams et al.

The functioning and richness of marine systems (and biological interactions such as parasitism) are continuously influenced by a changing environment. Using hierarchical modelling of species communities (HMSC), the presence and abundance of multiple parasite species of the black-spotted croaker, Protonibea diacanthus (Sciaenidae), was modelled against environmental measures reflecting seasonal change. Protonibea diacanthus were collected in three seasons across 2019–2021 from four locations within the waters of the Northern Territory, Australia. The length of P. diacanthus proved to have a strong positive effect on the abundance of parasite taxa and overall parasitic assemblage of the sciaenid host. This finding introduces potential implications for parasitism in the future as fish body size responds to fishing pressure and climate changes. Of the various environmental factors measured during the tropical seasons of northern Australia, water temperature and salinity changes were shown as potential causal factors for the variance in parasite presence and abundance, with changes most influential on external parasitic organisms. As environmental factors like ocean temperature and salinity directly affect parasite–host relationships, this study suggests that parasite assemblages and the ecological functions that they perform are likely to change considerably over the coming decades in response to climate change and its proceeding effects.

Pengyan Zhang, Jiangzhou Liu, Haocheng Zhang et al.

Biochar application to agricultural fields is an effective carbon sequestration measure that has the potential to reduce N2O emissions and increase soil water holding capacity. However, the interaction mechanisms of biochar under deficit irrigation on N2O emissions remain unclear. A two-year field experiment is conducted in the Guanzhong Plain, China, in order to quantify the effects of biochar and deficit irrigation on N2O emissions from winter wheat–summer maize crop rotation and to investigate the potential mechanisms of nitrification and denitrification. According to the combination of biochar application and actual evapotranspiration-based irrigation scheduling, four treatments are designed (B1W100: biochar 30 t·ha−1 + ET; B1W80: biochar 30 t·ha−1+ 0.8 ET; B0W100: no biochar + ET; B0W80: no biochar + 0.8ET). The soil N2O flux, soil physical and chemical properties, and key functional gene abundance related to N2O emissions in nitrification and denitrification at different growth stages are investigated and discussed. Results show that the interaction between deficit irrigation and biochar significantly reduces soil N2O emissions. During the wheat and maize season, the application of biochar reduces the N2O emissions by an average of 12.9% and 15.2%, respectively. Deficit irrigation also reduces the N2O emissions by an average of 17.4% and 15.5%, respectively. Pearson correlation analysis shows that soil N2O is significantly correlated with soil water-filled pore space during the phase with intense N2O emissions. Soil functional gene abundance is determined at different growth stages for both wheat and maize. Maximum soil denitrification functional gene abundance is observed at the time when wheat and maize enter the stage of their peak growth at the jointing stage. With biochar addition and deficit irrigation, the abundance of nirK and nosZ genes increases and AOB amoA genes decreases. These results suggest that biochar with deficit irrigation is a better solution to reduce N2O emissions from agricultural soils.

Aneta Bełdycka-Bórawska

The aim of this study was to evaluate changes on the Polish rapeseed market after accession to the European Union (EU). Special attention was paid to the demand, supply, and prices of rapeseed in Poland relative to other EU member states. The performance of the rapeseed sector was analyzed based on market data for 2005-2022. Changes on the Polish rapeseed market were assessed with the use of descriptive statistics, the Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) test, and the ARiMA model. In Poland, rapeseed production is spatially diverse and dominates in the western and northern Polish provinces. The largest rapeseed area in 2022 was recorded in the following voivodeships: Lower Silesia (129.1 thousand ha), Wielkopolska (104 thousand ha) and West Pomerania (115.5 thousand ha). In the years 2005-2022 there were changes in the plans and harvest of rapeseed in Poland. The highest rapeseed yields were recorded in 2014 (34.4 dt/ha), 2022 (33.8 dt/ha) and 2021 (32.1 dt/ha), while the lowest in 2011 (22.4 dt/ha) and 2010 (23.6 dt/ha). The harvest were the largest in 2014 (3,275.8 thousand tons) and 2022 (3,643.4 thousand tons). Poland is an important producer of rapeseed in the EU and in 2022 it ranked third (3,300 thousand tons), after France (4,506 thousand tons) and Germany (4,295 thousand tons). Statistical analysis showed changes in the area, yields and harvest of rapeseed. The highest coefficient of variation was recorded for rapeseed harvest (0.236) and the lowest for yields (0.115). In the case of area, yields and harvests, the coefficient of variation was high, which proves the non-stationarity of the time series. The forecast developed for the years 2023-2027 showed downward trends for the area, yields and harvest of rapeseed.

