Agricultural Utilization Research Articles

Blocking the arsenic transportation from micro-polluted lake water to water spinach by in situ addition of titanyl sulfate

Water resource shortage and arsenic (As) water pollution are threatening human food security. Using As micro-polluted water for agricultural production may alleviate the water resource shortage situation after solving the As problem. In situ formed hydrous titanium oxide possesses much higher As immobilization potential than purchased TiO2 because of its higher specific surface area and more abundant active hydroxyl group, which is proposed to reduce the As uptake of aquatic vegetables planted in As micro-polluted water. Herein, TiOSO4 solution, which can hydrolyze into hydrous titanium oxide during dilution in water, was used as a new water amendment to realize in situ As immobilization in lake water (100 μg-As/L) during cultivation of water spinach. We found that TiOSO4 could immobilize trace level As with its dosage as the main factor influencing the efficiency through response surface analysis. A low dosage TiOSO4 treatment of 0.5 mg/L could reduce the As content in the edible part from 0.64 to 0.40 mg/kg, which satisfied the vegetable As standard of China (0.5 mg/kg). The shoot As content was negatively related to the used TiOSO4 dosage and could be further reduced to 0.16 mg-As/kg at a dosage of 4 mg/L TiOSO4, while the health risk index of eating water spinach could be reduced by 75% (from 1.6 to 0.4). Therefore, TiOSO4 is a useful in situ As immobilization reagent during cultivation of water spinach and may possibly be used in the production of other aquatic vegetables. In situ TiOSO4 treatment may be an effective and facile strategy for the agricultural utilization of As micro-polluted surface water, which can alleviate the shortage on safe agricultural water resource in the context of widespread water micro-pollution.

Longitudinal patterns of dissolved organic matter quality and bacterial community degradation function along the mainstream of Three Gorges Reservoir during impoundment period

Longitudinal patterns of dissolved organic matter (DOM) influence the biogeochemical cycle in river ecosystems. Yet, linkages between DOM quality and bacterial degradation of emerging contaminants over a river continuum are unclear. In combination with DOM characterization, bioassay, and microbial analysis, this study unraveled the spatial variations of DOM composition and biodegradability as well as bacterial community structures, which determined the estrone biodegradation potential (EBP) along the mainstream in Three Gorges Reservoir during impoundment period. While urban and agricultural utilization increased the protein-like and biodegradable DOM components (BDOC%) in upstream, the in-situ biotransformation preferentially utilized tryptophan-like substances followed by tyrosine-like substances, resulting in the accumulated recalcitrant DOM with higher aromaticity, molecular weight, and humic-like components in downstream. Due to the promotion of biodegradable DOM on bacterial abundances, a significant and positive correlation was constructed between BDOC% and EBP (P < 0.001, R2 = 0.56), both of which were controlled by the ratio of fresh- to humic-like fluorescence. Nevertheless, a higher biomass-normalized EBP was found under recalcitrant conditions in downstream, demonstrating that the degradation function was also associated with the biogeographical distribution of bacterial communities. Results of microbial ecology revealed that the in-situ transformation of aromatic and humic-like DOM exhibited more correlations with bacterial taxa than protein-like DOM, leading to increased diversity and decreased niche breadths along the mainstream. The triggered deterministic selection of community assemblages in downstream favored potential estrone-degraders and up-regulated their specific metabolic capacity. These findings will provide critical insights toward understanding the crucial role of DOM in biogeochemical cycles and the self-purification of emerging contaminants along the river continuum.

Integrated crop-livestock-bioenergy system brings co-benefits and trade-offs in mitigating the environmental impacts of Chinese agriculture.

Agricultural bioenergy utilization relies on crop and livestock production, favouring an integrated crop-livestock-bioenergy production model. Yet the integrated system's exact contribution to mitigating various environmental burdens from the crop production system and livestock production system remains unclear. Here we inventory the environmental impacts of each process in three subsystems at both national and regional scales in China, ultimately identifying key processes and impact categories. The co-benefits and trade-offs in nine impact categories are investigated by comparing the life cycle impacts in the background scenario (crop production system + livestock production system) and foreground scenario (integrated system). Freshwater eutrophication is the most serious impact category in both scenarios. Except terrestrial acidification, the mitigation effects on the other eight impact categories vary from 1.8% to 94.8%, attributed to fossil energy and chemical fertilizer offsets. Environmental trade-offs should be deliberated when expanding bioenergy utilization in the identified critical regions.