Christopher Fapohunda, O. E. Osanyinlokun, A. O. Abioye

The field of structural engineering has in recent times begun to widen its scope from the traditional analysis and design, into the development of new structural materials. This is because the use of non-renewable materials in forming and framing structural projects are raising serious environmental concerns bothering on sustainability of materials, especially cement, to produce structural concrete. Cement has been found to be a major contributor to greenhouse gases which affect the environment negatively. Waste from both the industrial and agricultural industries are gradually becoming sources of material to partly replace cement in concrete because of their pozzolanic properties. The agro-based pozzolanic materials include Rice husk Ash (RHA), Saw dust ash (SDA), Palm oil fuel ash (POFA) amongst others. To further widen the scope and resource base of pozzolanic materials for concreting, ternary blends consisting of agro-based pozzolans are being researched into. These research efforts however appear to be uncoordinated, and thus there is a need to juxtapose these efforts together to see the extent of work done on such ternary blends and present their relevant structural properties. This is with a view to helping identify gaps in such research as a means of preventing wastage of research energies. This paper presents a review of structural properties of some agro-based ternary blends used in structural concrete.  It is concluded that more research effort is needed, especially in the development of practical and acceptable guidelines that will aid their application in concrete, for sustainable production of structural concrete.

Yang Yu, Tangyang Jiang, Shuangqi Li et al.

Abstract The greenhouse effect caused by excessive carbon emissions seriously threatens the sustainability of the global economy. Although the secondary and tertiary industries are the principal contributors to CO2 emissions’ growth, the continuous and stable development of agriculture also intensifies carbon emissions to a certain extent. Based on this, this paper uses the input–output method, an energy consumption model, and structural decomposition analysis to study energy-related CO2 emissions and structural emissions’ reduction in China’s agriculture from 2007 to 2017. The research results show that (1) In 2007–2017, the input structure effect and the energy intensity effect inhibited the growth of energy-related CO2 emissions in China’s agriculture, with the reduction effect of energy intensity effect being the more prominent, whereas the final demand effect and the energy structure effect contributed to promoting China’s agricultural energy-related CO2 emissions’ growth, with the final demand effect being the greater promoting factor. (2) The energy structure effect failed to reduce energy-related CO2 emissions in China’s agriculture because the optimization of consumption structure is still not obvious on China’s agricultural supply-side. The share of energy consumption from high-carbon fuels such as raw coal, coke, and other washed coal has increased, rather than decreased, and the optimization of low-carbon energy sources such as natural gas is still slow, thus limiting the emissions’ reduction effect in the energy structure. (3) The reason why the final demand effect has promoted the growth of energy-related CO2 emissions in China’s agriculture is the expanding demand for agriculture in the entire industrial system. Specific to each industry, the secondary industry has played a major role in the final demand effect, accounting for more than 50% of the final demand effect, followed by the primary and the tertiary industries. Finally, this paper provides a theoretical and practical basis for accurately and efficiently implementing emissions’ reduction from the perspectives of the industrial system on the demand-side and the energy system on the supply-side and also in China’s agriculture.

Wagdi Ghaleb, Lina Q. Ahmed, Marie-Hélène Wagner et al.

Temperature is one the most influential environmental factors for the germination and establishment of grass species. The specific objective of this study was to determine the effects of low constant temperature on the time needed to express the full germination capacity of nondormant seedlots. Fifteen accessions, comprising seven of <i>Lolium perenne</i> L., three of <i>Festuca arundinacea</i> Schreb., three of <i>Dactylis glomerata</i> L. and two of <i>Triticum aestivum</i> L., were evaluated at constant temperatures of 5 and 21 °C. As expected, the germination rates were faster at 21 °C than at 5 °C. Indeed, at 5 °C seeds needed up to twenty-one times longer to reach the maximum germination than when tested at 21 °C. The genotypic variability found for the ratio of germination rates between the two temperatures (i.e., germination rate at 5 °C/germination rate at 21 °C) was much more variable than what is found in the literature for perennial cool-season grasses. On the other hand, in most cases, no significant differences were observed in the germinability (the capacity to germinate) response to 5 °C and 21 °C. Within the four species, twelve of the fifteen studied accessions expressed the same germinability at 5 °C and 21 °C, when given enough time. Only three accessions had final germination percentages higher at 21 °C than at 5 °C. Our results suggest that, in general, nondormant seeds at low temperatures germinate as well as nondormant seeds at near-optimal temperatures, provided they have enough time to express their germination capacity. These findings cast doubts on the validity of conclusions drawn in many studies where germination experiments were performed for a period insufficient to obtain full germination at low temperatures. Another major finding in this work concerns the risk of wrongly estimating germinability at low temperatures.

Edison, Ira Wahyuni

The traditions and planting techniques of oil palm cultivation by smallholders in the Muaro Jambi region, and the yields of fresh fruit bunches from smallholders vary. This result is because the plant’s number and the age of plant affects the amount of oil palm production and the farmer’s profit. The objective of research is to (1) analyze the smallholder replanting oil palm plantations’ feasibility evaluated from the financial point of views using investment criteria, (2) analyze his, her, their, etc. smallholder. Sensitivity of replanting oil palm plantations to changes in input and output prices. The study was conducted in Muaro Jambi district. The data analysis method usages investment criteria using NPV, IRR, BCR, PBP and BEP. Research data used data obtained from questionnaires. In the Muaro Jambi region, up to 60 pure independent smallholder farmers replanted, oil palm samples were obtained through snowball sampling. The results of the study show that smallholder oil palm planting is feasible through conventional replanting and understory replanting. The results of the sensitivity analysis showed that when the price of production factors increases by 15% and the selling price of FFB is considered constant, and the selling price of FFB decreased by 15% and the price of production factors remains, both types of replanting of oil palm plantations are still feasible. Changes in FFB prices are more sensitive to changes in the value of investment criteria than changes in production factor prices.

J. Clapp

Mahka Moeen, Rajshree Agarwal

A. Rezaei, A. Nasirpour, M. Fathi

Andi Adam Malik, Sahabuddin, Khairuddin et al.

Abstract This study aims to obtain the best dose of clove extract anesthetic in the transportation of carp (Cyprinus carpio) from suppliers to consumers in the supply chain of carp. Alive, healthy, and not defective carp from the Fish Seed Center with 3-5 cm size were used as objects in this study. Carp fish bag and 50 x 35 x 30 cm Styrofoam boxes were used as containers which were placed randomly during the delivery of carp. The study was conducted with four treatments of different clove extract levels, treatment A as a control (0 ppm), B (3.3 ppm), C (6.7 ppm), and D (10 ppm), with three replications each. The examination of the anesthetic condition of carp was carried out four times during transportation, at 0, 6, 12, and 24 hours. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was conducted to see the impact of the treatments, and then the Tukey test was carried out to see the differences between treatments. The analysis was carried out using SPSS version 21. The results showed that increasing the anesthetic dose of clove extract impacted the health condition and survival rate of the carp seedlings during transportation. The highest survival rate (85%) was achieved at a concentration of 6.7 ppm. Keywords: anesthesia dosage, clove extract, carp, the survival rate Abstrak Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendapatkan dosis anestesi ekstrak cengkeh terbaik dalam pengangkutan ikan karper (Cyprinus carpio) dari pemasok ke konsumen dalam rantai pasok ikan karper. Ikan karper yang digunakan sebagai objek dalam penelitian ini adalah ikan karper dari Balai Benih Ikan dengan ukuran 3-5 cm, dalam keadaan hidup, sehat, dan tidak cacat. Kantong ikan karper dan Styrofoam berukuran 50 x 35 x 30 cm digunakan sebagai wadah selama pengiriman ikan karper dan penempatannya dilakukan secara acak. Penelitian dilakukan dengan 4 perlakuan kadar ekstrak cengkeh yang berbeda, yaitu A sebagai kontrol (0 ppm), B (3,3 ppm), C (6,7 ppm), dan D (10 ppm) dengan masing-masing 3 ulangan. Pemeriksaan kondisi anestesi pada ikan karper dilakukan 4 kali selama pengangkutan, yaitu 0, 6, 12, dan 24 jam. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) dilakukan untuk melihat dampak dari perlakuan kemudian uji Tukey dilakukan untuk melihat perbedaan antar perlakuan. Analisis dilakukan dengan SPSS versi 21. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa penambahan dosis anestesi ekstrak cengkeh berdampak pada keadaan kesehatan dan sintasan ikan karper saat transportasi. Sintasan tertinggi (85%) dicapai pada konsentrasi 6,7 ppm. Kata kunci: dosis anestesi, ekstrak cengkeh, ikan karper, sintasan

Ricky Vinarao, Christopher Proud, Xiaolu Zhang et al.