Effect of Agricultural Policy and Resource Utilization on Small-Scale Groundnut Production In Niger State, Nigeria

The present research empirically determined farm resource-input utilization among the groundnut farmers and the effect of agricultural policy on groundnut production in Niger State of Nigeria. A total of 120 farmers were selected through a multi-stage sampling technique. Thereafter, a structured questionnaire complemented with the interview schedule was the instruments used to elicit information from the respondents and the collected data were analyzed using inferential statistics and the policy analysis matrix (PAM). The empirical findings showed that groundnut production is affected by the failure of the farmers to apply the recommended inorganic fertilizer dosages. In addition, the farmers were not economically efficient as allocation of the farm inputs were not optimized. The farm size, seed, manure, biocides and depreciation on capital had an index of greater than 1.00 while NPK and human labour AEI index were less than 1.00. Furthermore, the agricultural policy was not in favour of the farmers despite the effort in deregulating the agricultural marketing sub-sector. Therefore, the study recommends that the extension agents should re-train the farmers on the appropriate technologies needed in the application of recommended dosage for agro-chemical, especially inorganic fertilizer. In addition, the government should improvise a protectionist policy for the producers so that they can compete favourable and earn remunerative prices in the agricultural commodity markets.&#x0D; Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 45(4): 431-444, December 2020

Effect of Biochar and Process Water Derived from the Co-Processed Sewage Sludge and Food Waste on Garden Cress’ Growth and Quality

Very little is known about how products derived from the hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of municipal waste affect the availability and uptake of nitrogen in plant nutrition. This study examined the effects of 60% sewage sludge and 40% food waste HTC products, i.e., biochar (BC) and process water (PW), as nitrogen sources on garden cress growth and quality. A fertilization program using four nitrogen doses [(control), 9, 12, and 15 kg da−1 N] and BC, PW, chemical nitrogen (CN), and their combinations were used in a pot experiment conducted under greenhouse conditions. The highest nitrogen dose often produced better results in terms of plant growth and quality. Additionally, fertilization with PW+CN and BC+CN at the highest nitrogen dose significantly improved plant height, plant fresh and dry weight, and root dry weight parameters of garden cress over the previous treatments. The highest stem diameter, number of leaves, and plant area values were obtained in the 15 kg da−1 N dose PW+BC application. The vitamin C content in cress decreased with the increasing levels of CN. The highest vitamin C content was obtained with 15 kg N da−1 PW fertilization. BC+PW and CN fertilization applications improved chlorophyll a, b, and the total contents of garden cress leaves. Moreover, the nitrate (NO3) concentration of cress increased with CN doses while it decreased in all BC and PW administrations. The 9, 12, and 15 kg N da−1 doses of PW+CN and the 15 kg N da−1 dose of BC+CN yielded the highest agricultural nitrogen utilization efficiency (ANUE) values. Plant nutrient content was positively affected in all fertilization applications, except for Na and Cl. However, it was determined that BC+CN fertilizer application improved plant nutrient uptake. Surprisingly, PW+CN treatment at the lowest nitrogen dosage resulted in the highest soil organic matter and total nitrogen content. In conclusion, it has been determined that biochar and process water have a synergistic effect with CN to increase plant growth by improving nitrogen efficiency, but their application alone without CN is insufficient to meet the nitrogen requirement.

Reclamation of ancient agricultural terraces in the Negev Highlands; soil, archeological, hydrological, and topographical perspectives

AbstractAncient terraced lands are considered badlands without profitable utilization except for urbanization. Nevertheless, this attitude prevents further agricultural utilization in addition to the loss of archaeological data. The study hypothesizes that the main influencing part in these systems is the retaining walls (RW). An analysis of their current influence on soil fertility, stability, and hydrology will indicate their adequate reclamation strategy. The objectives are to gather the influences and correlate them to the RW constructional state. In the Yeroham Hills, three parallel located terraced systems (one on the Wadi Shualim channel and the other, which is located on its banks) were studied. Their ancient agricultural utilization was dated, after in‐site excavations, to the Roman until early Islamic eras. Ten representative RWs were chosen, five from each terraced system. Their influences on the soil fertility, hydrology, and physical properties of the adjacent soil and 2 m ahead (the terrace) were studied. The finding indicates that the RW serves as a physical ecosystem engineer with positive influences on soil organic matter (0.5% higher content compared to the terrace) and land stability properties (maturated soil biocrust and higher aggregate stability). Comparison of the finding from both terraced irrigation systems, which differ in their conservation state, enables to determine the agricultural utilization and land stabilization after an adequate reclamation strategy, which is based on the RWs constructional parameters analyzed in‐site, and adaption to the current floodwater paths. The study's principles and analysis scheme enable the study and conservation of similar areas worldwide for increased utilization and profitability.

Review on the assessment model of nutrient recycling with agricultural residues treatment technologies

The technology for nutrient resource utilization of agricultural residues is crucial to realizing a circular agricultural economy. The assessment model provides essential support to optimize nutrient recovery and treatment technologies. We specifically summarized research progress in the assessment framework of agricultural residues nutrient recycling technology, assessment models and evaluation indicators, data sources of models and their uncertainty analysis, and the application scale of models. We found that process mathematical models and industrial eco-logy models are the common nutrient flow assessment models. Process mathematical and industrial ecology models differed greatly in terms of the reliability of assessment results and the simulation scale. The former mainly focused at laboratory or pilot scale, with higher accuracy. The latter could achieve multi-scale simulation from microscopic to macroscopic and had higher uncertainty, due to the way its data were obtained. Finally, we provided an outlook on the research on the assessment model of agricultural residues nutrient resource utilisation technology. In order to achieve accurate assessment of waste resource utilisation technology in agricultural production systems at the regional scale, a reliable model framework and database should be established by combining process mathematical models with industrial ecology models. Meanwhile, we should carry out research on model expansion at the geographical scales of factory scale, farm scale, village scale, township scale, and regional scale.

Quantitative evaluation of variation and driving factors of the regional water footprint for cotton production in China

Water resources are the foundation that supports life and have become a key constraint on agricultural development in the 21st century. The water footprint (WF) provides a new and comprehensive approach for water utilization in agriculture, but WF of cotton in China has not been extensively studied. This study analyzed the spatiotemporal variation characteristics, driving factors of WF and evaluated the water resource utilization benefits and water stress caused by cotton production in China from 2004 to 2018. WF of cotton in China showed a decreasing trend, while the increase in unit yield was the main reason for the decrease in WF. The total water footprint (TWF) in the Huanghe Valley, Yangtze Valley and Northwest Inland cotton regions was 11G (46.6 % TWFgreen (total green water footprint), 42.0 % TWFblue (total blue water footprint), and 11.3 % TWFgrey (total grey water footprint)), 15G (37.0 % TWFgreen, 19.0 % TWFblue and 43.9 % TWFgrey), and 18G (9.9 % TWFgreen, 80.5 % TWFblue, and 9.6 % TWFgrey; 1G = 109 m3), respectively. Exploratory spatial clustering identified the Yangtze Valley cotton regions as a High-High clustered zone for WF, which indicated a high WF and low output. The pressure on water resources gradually decreased in the Huanghe Valley cotton region, and it was in a low WF and low output situation. In the low WF of high output of the Northwest Inland cotton regions, its Low-Low cluster had a tendency to shrink, and the water pressure showed an increasing trend. The results of this study provide new insights into reducing the consumption of water resources and promoting the sustainable production of cotton.

Engineering Structure Strategy for Agricultural Machinery Utilization System

The creation of a resourcesaving environmentally-oriented system for agricultural machinery (AM) disposal provides for the formation of an engineering structure for the collection and processing of recyclable machines. The engineering structure of this type of activity should consist of existing repair and maintenance enterprises and service centers involved in the maintenance of AM, as well as newly created specialized enterprises for its deep utilization.