Abstract Background Aerobic rice production (AP) may be a solution to the looming water crisis by utilising less water compared to traditional flooded culture. As such, development of genotypes with narrow root cone angle (RCA) is considered a key AP adaptation trait as it could lead to deeper rooting and ensure water uptake at depth. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) and genes associated with rooting angle have been identified in rice, but usually in conventional transplanted systems or in upland and drought conditions. This study aimed to identify QTL associated with RCA in AP systems using a recombinant inbred line population derived from IRAT109. Results Four experiments conducted in glasshouse and aerobic field conditions revealed significant genotypic variation existed for RCA in the population. Single and multiple QTL models identified the presence of eight QTL distributed in chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 11. Combined, these QTL explained 36.7–51.2% of the genotypic variance in RCA present in the population. Two QTL, qRCA1.1 and qRCA1.3, were novel and may be new targets for improvement of RCA. Genotypes with higher number of favourable QTL alleles tended to have narrower RCA. qRCA4 was shown to be a major and stable QTL explaining up to 24.3% of the genotypic variation, and the presence of the target allele resulted in as much as 8.6° narrower RCA. Several genes related to abiotic stress stimulus response were found in the qRCA4 region. Conclusion Stable and novel genomic regions associated with RCA have been identified. Genotypes which had combinations of these QTL, resulted in a narrower RCA phenotype. Allele mining, gene cloning, and physiological dissection should aid in understanding the molecular function and mechanisms underlying RCA and these QTL. Ultimately, our work provides an opportunity for breeding programs to develop genotypes with narrow RCA and deep roots for improved adaptation in an AP system for sustainable rice production.

M Luqmanul Hakim , Erliza Hambali, Dwi Setyaningsih

Biogrease is a semi-solid lubricant produced using vegetable oil. The biogrease consists of base oil and thickening agent. Base oil modification is done to change properties such as viscosity, adhesive properties to iron, etc. which have an impact on tribological properties. One of the modifications made is the epoxidation of the base oil to increase the viscosity value. Epoxidation of the olein fraction /RBDPO (Refined Bleached Deodorized Palm Olein) was carried out by reacting olein with acetic acid and peroxide acid. This study aimed to find the best time in the synthesis of RBDPO epoxy base oil, to study the effect of variations in % thickener on the characteristics of biogrease, and the best characteristics of biogrease produced from RBDPO epoxy base oil. The epoxidation was carried out with a ratio of RBDPO : acetic acid : peroxide acid of 1: 5: 2 at a temperature of 50°C, with various experimental times of 3 hours, 4 hours, and 5 hours. The epoxidation results calculated the oxirane number and iodine number with two replications, then analyzed ANOVA statistics and LSD test. Furthermore, the best epoxidation results were formulated with a thickening agent with a ratio of 80:20 and 85:15 to produce biogrease. The statistical analysis showed that the best epoxidation time is 3 hours. Thickening agent affects the texture of biogrease. Biogrease with a ratio of base oil with a thickener of 80: 20 has a short fibrous texture (short fibril) with an NLGI value of 3, while biogrease with a ratio of 85: 15 has a brittle texture with an NLGI value of 00. The best biogrease produced in this study is biogrease with a ratio of 80:20 with an NLGI value of 3.