Optimization and kinetic modeling of phosphate recovery as struvite by electrocoagulation from source-separated urine.

Phosphorus recovery is indispensable due to the rapid depletion of its natural reserves and excessive utility in agriculture. Though human urine has high nutrient content including phosphate, nitrogen and potassium; direct use as a fertilizer is restricted due to hygienic, environmental, social and ethical issues. To overcome these limitations, the nutrients are precipitated by the external addition of magnesium (Mg) to form a slow-releasing fertilizer called struvite. The present study aims to maximize phosphate recovery through optimizing struvite production by an emerging electrocoagulation technique. A maximum of 95% phosphate recovery was achieved using inter-electrode distance of 0.5 cm, 2 A current from undiluted urine using Mg-Mg electrodes in a reaction time of 30 min. Further, kinetic modeling of phosphate recovery through electrocoagulation was conducted to comprehend the intended mechanism through the order of kinetics. The results revealed that the data best correlated with first-order kinetics with a correlation coefficient of 0.95. Electrocoagulation improved the supernatant quality by reducing the ion concentrations other than phosphate (30-50%), salinity (40-45%), and microbial population (99%). Qualitative assessment of the precipitate through sophisticated analysis further confirmed the presence of struvite crystals.

Habitat Preference and Current Threats to The Sarus Cranes Grus Antigone (Aves: Gruiformes: Gruidae) In Important Bird Areas of Haryana, India: Implications for Determining Effective Conservation Actions

Understanding the habitat preferences of Sarus Crane can assist ecologists in identifying high-priority habitats and improving conservation strategies. The habitat utilization and preference of Sarus Crane were studied in and around Important Bird areas of the Gurugram district from November 2019 to October 2020. In total, 171 flocks were observed in agricultural land followed by marshland (147) and grassland (11). Our analysis showed that the Sarus Crane strongly preferred agricultural areas (s = +0.18) and avoided grassland habitats (s = -0.22 and -0.53 respectively). There was a significant difference in the utilization of agriculture and marshland (P&lt;0.05) habitats in different seasons. However, the Sarus Crane utilized the grassland habitat randomly (P&gt;0.05). The Sarus Cranes experienced several serious threats, including predation, habitat destruction, and the agricultural use of pesticides. This study on habitat preference and current threats will provide a scientific baseline for future research to better understand the ecology of the Sarus Cranes and will be helpful in their conservation. These IBA’s are the only suitable sites in Haryana because it is surrounded by a large area of agricultural land and exposed to the pressure of human activities. It is, therefore, necessary to protect such habitats, to provide a healthy ecosystem for Sarus Cranes.

Impact of Cationic Polyelectrolyte Addition on Mesophilic Anaerobic Digestion and Hydrocarbon Content of Sewage Sludge

The agricultural spreading of treated sewage sludge is a valid strategy in terms of circular economy for the management of this nutrient-rich waste. Anaerobic digestion (AD) can be applied to stabilize and hygienize sewage sludge, making it suitable for agricultural reuse, while producing biogas to be utilized as an energy vector. However, the presence of contaminants, including petroleum hydrocarbons, could limit the widespread agricultural utilization of sewage sludge. In this context, the impact of dewatering agents, such as cationic polyelectrolytes, on AD efficiency and hydrocarbon biodegradation has been poorly investigated, although it represents a noteworthy aspect when conditioned sludge is digested for agricultural use in centralized biogas plants. This work aims to elucidate the effect of cationic polyelectrolyte addition on biomethanation as well as the degradation and extractability of C10-C40 hydrocarbons during mesophilic AD of sewage sludge. The addition of 26.7 g/kgTS of cationic polyelectrolyte was observed to extend the AD lag phase, although similar methane yields (573–607 mLCH4 per g of degraded volatile solids) were observed for both conditioned and raw sludge. Furthermore, a significant impact on hydrocarbon degradation was observed due to chemical conditioning. Indeed, this work reveals that cationic polyelectrolytes can affect hydrocarbon extractability and suggests moreover that the presence of natural interferents (e.g., biogenic waxes) in sewage sludge may lead to an overestimation of potentially toxic C10-C40 hydrocarbon concentrations, potentially limiting the application of sludge-derived digestates in agriculture.

Toward a Socio-Political Approach to Promote the Development of Circular Agriculture: A Critical Review.

Under the dual pressure of ensuring global food security and coping with the effects of climate change, many countries have proposed projects of circular agriculture to mitigate the vulnerability of agricultural systems. However, due to the different utilizations of agricultural resources in different countries, there are still some important limitations and obstacles to the promotion of agricultural recycling technologies. This review discusses global circular agriculture projects from a social science perspective. We found that (1) current research on circular agriculture is concentrated in the field of natural sciences with a focus on technological upgrading, neglecting social, political and economic research; (2) top-down circular agriculture projects rely on infrastructure and technical inputs for management, which undermines the focus on public participation and is limited by the timing and intensity of state intervention; (3) the development model led by enterprises or associations relies on cooperation and benefit games with farmers, and its sustainability depends largely on changes in the regulation of the agricultural waste utilization system. Based on this, this review argues that circular agriculture projects are not only technical issues in the field of natural sciences, but also strongly influenced by social development. For future research, we strongly recommend cross-disciplinary cooperation, not limited to technology development.

Analysis of the Influencing Factors of the High-Quality Utilization of Territorial Space Based on the Perspective of Spatial Equilibrium: A Case Study of Hunan Province, China

In order to promote the efficient and coordinated utilization of counties’ territorial space in Hunan Province, this paper identifies the state of high-quality utilization of territorial space based on the perspective of spatial equilibrium from 2010 to 2020, and uses the spatial econometric model to analyze its influencing factors and propose effective optimization strategies. The results show that: (1) From 2010 to 2020, the quality of agricultural space utilization continued to decline in some areas, and elsewhere to decreased first and then increased. The core area of Chang-Zhu-Tan and the central urban areas of some prefectures have always been high-value areas for the quality of urban space utilization; the agricultural space utilization quality in the Dongting Lake Plain area and the Chang-Zhu-Tan area were high. By 2020, the range of Chang-Zhu-Tan agricultural space categorized as of high-value utilization quality areas has been significantly reduced; the high-value ecological space utilization quality areas were located in areas with large ecological scales, such as counties in the Wuling Mountains, etc. (2) From 2010 to 2020, the near-imbalance and barely balanced development have always been the main types of balanced development, and the balanced development in the core area of Chang-Zhu-Tan and Dongting Lake plain is high. (3) From 2010 to 2020, the types of high-quality utilization of territorial space in Hunan Province were mainly urban-agricultural-ecological spaces with low-quality equilibrium, and high-quality utilization of county areas were rare. The number of high-quality utilization counties was gradually decreasing, and by 2020, there was only one in Wuling District, Changde City. Therefore, the other 121 counties’ territorial space utilization status needs to be improved. (4) The high-quality utilization of territorial space in Hunan province was influenced by both regional background factors and external factors, and the external factors were more significant. Among them, population density, consumption level and other factors played an important role. Relevant departments can take effective measures to promote the efficient and coordinated use of county territorial space by taking such measures as relaxing the conditions for the introduction of talents, increasing financial investment, and so on.

Microflora for improving the Auricularia auricula spent mushroom substrate for Protaetia brevitarsis production

SummaryMushroom cultivation is a sustainable agricultural waste utilization method, but the lack of high-value utilization of the produced spent mushroom substrate (SMS) has hindered the development of mushroom cultivation-based circular agricultural systems. Conversion and utilization of SMS via Protaetia brevitarsis larvae (PBL) have proven to be a high-value AASMS utilization strategy. However, Auricularia auricula SMS (AASMS), which contains woodchips, is less palatable and digestible for PBL. To solve this problem, in this investigation, we screened out microflora (MF) for AASMS fermentation by comparing the fermentation performance as well as the effect on PBL feed intake, weight gain, and AASMS phytotoxic compound removal efficiency. In addition, by bacterial community analysis, the genera Luteimonas, Moheibacter, and Pseudoxanthomonas were predicted to be functional bacteria for AASMS fermentation and contribute to palatability and digestibility improvement.