Nana Osei Owusu, Benedict Arthur, Emmanuel Mensah Aboagye

Abstract Background Cannabis is one of humanity’s oldest crops with several uses, from food to clothing and medicine. It remains one of the most controversial crops whose production, possession, and usage are regulated differently across jurisdictions. Academic research and advocacy have resulted in the redefinition of the legal status of cannabis in several countries. Ghana recently reviewed its laws on cannabis, allowing for the cultivation of industrial hemp. The legislation paves the way for Ghana to benefit from industrial hemp and include it in the agricultural cash crop list. This paper looks at the economic prospects of industrial hemp in the wake of the new law. Methods A systematic electronic research was conducted to identify journal articles, reports, news, blogs, and other relevant materials on cannabis, marijuana, and industrial hemp. The electronic search was done primarily on Google, Google Scholar, Bing, and “Baidu Xueshi” to identify cannabis-related publications. The search was expanded beyond Ghana to find other perspectives on cannabis. The search began in January 2020 on Google using search terms like “cannabis in Ghana” and “which countries have legal cannabis.” Materials on history, financial prospects, industrial uses, and legislations on cannabis and industrial hemp were reviewed. Results Existing research on cannabis in Ghana has focused on the psychotic effects of cannabis other than its industrial aspects, which has potentials for the economy. Industrial hemp has CBD with no psychotic effects and is very useful in making medicine, paper, and textiles. Ghana has both the land and workforce to produce hemp to feed local industries and the international market. Conclusion The new legislation can put Ghana in a position to benefit from the current cannabis industry. Therefore, policymakers should implement a registration regime that would favor local investors and farmers to reduce illegal production. The regulatory framework should establish a well-equipped agency that will supervise production and research into hemp development.

Yunus Ahmed, Z. Yaakob, P. Akhtar et al.

Supaporn Klangprapan, Benjarat Choke-arpornchai, Peter A. Lieberzeit et al.

Classical swine fever (CSF) is a highly contagious and fatal viral disease in pigs caused by the virus of the same name (classical swine fever virus – CSFV). Economical reasons dictate the need for rapid early detection of this pathogen. Herein we report on a sensor for CSFV detection based on a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) making use of molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) as the receptor. It relies on a copolymer comprising acrylamide (AAM), methacrylic acid (MAA), methyl methacrylate (MMA), and n-vinylpyrrolidone (VP). SEM images of CSFV MIP reveal cavities on the polymer surface with an average diameter of d = 59 nm, which correlates well with the dimensions of CSFV particles. QCM sensor measurements yield concentration-dependent CSFV sensor responses resulting in LOD = 1.7 μg/mL, LOQ = 5.1 μg/mL and R2 = 0.9963. Furthermore, CSFV-MIP sensors selectively bind CSFV with selectivity factors of 2 over porcine respiratory and reproductive virus (PRRSV) and 62 over pseudorabies virus (PRV), respectively. Finally, sensor responses turned out fully reversible.

Marcos Aurélio Saquet

Nos últimos anos avançamos significativamente, no Brasil e noutros países da América Latina, no debate e compreensão das distintas abordagens e concepções de território e desenvolvimento, Ciência popular; território; desenvolvimento. No entanto, algumas questões ainda precisam ser mais bem trabalhadas para clarear possíveis metodologias apropriadas para nossa diversidade natural e cultural. Assim, preparamos este texto com o objetivo de mostrar, didaticamente, a relação direta que existe entre uma abordagem territorial histórico-crítica e a problemática do desenvolvimento. Um dos principais resultados que conseguimos entender, é que se faz necessário vincular o desenvolvimento ao território, mais especificamente às suas singularidades sociais e naturais que precisam, na opção por nós escolhida, ser compreendidas e transformadas de maneira participativa, solidária, ecológica, reflexiva e cooperada, a partir dos princípios e das práticas da ciência popular.

Anna Carbone, Luisangela Quici, Giovanni Pica

The paper introduces a modified version of the demographic balance equation commonly used in human demography in the study of populations of permanent crops. The proposed methodology is then applied to analyzing the evolution of the Italian vineyard.In short, the study measures different factors that have had an impact on the extension of the Italian vineyard and on its age structure such as the reduced investments in new plantations; the massive early explant and also the extended life of the vineyards since they are kept in production well beyond the conventional limit of their economic life. Results show that the reduction of the area cultivated with grapes in Italy is due to different reasons, some of which relate to the past while others mirror more recent behaviors of vine growers.The methodology also allows the prediction of tendencies in the future. Three scenarios are built, based on different hypothesis about new investments and explantation rates that account for the wine EU CMO 2013–2030. Projections show, that in the next decades, both the extension of cultivated area and plant age will be deeply influenced by choices that had been made even decades before. Comparing the results obtained under the different hypothesis, helps to assess the range of possible impacts of the new policy framework.In an increasingly global and competitive market, the analysis proposed provides original insights on some future waves in the wine industry both to policy makers and stakeholders. This awareness is especially needed in order to put in place strategies aimed at avoiding supply-demand mismatches in a sector where supply moves slowly while demand trends are fast and almost unpredictable. Keywords: Demographic trends, Future scenarios, Italian vineyards