Study on the environmental efficiency of agricultural water resources about typical cropping patterns around the Dongting Lake area

Abstract This paper aims to evaluate the environmental efficiency of agricultural water resources utilization in different cropping patterns in the Dongting Lake area. To achieve that, the following materials are used: (1) study area: 16 counties (cities and districts) of Yueyang, Changde, and Yiyang around the Dongting Lake area; (2) data: relevant indicators of economic and environmental benefits of agricultural water resources utilization from 2011 to 2020; and (3) model: the Luenberger productivity model based on the directional distance function. With all the materials above, this paper calculates the environmental efficiency of typical cropping patterns in the Dongting Lake ecological zone and explores the spatial and temporal evolution patterns of typical cropping patterns in the lake area. The results show that (1) the environmental efficiency (LEI) of four typical cropping patterns in 16 counties (cities and districts) around Dongting Lake shows an overall increasing trend from 2011 to 2020, especially the environmental efficiency of four cropping patterns has increased significantly since 2014. (2) Among the four typical cropping patterns, the environmental efficiency of one-season rice + lobster is higher, and the environmental efficiency value of two-season rice + winter leisure is lower but most significantly improved. (3) The environmental efficiency of agricultural water resources in the hilly areas around the lake is higher than that in the Dongting Plain. Finally, some countermeasures and suggestions were put forward, such as implementing the reduction and efficiency of pesticide and chemical fertilizer in the planting industry in the lake area, optimizing the rice + planting mode, strengthening the construction of water conservation projects in the four river basins, and promoting high-standard farmland water-saving irrigation.

Effects of Supplementary Irrigation on Soil Respiration of Millet Farmland in a Semi-Arid Region in China

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is recognized as key part of evaluating the soil environment, and the soil respiration rate is an effective indicator of CO2 emission. To explore the influence and coupling mechanism of irrigation on the soil respiration of millet farmland in the Northern Shanxi Province in China, conventional rainfed (CK) and supplementary irrigation (W1) at the late jointing stage were conducted. The soil respiration rate and carbon emission flux in millet farmland under different treatments were observed. The relationship between soil respiration rate and soil physical–chemical properties and the crop growth index was further analyzed. The result showed that the soil respiration rate and carbon emission flux of W1 were higher than those of CK treatment. The comparison of the linear regression correlation between soil respiration rate and soil physical–chemical properties revealed that the major regulating factors of the soil respiration rate were soil moisture (&lt;10.6%) followed by soil pH, soil moisture (&gt;10.6%), soil temperature, and finally soil organic matter content. There are uncertainties regarding the soil moisture content variation range in soil respiration. Moreover, supplementary irrigation promoted the growth indexes, yield, and irrigation water use efficiency in millet farmland. Further research with less irrigation treatment is necessary for exploring an optimization model of water use efficiency and low carbon dioxide emissions in millet fields, which would be helpful to realize agricultural water utilization and a “carbon peak” in the sense of farmland.

Gender Perspectives of ICT Utilization in Agriculture and Climate Response in West Africa: A Review

This paper systematically reviewed the relevant literature to generate evidence and identify knowledge gaps on the gender perspectives of ICT use for agriculture and climate response in West Africa. It was evident from the literature that ICTs continue to form an important part of agricultural operations, climate response and agribusiness in West Africa. TV, radio and mobile phones were the most frequently used ICT platforms for receiving agricultural and climate information. Mobile phones have an added use for sales and financial transactions. There were no distinct gender differences in the use of ICTs for agriculture and climate response. However, women’s low income and limitations in controlling household financial responses were identified as significant barriers to ICT access. It was evident that ICTs may contribute to achieving gender outcomes in agriculture and climate response if an enabling environment is created for women to have access to the inputs and resources needed to implement agro-advisories. From the results obtained, there are clear indications that the gender perspectives of ICT use in agriculture and climate response has not received much research attention. The analyses identified important knowledge gaps on gender disaggregated information on the linkages among ICT use, agricultural productivity and climate adaptation indicators.

The effect of pre-treatment and anaerobic digestion for pathogens reduction in agricultural utilization of sewage sludge

The aim of the research work was to explain the possibilities of application of waste activated sludge (WAS) pretreatment processes prior to anaerobic digestion (mesophilic fermentation). Hydrodynamic disintegration and freezing/thawing disintegration methods were used. Based on the microbiological and parasitological analyses, a significant decrease in pathogenic bacteria, coliphages, and parasite eggs was observed. The number of bacteria analyzed (Salmonella sp., Escherichia coli, Clostridium perfringens) and coliphages were reduced from 19.3to 42.3% after hydrodynamic cavitation. A similar effect was achieved for destruction by freezing/thawing with dry ice between 7.8 and 14.9%. The effectiveness of parasite eggs reduction (Ascaris sp., Trichuris sp., Toxocara sp.) for these disintegration methods ranged from 10.7 to 29.3%. The highest results were observed for the hybrid disintegration method (hydrodynamic cavitation + dry ice disintegration) caused by a synergistic effect. Salmonella sp. in 1 gd.w. decrease about 69.7%, E. coli by 70.0%, Clostridium perfringens by 38.4%, and coliphages by 48.2%. Disruption of WAS by a hybrid method led to a reduction in the number of helminth eggs Ascaris sp. (63.8%), Trichuris sp. (64.3%), and Toxocara sp. (66.4%). After anaerobic digestion under mesophilic conditions, an additional reduction of analyzed bacterial pathogens and helminth eggs were observed. The introduction of hybrid disintegrated WAS to the fermentation chamber resulted in higher efficiency in decrease (from 1 to 23%) in comparison to the control sample (70%WAS + 30%DS (inoculum-digested sludge)).

Combined Use of Spent Mushroom Substrate Biochar and PGPR Improves Growth, Yield, and Biochemical Response of Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis): A Preliminary Study on Greenhouse Cultivation

This paper investigated the impact of the combined use of spent mushroom substrate (SMS) biochar and plant-growth-promoting rhizobia (PGPR) on the growth, yield, and biochemical response of cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis). A preliminary study was conducted under greenhouse condition using six treatments (sextuplicate) as control (no addition), T1 (PGPR), T2 (5 g/Kg biochar), T3 (5 g/Kg biochar + PGPR), T4 (10 g/Kg biochar), and T5 (10 g/Kg biochar + PGPR) under greenhouse conditions. The Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM-Zeiss), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), and Fourier’s transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses showed that biochar produced from slow pyrolysis of SMS had advantageous structural, functional, and morphological properties for agricultural use. Results showed that SMS biochar addition aids the acceleration of soil nutrient properties. SMS biochar and PGPR application also significantly (p &lt; 0.05) improved the selected growth, yield, and biochemical parameters of cauliflower. In particular, the highest cauliflower yield (550.11 ± 10.05 g), fresh plant biomass (1.66 ± 0.04 Kg), dry plant biomass (149.40 ± 4.18 g), plant height (22.09 ± 0.14 cm), root length (11.20 ± 0.05 cm), plant spread (28.35 ± 0.18 cm), and the number of leaves (12.50 ± 0.50) were observed in T5 treatment. Similarly, the best values for biochemical parameters and enzyme activities such as total chlorophyll (TC: 3.13 ± 0.07 mg/g), superoxide dismutase (SOD: 79.12 ± 1.29 µg/g), catalase (CAT: 55.70 ± 2.52 µg/g), peroxidase (POD 30.18 ± 0.37 µg/g), total phenolics (TP: 19.50 ± 0.31 mg/g), ascorbic acid (AA: 14.18 ± 0.55 mg/g), and total carotenoids (TCT: 150.17 ± 8.20 µg/100 g) were also recorded in the T5 treatment. The application of SMS biochar and PGPR showed a positive correlation with growth, yield, and biochemical response of cauliflower, as indicated by the Pearson correlation analysis. The findings of this study suggest efficient recycling of mushroom industry waste for biochar production and the use of PGPR to improve nutrient utilization in sustainable agriculture.